SafetyPaperwork
Carpentry · United Kingdom

Method statement for skirting and trim installation

By Safety PaperworkBuilt from HSE guidance and CDM 2015 · How we write and check theseUpdated

You must assess the risks of skirting and trim installation and record the significant findings if you employ 5 or more people. On CDM sites the principal contractor will ask for RAMS before you start.

RAMS cover the hazards, who could be harmed and how, the controls and the safe sequence of work, and the crew is briefed and signs. The main hazards are saw cuts and kickback, wood and MDF dust, loud noise and nail gun injuries.

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RAMS example: skirting and trim installation

This is a complete RAMS for skirting and trim installation, with 5 job steps. Open it in the builder to add your site, crew and signatures, change anything, and download a PDF. Or download the free Word template below and fill it in by hand.

Risk Assessment and Method Statement (RAMS)
Fit skirting and trims · Carpentry · Example
Document RAMS-001 · Rev 1

Risk assessment

#ActivityHazardsWho might be harmedRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Set up the saw on a stand in a clear, lit area
  • Slips and trips
  • Poor lighting and night work
Workers, Visitors, PublicMedium (9)
  • Plan walkways and keep them clear of materials, hoses and leads. Eliminate
  • Run leads and hoses overhead on hooks or stands, or along walls, not across walkways. Control (engineering)
  • Fill or cover holes, and lay boards or mats on muddy access paths. Control (engineering)
  • Clean up offcuts, packaging and spills as you go, not at the end of the day. Control (procedures)
  • Keep work areas, stairs and access paths well lit. Control (procedures)
  • Wear safety boots with good grip, laced up. PPE
  • Plan work for daylight hours where you can. Eliminate
  • Set up enough temporary lighting for the task, walkways, stairs and access points. Control (engineering)
  • Aim lights so they do not dazzle plant operators or drivers. Control (engineering)
  • Check lighting before work starts and carry a torch or head lamp. Control (procedures)
  • Wear hi-vis with reflective tape for night work. PPE
Low (4)
2Cut lengths with the guard in place
  • Saw cuts and kickback
  • Wood and MDF dust
  • Loud noise
Workers, People nearbyHigh (12)
  • Keep blade guards fitted and working, and use the riving knife on table saws. Control (engineering)
  • Use push sticks and clamps, and support long pieces so they do not pinch the blade. Control (engineering)
  • Use a sharp, undamaged blade made for the material. Control (procedures)
  • Stand to one side of the blade line, out of the kickback path. Control (procedures)
  • Let the blade stop fully before reaching in or putting the saw down. Control (procedures)
  • Buy pre-cut or pre-finished timber where you can. Reduce / substitute
  • Cut outdoors or in a well-ventilated area away from others. Isolate
  • Use saws and sanders with dust extraction connected to an M-class (or better) vacuum. Control (engineering)
  • Clean up with a vacuum, not a broom or compressed air. Control (procedures)
  • Do a COSHH assessment for hardwood and MDF dust. Control (procedures)
  • Wear an FFP3 dust mask for cutting and sanding. PPE
  • Use quieter tools and methods, such as cut-to-size materials, low-noise machines and battery tools. Reduce / substitute
  • Keep noisy plant away from work areas, and use screens or distance between the noise and people. Isolate
