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Electrical · United Kingdom

Method statement for consumer unit replacement

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

You must assess the risks of consumer unit replacement 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 disturbing asbestos, electric shock from live wiring, lifting and carrying heavy loads and falling from a ladder.

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RAMS example: consumer unit replacement

This is a complete RAMS for consumer unit replacement, with 10 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)
Consumer unit upgrade · Electrical · Example
Document RAMS-001 · Rev 1

Risk assessment

#ActivityHazardsWho might be harmedRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Tell the occupants when the power will be off and arrange a supply for medical or other critical equipment
  • Working in an occupied home or building
Residents, Children, Staff, WorkersMedium (9)
  • Plan noisy, dusty or risky work for when the building is empty. Eliminate
  • Close off the work area with barriers, plastic sheeting or locked doors, and put up signs. Isolate
  • Keep fire exits and paths clear at all times. Control (procedures)
  • Tell occupants before you turn off power, water or gas, and before noisy or dusty work. Control (procedures)
  • Lock away tools, chemicals and materials each day, out of reach of children. Control (procedures)
  • Clean up dust and debris at the end of each day. Control (procedures)
Low (3)
2Set up barriers and good lighting at the consumer unit so no one else can reach the open board
  • Working in an occupied home or building
  • Poor lighting and night work
Residents, Children, Staff, Workers, PublicMedium (9)
  • Working in an occupied home or building: see step 1 for the full controls Control (procedures)
  • 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 (3)
3Check the old consumer unit backing board and surrounds for asbestos
  • Disturbing asbestos
Workers, Occupants, PublicVery high (15)
  • Before work on any building built before 2000, check the refurbishment and demolition asbestos survey for the work area (HSE HSG264). If there is none, presume asbestos is present or have it sampled before you start. Eliminate
  • Seal off the work area and keep everyone else out. Isolate
  • If asbestos must be disturbed, keep it wet, use hand tools not power tools, and clean up with an H-class vacuum. Control (engineering)
  • Most asbestos insulation, coatings and insulating board need a licensed contractor. Notifiable non-licensed work is notified to HSE before it starts. Other work needs trained workers and controls. Control (procedures)
  • Stop work straight away if you find suspect asbestos. Do not touch it and tell your supervisor. Control (procedures)
  • Wear a fit-tested FFP3 mask (or better) and disposable type 5 coveralls. PPE
Medium (5)
4Agree how the supply will be isolated: switch off a double-pole isolator if one is fitted, or have the DNO (or someone with the DNO's written permission) withdraw the cut-out fuse. Never break a seal without permission. Then lock off and label, and prove dead. Treat the cut-out and meter tails as live until the supply is off
  • Electric shock from live wiring
Workers, OccupantsVery high (15)
  • Isolate the power before any work. Do not work live. Eliminate
  • Lock out and tag the isolation point with your own personal lock and danger tag. Isolate
  • Prove dead at the point of work with an approved voltage indicator (GS38), and prove the tester before and after. Control (engineering)
  • Only competent, qualified electricians do electrical work, following a safe isolation procedure. Control (procedures)
  • Check for back feeds from solar, batteries and generators that can keep a circuit live after the main switch is off. Control (procedures)
  • If live work cannot be avoided, use a permit, a safety observer and insulated tools. Control (procedures)
  • Wear insulated gloves, arc-rated clothing and a face shield when testing or working near live parts. PPE
Medium (5)
5With the supply proved dead, test the existing circuits (insulation resistance and continuity) and check the main earthing and main protective bonding, so faults are found and recorded before the new board goes in
  • Electric shock from live wiring
Workers, OccupantsVery high (15)
  • Electric shock from live wiring: see step 4 for the full controls Control (procedures)
Medium (5)
6Remove the old consumer unit, labelling every circuit as it comes off
  • Electric shock from live wiring
  • Cuts from sharp edges
  • Lifting and carrying heavy loads
Workers, OccupantsVery high (15)
  • Electric shock from live wiring: see step 4 for the full controls Control (procedures)
  • Deburr or cover sharp edges, and fit edge protectors on exposed sheet metal. Control (engineering)
  • Use knives with retractable or self-retracting blades. Control (engineering)
  • Cut away from your body and keep your other hand clear. Control (procedures)
  • Put used blades in a blade bin or sharps container. Control (procedures)
  • Use two people to handle large sheets of metal or glass. Control (procedures)
  • 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)
Medium (6)
7Mount the new consumer unit, which must have a non-combustible (metal) enclosure in a home (BS 7671 reg 421.1.201), drilling with dust control and working from a stable step
  • Injury from power tools
  • General dust
  • Falling from a ladder
Workers, People nearby, OccupantsHigh (12)
  • 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)
  • Use low-dust products, such as dust-reduced or pre-mixed compounds. Reduce / substitute
  • Seal off the work area with plastic sheeting in occupied buildings. Isolate
  • Use tools with dust extraction and a vacuum for clean up. Control (engineering)
  • Lightly mist the area with water to keep dust down, away from anything electrical. Control (engineering)
  • Never dry sweep or blow dust off with compressed air. Control (procedures)
  • 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)
Medium (8)
8Terminate circuits with RCD protection and tighten connections to the right torque
  • Electric shock from leads and power tools
  • Repetitive work and awkward postures
WorkersHigh (12)
  • Use battery-powered tools where you can. Reduce / substitute
  • Use 110V tools through a centre-tapped transformer, or battery tools. Use an RCD on any 230V supply. Control (engineering)
  • Keep leads off the ground and out of water, using lead stands or hooks. Control (engineering)
  • Check leads, plugs and tools before every use. Tag out and remove anything damaged. Control (procedures)
  • Keep tools and leads inspected and PAT tested on a regular schedule. Control (procedures)
  • Do not use tools in rain or wet areas unless they are rated for it. Control (procedures)
  • Wear safety boots and dry gloves. PPE
  • 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)
9Do the dead tests before re-energising (continuity of protective conductors, insulation resistance, polarity). Then energise and do the live tests (earth fault loop impedance, prospective fault current, RCD operation) with GS38 test leads
  • Electric shock from live wiring
Workers, OccupantsVery high (15)
  • Electric shock from live wiring: see step 4 for the full controls Control (procedures)
Medium (5)
10Label the consumer unit, clean up and give the customer an Electrical Installation Certificate to BS 7671:2018+A4:2026. In England and Wales a consumer unit replacement is notifiable under Part P: register it through your competent person scheme, or tell building control before work starts
  • Electric shock from live wiring
  • Poor housekeeping and waste
Workers, Occupants, VisitorsVery high (15)
  • Electric shock from live wiring: see step 4 for the full controls Control (procedures)
  • 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
Medium (5)

