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Carpentry · United Kingdom

Method statement for staircase installation

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

You must assess the risks of staircase 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 falling from height, falling through a floor opening or void, lifting and carrying heavy loads and falling from a ladder.

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RAMS example: staircase installation

This is a complete RAMS for staircase 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)
Stair installation · Carpentry · Example
Document RAMS-001 · Rev 1

Risk assessment

#ActivityHazardsWho might be harmedRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Guard the stair void before and during installation
  • Falling through a floor opening or void
  • Falling from height
Workers, Visitors, People belowVery high (20)
  • Cover every hole and penetration with a fixed, secured cover marked "HOLE" or "DANGER". Isolate
  • Put guardrails with toe boards around stairwells, lift shafts, voids and open edges. Isolate
  • Install stairs early and fit temporary handrails as soon as they go in. Control (engineering)
  • Never remove a cover or guardrail without approval. Put it back straight away. Control (procedures)
  • Inspect covers and barriers daily and after other trades have been through. Control (procedures)
  • Keep lighting good enough to see openings, especially on lower floors and in the evening. Control (procedures)
  • Use a harness clipped to a rated anchor when working right next to an open void. PPE
  • Do the work from the ground where you can, for example pre-assemble on the ground or use extension poles. Eliminate
  • Install guardrails or edge protection on all open edges before work starts. Isolate
  • Use a scaffold, mobile tower or MEWP instead of working off a ladder. Control (engineering)
  • Where edge protection is not practical, use a fall restraint or fall arrest system on a rated anchor point. Control (engineering)
  • Have a rescue plan so a worker hanging in a harness can be brought down within minutes. Control (procedures)
  • Wear a full body harness with a shock-absorbing lanyard, clipped on at all times when using fall arrest. PPE
Medium (5)
2Move stair parts in with enough people
  • Lifting and carrying heavy loads
WorkersHigh (12)
  • Plan to avoid carrying: have materials delivered, and old items picked up, as close as possible to where they are used. Eliminate
  • Use lighter or smaller loads: order smaller bags and shorter lengths, and drain or break down old items before moving them. Reduce / substitute
  • Use trolleys, pallet jacks, hoists, vacuum lifters or plant instead of carrying by hand. Control (engineering)
  • Use a two-person lift for anything heavy, long or awkward. Plan the route first and clear it. Control (procedures)
  • Keep the load close, back straight and no twisting. Turn with your feet. Control (procedures)
  • Rotate tasks and take breaks on long lifting jobs. Control (procedures)
  • Wear gloves for grip and safety boots to protect your feet. PPE
Medium (6)
3Fit stringers and treads, working from a stable platform
  • Falling from a ladder
  • Injury from power tools
Workers, People nearbyHigh (12)
  • Use a podium step, mobile tower or MEWP for longer jobs instead of a straight ladder. Reduce / substitute
  • Use EN 131 professional ladders in good condition. Remove any damaged ladder from site. Control (engineering)
  • Set extension ladders at a 4 to 1 angle on firm, level ground, tied or footed, and reaching 1 metre above the landing. Control (engineering)
  • Use ladders only for short, light work (about 30 minutes in one spot). Do not carry heavy or awkward loads up a ladder. Control (procedures)
  • Keep three points of contact and your belt buckle between the stiles. Do not overreach. Control (procedures)
  • Do not work off the top three rungs of a leaning ladder. On a stepladder, do not stand on the top two steps (top three on swing-back or double-sided steps) unless there is a suitable handhold. Control (procedures)
  • Check the ladder before each use: feet, rungs, stiles and locks. Control (procedures)
  • Wear non-slip safety boots with clean soles. PPE
  • Keep all guards fitted and working. Never tie back or remove a guard. Control (engineering)
  • Clamp or secure the work piece. Do not hold it by hand. Control (engineering)
  • Only trained, competent people use power tools, following the maker's instructions. Control (procedures)
  • Check tools before use. Unplug or remove the battery before changing blades or bits. Control (procedures)
  • No loose clothing, jewellery or long hair near spinning parts. Control (procedures)
  • Wear safety glasses and hearing protection. Do not wear loose gloves on drills or other rotating tools. PPE
Medium (8)
4Install handrails and balustrade as soon as possible
  • Falling from height
  • Nail gun injuries
Workers, People below, People nearbyVery high (20)
  • Falling from height: see step 1 for the full controls Control (procedures)
  • 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)
  • Wear safety glasses and hearing protection. PPE
Medium (8)
5Remove the void guard only once the balustrade is fixed, then clean up
  • 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. Guard the stair void before and during installation
  2. Move stair parts in with enough people
  3. Fit stringers and treads, working from a stable platform
  4. Install handrails and balustrade as soon as possible
  5. Remove the void guard only once the balustrade is fixed, then clean up

PPE

Safety bootsSafety glassesEar defendersRigger glovesSafety helmet

Plant and equipment

Circular sawPower drillNail gunHand toolsPodium step

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 staircase 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 staircase installation

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

The safe sequence of work

  1. Guard the stair void before and during installation
  2. Move stair parts in with enough people
  3. Fit stringers and treads, working from a stable platform
  4. Install handrails and balustrade as soon as possible
  5. Remove the void guard only once the balustrade is fixed, then clean up

Hazards to watch on staircase installation

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

Step 4Nail gun injuriesA nail gun fires by accident, or a nail goes through the timber or ricochets and hits the user or someone nearby.
Step 1Falling through a floor opening or voidA worker steps into an open hole, stairwell, lift shaft or penetration and falls to the level below.
Step 3Injury from power toolsDrills, saws, routers and sanders kick back, catch clothing or throw debris, causing cuts, broken bones and eye injuries.
Step 3Falling from a ladderThe ladder slips or tips, or the worker overreaches, and they fall onto a hard surface.
Step 1, 4Falling from heightA worker falls from any height where a fall could cause injury, such as an edge, platform or opening.
Step 2Lifting and carrying heavy loadsLifting, carrying, pushing or twisting with heavy or awkward loads strains the back, shoulders or knees.
Very likelyLikelyPossibleUnlikelyVery unlikelyHow bad it could be: Negligible to FatalBA
Highest risk on staircase installation: Very high before controls (B), down to Medium after controls (A), on the United Kingdom 5 by 5 risk matrix (likely and fatal 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 work on a roof?
  • Is there a fragile roof, skylight or clear roof sheet?
  • Will you use a scaffold or mobile tower?
  • Will you use a MEWP (scissor lift or cherry picker)?

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 staircase installation?

You must assess the risks of staircase 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 staircase installation?

Usually Safety boots, Safety glasses, Ear defenders, Rigger gloves, Safety helmet. 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 stepsRAMSSkirting and Trim Installation5 stepsRAMSWood Flooring Installation6 steps

Related jobs in other trades

ElectricalConsumer Unit ReplacementAlso involves injury from power toolsScaffoldingScaffold ErectionAlso involves falling from heightRoofingRe-RoofingAlso involves falling from heightBricklayingBrickworkAlso involves falling from heightDemolitionSoft StripAlso involves falling from a ladder

Toolbox talks for this job

Toolbox talkLadder SafetyToolbox talkWorking at HeightToolbox talkOverhead Power LinesToolbox talkExtension Leads and Power Tools

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

Sources