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Glazing · United Kingdom

Method statement for shopfront glazing

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

You must assess the risks of shopfront glazing 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, road traffic, MEWP tip-over or crush and public entering the work area.

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RAMS example: shopfront glazing

This is a complete RAMS for shopfront glazing, 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)
Shopfront and commercial glazing · Glazing · Example
Document RAMS-001 · Rev 1

Risk assessment

#ActivityHazardsWho might be harmedRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Set up pedestrian control on the footpath
  • Public entering the work area
  • Road traffic
Public, Children, Workers, Road usersVery high (15)
  • Fence off the site with secure temporary fencing and lock the gates when you leave. Isolate
  • Give pedestrians a safe, marked path around the work, with ramps for prams and wheelchairs. Isolate
  • Use hoarding, covered walkways or catch fans where work is above public areas. Control (engineering)
  • Put signs at each entry: site name, contact number and "No unauthorised entry". Control (procedures)
  • Make the site safe at the end of each day: cover holes, lower plant, remove ladders and lock tools away. Control (procedures)
  • Use a spotter when moving plant or materials across public paths. Control (procedures)
  • Do the work at low-traffic times, or close the road or lane with approval. Eliminate
  • Put solid barriers between the work and traffic where speeds are high, not just cones. Isolate
  • Use a truck-mounted attenuator or buffer vehicle on high speed roads. Control (engineering)
  • Set up signs and cones to Chapter 8 (Traffic Signs Manual) by trained operatives. Control (procedures)
  • Get a street works permit or licence from the highway authority before you start. Control (procedures)
  • Park work vehicles to shield the work zone, with beacons on. Control (procedures)
  • Wear Class 2 or 3 hi-vis clothing (EN ISO 20471). PPE
Medium (5)
2Plan large lifts with vacuum lifters or crane
  • Crane and lifting failure
  • Glass handling and breakage
Workers, Public, OccupantsHigh (12)
  • Barricade the lift zone and keep everyone out from under the load. Isolate
  • Use a crane rated for the load at the radius, set up on firm ground with outrigger pads. Control (engineering)
  • Check slings, chains, shackles and hooks before use. Remove anything damaged or not tagged. Control (engineering)
  • Have a lift plan made by an appointed person, following LOLER. Control (procedures)
  • Use CPCS or NPORS carded crane operators, slingers and signallers. Control (procedures)
  • Use tag lines to control loads and agree on clear radio or hand signals. Control (procedures)
  • Stop lifting in high wind or when the operator cannot see the signaller. Control (procedures)
  • Never ride on a load or hook. Control (procedures)
  • Wear a hard hat, hi-vis, gloves and safety boots. PPE
  • Use suction lifters, glass trolleys or a glazing robot for large panes. Control (engineering)
  • Store glass upright on racks and secure it. Never lay it flat or lean it loosely. Control (engineering)
  • Use two or more people for large panes, and clear the carry route first. Control (procedures)
  • Mark new glass with tape or stickers so nobody walks into it. Control (procedures)
  • Clean up broken glass straight away into a marked container. Control (procedures)
  • Wear cut-resistant gloves, arm guards, safety glasses and safety boots. PPE
Medium (8)
3Work from a MEWP for high panes
  • MEWP tip-over or crush
  • Falling from height
Workers, People nearby, People belowVery high (20)
  • Check the ground before setting up. Use outriggers and spreader pads, and keep clear of trenches, pits and slopes. Control (engineering)
  • Use a platform with tilt alarm and secondary guarding (anti-entrapment) where there is an overhead crush risk. Control (engineering)
  • Use IPAF-trained operators for MEWPs, carrying their PAL card. Control (procedures)
  • Do a pre-start check each day. Keep a trained person on the ground who can lower the platform in an emergency. Control (procedures)
  • Never exceed the safe working load, climb on the rails or use a ladder in the basket. Control (procedures)
  • In boom-type platforms, wear a harness clipped to the basket anchor point. 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)
4Install frames and glass, keeping everyone out from under the load
  • Falling tools and materials
  • Lifting and carrying heavy loads
Workers, Public, People belowHigh (12)
  • Barricade and sign the drop zone under overhead work so nobody walks beneath. Isolate
  • Fit toe boards, kick plates and mesh screens on scaffolds and edges. Control (engineering)
  • Use catch fans, debris netting or covered walkways where people pass below. Control (engineering)
  • Tether hand tools when working at height. Control (engineering)
  • Keep platforms tidy. Do not stack materials near edges or above toe board height. Control (procedures)
  • Lower materials with a hoist, chute or rope. Never throw or drop anything down. Control (procedures)
  • Wear a hard hat anywhere objects could fall. PPE
  • 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 (8)
5Seal, clean up and reopen the footpath
  • Hazardous chemicals
  • Poor housekeeping and waste
Workers, Occupants, VisitorsMedium (9)
  • Choose the least harmful product that does the job, for example water-based instead of solvent-based. Reduce / substitute
  • Use chemicals in well-ventilated areas, or use fans and extraction in closed rooms. Control (engineering)
  • Do a COSHH assessment and read the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) before use. Control (procedures)
  • Keep chemicals in labelled containers. Never decant into drink bottles. Control (procedures)
  • Store chemicals away from heat, food and drink, and keep products that react with each other apart. Control (procedures)
  • Have eye wash and a spill kit nearby, and wash hands before eating. Control (procedures)
  • Wear chemical-resistant gloves and safety glasses or goggles as listed on the SDS. PPE
  • Use a respirator with the right cartridge if the SDS calls for one. PPE
  • 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 (6)