  • Keep tools maintained and use mufflers on compressors and generators. Control (engineering)
  • Limit time on noisy tools and rotate workers. Control (procedures)
  • If you have to shout to be heard by someone 2 metres away, the noise is probably 85 dB(A) or more: wear hearing protection. Control (procedures)
  • Assess noise. At 85 dB(A) or more, hearing protection is required and the zone must be marked. Control (procedures)
Medium (8)
3Nail off trims, keeping hands away from the nose of the gun
  • Nail gun injuries
  • Eye injuries
  • Compressed air
Workers, People nearbyHigh (12)
  • Use a nail gun with a sequential (single shot) trigger, not a contact or bump trigger. Reduce / substitute
  • Disconnect the air or battery before clearing jams, adjusting or moving between work areas. Control (engineering)
  • Keep your free hand at least 30 cm from the nailing point. Control (procedures)
  • Never point the gun at anyone or carry it with your finger on the trigger. Control (procedures)
  • Train new users before they use a nail gun, and check for pipes, cables and metal behind the surface. Control (procedures)
  • Use tool guards and screens to stop flying particles. Control (engineering)
  • Use dust extraction and water to keep dust out of the air. Control (engineering)
  • Keep others out of the area when cutting, grinding or chipping. Control (procedures)
  • Keep an eye wash station or eye wash bottles on site. Control (procedures)
  • Wear safety glasses at all times, goggles for dust and chemicals, and a face shield for grinding. PPE
  • Fit whip checks (safety cables) on hose joints and check hoses before use. Control (engineering)
  • Fit a pressure regulator and keep pressure to the tool's rating. Control (engineering)
  • Turn off and bleed the line before disconnecting. Control (procedures)
  • Never use compressed air to clean clothes or skin, or point it at anyone. Control (procedures)
  • Wear safety glasses and hearing protection. PPE
Medium (8)
4Work on knee pads and take breaks from kneeling
  • Repetitive work and awkward postures
WorkersMedium (9)
  • Use tools that cut the effort: powered screwdrivers, long-handled tools and extension poles for overhead work. Reduce / substitute
  • Set work up at waist height on benches or trestles where you can. Control (engineering)
  • Use light tools with good grips, and keep blades and bits sharp. Control (engineering)
  • Rotate tasks and take short breaks every hour on repetitive work. Control (procedures)
  • Warm up before heavy physical work and report aches and pains early. Control (procedures)
  • Wear knee pads for kneeling work and gloves for grip. PPE
Medium (6)
5Vacuum dust and pick up nails and offcuts
  • Poor housekeeping and waste
Workers, VisitorsMedium (8)
  • Order materials to size and send packaging back where you can. Eliminate
  • Put skips and waste chutes close to the work. Control (engineering)
  • Clean as you go, and do a full clean up at the end of each day. Control (procedures)
  • Keep exits, stairs and walkways clear at all times. Control (procedures)
  • Stack materials neatly on level ground, away from edges. Control (procedures)
  • Use a registered waste carrier and keep waste transfer notes for at least 2 years. Keep hazardous waste such as asbestos separate, with consignment notes (special waste in Scotland). Control (procedures)
  • Wear gloves when handling waste. PPE
Low (4)

