SafetyPaperwork
Glazing · United Kingdom

Method statement for shower screen installation

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

You must assess the risks of shower screen 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 electric shock from live wiring, lifting and carrying heavy loads, glass handling and breakage and injury from power tools.

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RAMS example: shower screen installation

This is a complete RAMS for shower screen 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)
Shower screen installation · Glazing · Example
Document RAMS-001 · Rev 1

Risk assessment

#ActivityHazardsWho might be harmedRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Check walls for pipes and cables before drilling
  • 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)
2Carry glass panels with two people
  • Lifting and carrying heavy loads
  • Glass handling and breakage
Workers, OccupantsHigh (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
  • 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)
3Drill tiles with the right bit and glasses on
  • Injury from power tools
  • Eye injuries
Workers, People nearbyMedium (9)
  • 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
  • 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
Medium (6)
4Fit and silicone the screen with ventilation
  • Hazardous chemicals
Workers, OccupantsMedium (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
Medium (6)
5Clean up
  • Poor housekeeping and waste
  • Slips and trips
Workers, Visitors, PublicMedium (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
  • 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
Low (4)

Method statement: sequence of work

  1. Check walls for pipes and cables before drilling
  2. Carry glass panels with two people
  3. Drill tiles with the right bit and glasses on
  4. Fit and silicone the screen with ventilation
  5. Clean up

PPE

Cut-resistant glovesSafety glassesSafety bootsRigger glovesEar defendersSafety gogglesFace shieldChemical-resistant glovesHalf-mask respirator (P3 filters)Coveralls

Plant and equipment

Power drillHand 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 shower screen 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 shower screen installation

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

The safe sequence of work

  1. Check walls for pipes and cables before drilling
  2. Carry glass panels with two people
  3. Drill tiles with the right bit and glasses on
  4. Fit and silicone the screen with ventilation
  5. Clean up

Hazards to watch on shower screen installation

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

Step 2Glass handling and breakageGlass panes break while being moved or fitted, causing deep cuts, or heavy panels fall and crush.
Step 3Eye injuriesFlying chips, dust, chemicals or sparks get into the eye and cause damage or blindness.
Step 3Injury from power toolsDrills, saws, routers and sanders kick back, catch clothing or throw debris, causing cuts, broken bones and eye injuries.
Step 4Hazardous chemicalsGlues, sealants, solvents, acids, cleaners and cement burn skin and eyes or cause breathing problems and poisoning.
Step 5Slips and tripsWorkers slip on wet or muddy ground or trip on leads, offcuts and uneven ground, causing sprains, broken bones or head injuries.
Step 1Electric shock from live wiringContact with live wires, distribution boards or equipment gives an electric shock or arc flash burn that can kill.
Very likelyLikelyPossibleUnlikelyVery unlikelyHow bad it could be: Negligible to FatalBA
Highest risk on shower screen installation: 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 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 shower screen installation?

You must assess the risks of shower screen 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 shower screen installation?

Usually Cut-resistant gloves, Safety glasses, Safety boots, Rigger gloves, Ear defenders, Safety goggles, Face shield, Chemical-resistant gloves, Half-mask respirator (P3 filters), Coveralls. The site rules may add more, so check with the principal contractor.

More glazing RAMS

RAMSWindow Replacement9 stepsRAMSReglazing5 stepsRAMSGlass Balustrade Installation5 stepsRAMSShopfront Glazing5 stepsRAMSSliding Door Installation5 steps

Related jobs in other trades

ElectricalConsumer Unit ReplacementAlso involves electric shock from live wiringDemolitionSoft StripAlso involves hazardous chemicalsBricklayingBrickworkAlso involves eye injuriesRoofingRe-RoofingAlso involves injury from power tools

Toolbox talks for this job

Toolbox talkOverhead Power LinesToolbox talkExtension Leads and Power ToolsToolbox talkManual Handling and Back SafetyToolbox talkSlips, Trips and Falls

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

Sources