Method statement: sequence of work

  1. Set up pedestrian control on the footpath
  2. Plan large lifts with vacuum lifters or crane
  3. Work from a MEWP for high panes
  4. Install frames and glass, keeping everyone out from under the load
  5. Seal, clean up and reopen the footpath

PPE

Safety bootsSafety helmetHi-vis vestCut-resistant glovesSafety glassesFull body harness and lanyardRigger glovesChemical-resistant glovesSafety gogglesHalf-mask respirator (P3 filters)Coveralls

Plant and equipment

Mobile crane: CPCS or NPORS crane operator card, plus slinger signaller card; lift plan by an Appointed PersonBoom MEWP: IPAF PAL card (3b)Telehandler: CPCS or NPORS telehandler cardPower drillHand tools

Permits and plans

Lift plan (LOLER reg 8)Work at height permit

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 shopfront glazing

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 shopfront glazing

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 pedestrian control on the footpath
  2. Plan large lifts with vacuum lifters or crane
  3. Work from a MEWP for high panes
  4. Install frames and glass, keeping everyone out from under the load
  5. Seal, clean up and reopen the footpath

Hazards to watch on shopfront glazing

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

Step 3MEWP tip-over or crushThe platform tips on soft or sloping ground, the worker is crushed against a beam or ceiling, or is thrown out of the basket.
Step 1Road trafficPassing cars and trucks hit workers or plant working on or next to a road.
Step 2Crane and lifting failureA load falls or swings, or the crane tips, crushing workers under or near the lift.
Step 2Glass handling and breakageGlass panes break while being moved or fitted, causing deep cuts, or heavy panels fall and crush.
Step 5Hazardous chemicalsGlues, sealants, solvents, acids, cleaners and cement burn skin and eyes or cause breathing problems and poisoning.
Step 3Falling from heightA worker falls from any height where a fall could cause injury, such as an edge, platform or opening.
Very likelyLikelyPossibleUnlikelyVery unlikelyHow bad it could be: Negligible to FatalBA
Highest risk on shopfront glazing: 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 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?
  • Was the building built before 2000?

Licences and legal requirements in United Kingdom

Equipment on this job that needs a licence, ticket or training:

  • Mobile crane: CPCS or NPORS crane operator card, plus slinger signaller card; lift plan by an Appointed Person
  • Boom MEWP: IPAF PAL card (3b)
  • Telehandler: CPCS or NPORS telehandler card

Employers must assess the risks of their work and record the significant findings (required where you employ 5 or more people). On CDM projects, contractors give their RAMS to the principal contractor before starting, and brief the workers on it.

Rules that apply: CDM Regulations 2015; Safety at Street Works and Road Works Code of Practice (Red Book); Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER); Work at Height Regulations 2005 and LOLER 1998; Work at Height Regulations 2005; Work at Height Regulations 2005, regulation 10 (falling objects); Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992; COSHH Regulations 2002.

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 shopfront glazing?

You must assess the risks of shopfront glazing 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 shopfront glazing?

Usually Safety boots, Safety helmet, Hi-vis vest, Cut-resistant gloves, Safety glasses, Full body harness and lanyard, Rigger gloves, Chemical-resistant gloves, Safety goggles, Half-mask respirator (P3 filters), Coveralls. The site rules may add more, so check with the principal contractor.

More glazing RAMS

RAMSWindow Replacement9 stepsRAMSReglazing5 stepsRAMSShower Screen Installation5 stepsRAMSGlass Balustrade Installation5 stepsRAMSSliding Door Installation5 steps

Related jobs in other trades

ScaffoldingScaffold ErectionAlso involves public entering the work areaRoofingRe-RoofingAlso involves crane and lifting failureBricklayingBrickworkAlso involves falling from heightDemolitionSoft StripAlso involves hazardous chemicals

Toolbox talks for this job

Toolbox talkWorking at HeightToolbox talkExtension Leads and Power ToolsToolbox talkManual Handling and Back SafetyToolbox talkWorking Near Traffic

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

Sources