Method statement: sequence of work

  1. Set up the saw on a stand in a clear, lit area
  2. Cut lengths with the guard in place
  3. Nail off trims, keeping hands away from the nose of the gun
  4. Work on knee pads and take breaks from kneeling
  5. Vacuum dust and pick up nails and offcuts

PPE

Safety bootsSafety glassesEar defendersKnee padsHi-vis vestFFP3 dust maskRigger glovesSafety gogglesFace shield

Plant and equipment

Mitre sawNail gunAir compressorHand tools

Emergency

Call 999. Add the nearest A&E, the assembly point and the first aider for your site.

Sign-off

Supervisor and every worker sign to confirm they have read and understood this RAMS.

Free RAMS template for skirting and trim installation

Word (.docx) and PDF, A4 landscape, no email needed. Fill in your site details, then print or send it.

Word template (.docx)PDF template

Make yours in 2 minutes

Same document, filled in for your job. Answer a few yes or no questions, the crew signs on the phone, and you send the PDF.

Start this RAMS

Pre-start checklist for skirting and trim installation

Tick these off before work starts. They come from the hazards, permits and equipment in this job.

The safe sequence of work

  1. Set up the saw on a stand in a clear, lit area
  2. Cut lengths with the guard in place
  3. Nail off trims, keeping hands away from the nose of the gun
  4. Work on knee pads and take breaks from kneeling
  5. Vacuum dust and pick up nails and offcuts

Hazards to watch on skirting and trim installation

The hazards most specific to this job, and the step where each one comes up.

Step 1Poor lighting and night workDim or dark work areas hide trip hazards, edges and moving plant, and make workers hard to see.
Step 3Compressed airAn air hose whips when a fitting fails, or air blown at skin or eyes drives dirt in and causes injury.
Step 2Wood and MDF dustSawing and sanding timber, MDF and treated wood makes fine dust that causes asthma, skin problems and some cancers.
Step 3Nail gun injuriesA nail gun fires by accident, or a nail goes through the timber or ricochets and hits the user or someone nearby.
Step 3Eye injuriesFlying chips, dust, chemicals or sparks get into the eye and cause damage or blindness.
Step 2Saw cuts and kickbackCircular saws, drop saws and table saws cut fingers and hands or throw material back at the user.
Very likelyLikelyPossibleUnlikelyVery unlikelyHow bad it could be: Negligible to FatalBA
Highest risk on skirting and trim installation: High before controls (B), down to Medium after controls (A), on the United Kingdom 5 by 5 risk matrix (possible and major injury becomes unlikely and major injury).

What changes on your site

This example covers the job itself. Your site may add more. Add controls for any of these that apply (the builder asks you these as yes or no questions):

  • Will anyone work at height, anywhere a fall could hurt them?
  • Will anyone use a ladder or stepladder?
  • Will anyone work on a roof?
  • Is there a fragile roof, skylight or clear roof sheet?
  • Will you use a scaffold or mobile tower?

Why RAMS get rejected

Principal contractors send documents back for these reasons. This example avoids them, but check yours too.

  • The method statement is only a list of headings that repeats the risk table and never says how the work is done.
  • The method sequence does not match the risk assessment, for example the method strips the roof before the scaffold is handed over.
  • Residual risk is still High after controls with no extra measures or explanation.
  • It reads as copied: another firm, another address, or wording that does not fit UK sites. HSE warns that copying an example and adding your name does not satisfy the law.
  • Work on an older building with no reference to an asbestos survey.
  • Plant and access equipment listed with no inspection, thorough examination or competence evidence.
  • No briefing record, no revision history, or no named supervisor.

Questions

Do I need RAMS for skirting and trim installation?

You must assess the risks of skirting and trim installation and record the significant findings if you employ 5 or more people. On CDM sites the principal contractor will ask for RAMS before you start.

Who signs the RAMS?

The person who wrote it and the person who approved it sign and date it. Every worker signs the briefing register after it is explained to them, and the principal contractor reviews and accepts it before you start.

How long do I keep it?

Keep this RAMS, every revision and the signed briefing register with the site file for the length of the job, and keep a copy in your records afterwards.

What PPE is needed for skirting and trim installation?

Usually Safety boots, Safety glasses, Ear defenders, Knee pads, Hi-vis vest, FFP3 dust mask, Rigger gloves, Safety goggles, Face shield. The site rules may add more, so check with the principal contractor.

More carpentry RAMS

RAMSTimber Frame Erection6 stepsRAMSRoof Truss Installation6 stepsRAMSDecking Installation6 stepsRAMSInternal Door Hanging5 stepsRAMSKitchen Installation6 stepsRAMSStaircase Installation5 stepsRAMSWood Flooring Installation6 steps

Related jobs in other trades

BricklayingBrickworkAlso involves eye injuriesElectricalConsumer Unit ReplacementAlso involves poor lighting and night workDemolitionSoft StripAlso involves loud noise

Toolbox talks for this job

Toolbox talkHearing Protection and NoiseToolbox talkSlips, Trips and Falls

Blank RAMS template: free RAMS templates. Also for other countries: Australia (SWMS) · United States (JHA) · Canada (FLHA)

Sources