Method statement: sequence of work

  1. Tell the occupants when the power will be off and arrange a supply for medical or other critical equipment
  2. Set up barriers and good lighting at the consumer unit so no one else can reach the open board
  3. Check the old consumer unit backing board and surrounds for asbestos
  4. Agree how the supply will be isolated: switch off a double-pole isolator if one is fitted, or have the DNO (or someone with the DNO's written permission) withdraw the cut-out fuse. Never break a seal without permission. Then lock off and label, and prove dead. Treat the cut-out and meter tails as live until the supply is off
  5. With the supply proved dead, test the existing circuits (insulation resistance and continuity) and check the main earthing and main protective bonding, so faults are found and recorded before the new board goes in
  6. Remove the old consumer unit, labelling every circuit as it comes off
  7. Mount the new consumer unit, which must have a non-combustible (metal) enclosure in a home (BS 7671 reg 421.1.201), drilling with dust control and working from a stable step
  8. Terminate circuits with RCD protection and tighten connections to the right torque
  9. Do the dead tests before re-energising (continuity of protective conductors, insulation resistance, polarity). Then energise and do the live tests (earth fault loop impedance, prospective fault current, RCD operation) with GS38 test leads
  10. Label the consumer unit, clean up and give the customer an Electrical Installation Certificate to BS 7671:2018+A4:2026. In England and Wales a consumer unit replacement is notifiable under Part P: register it through your competent person scheme, or tell building control before work starts

PPE

Safety bootsSafety glassesInsulated electrical glovesArc-rated clothing and face shieldFFP3 dust maskHi-vis vestHalf-mask respirator (P3 filters)CoverallsRigger glovesCut-resistant glovesEar defendersSafety helmetKnee pads

Plant and equipment

Electrical test equipment (multifunction tester)Hand toolsPower drillStepladder

Permits and plans

Permit to work (electrical isolation)

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.

Page 1 of the free consumer unit replacement RAMS template: business details, job steps with hazards, risk ratings and controls

Free RAMS template for consumer unit replacement

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 consumer unit replacement

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

The safe sequence of work

  1. Tell the occupants when the power will be off and arrange a supply for medical or other critical equipment
  2. Set up barriers and good lighting at the consumer unit so no one else can reach the open board
  3. Check the old consumer unit backing board and surrounds for asbestos
  4. Agree how the supply will be isolated: switch off a double-pole isolator if one is fitted, or have the DNO (or someone with the DNO's written permission) withdraw the cut-out fuse. Never break a seal without permission. Then lock off and label, and prove dead. Treat the cut-out and meter tails as live until the supply is off
  5. With the supply proved dead, test the existing circuits (insulation resistance and continuity) and check the main earthing and main protective bonding, so faults are found and recorded before the new board goes in
  6. Remove the old consumer unit, labelling every circuit as it comes off
  7. Mount the new consumer unit, which must have a non-combustible (metal) enclosure in a home (BS 7671 reg 421.1.201), drilling with dust control and working from a stable step
  8. Terminate circuits with RCD protection and tighten connections to the right torque
  9. Do the dead tests before re-energising (continuity of protective conductors, insulation resistance, polarity). Then energise and do the live tests (earth fault loop impedance, prospective fault current, RCD operation) with GS38 test leads
  10. Label the consumer unit, clean up and give the customer an Electrical Installation Certificate to BS 7671:2018+A4:2026. In England and Wales a consumer unit replacement is notifiable under Part P: register it through your competent person scheme, or tell building control before work starts

Hazards to watch on consumer unit replacement

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

Step 2Poor lighting and night workDim or dark work areas hide trip hazards, edges and moving plant, and make workers hard to see.
Step 8Electric shock from leads and power toolsDamaged leads, plugs or tools, or water near power, give the user an electric shock.
Step 1, 2Working in an occupied home or buildingResidents, staff or children wander into the work area and get hurt, or the work blocks exits or cuts off power or water while people are inside.
Step 3Disturbing asbestosBuildings built before 2000 may contain asbestos. Drilling, cutting or breaking it releases fibres that cause cancer years later.
Step 7General dustDust from plasterboard, filler, cement and clean up irritates eyes and lungs and makes it hard to see.
Step 7Injury from power toolsDrills, saws, routers and sanders kick back, catch clothing or throw debris, causing cuts, broken bones and eye injuries.
Very likelyLikelyPossibleUnlikelyVery unlikelyHow bad it could be: Negligible to FatalBA
Highest risk on consumer unit replacement: Very high before controls (B), down to Medium after controls (A), on the United Kingdom 5 by 5 risk matrix (possible 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 consumer unit replacement?

You must assess the risks of consumer unit replacement 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 consumer unit replacement?

Usually Safety boots, Safety glasses, Insulated electrical gloves, Arc-rated clothing and face shield, FFP3 dust mask, Hi-vis vest, Half-mask respirator (P3 filters), Coveralls, Rigger gloves, Cut-resistant gloves, Ear defenders, Safety helmet, Knee pads. The site rules may add more, so check with the principal contractor.

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Related jobs in other trades

DemolitionSoft StripAlso involves disturbing asbestosRoofingRe-RoofingAlso involves disturbing asbestosBricklayingBrickworkAlso involves general dustScaffoldingScaffold ErectionAlso 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