SafetyPaperwork
Plastering and dry lining · United Kingdom

Method statement for taping and jointing

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

You must assess the risks of taping and jointing 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 lifting and carrying heavy loads, falling from a ladder, injury from power tools and eye injuries.

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RAMS example: taping and jointing

This is a complete RAMS for taping and jointing, 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)
Set, tape and finish plasterboard · Plastering and dry lining · Example
Document RAMS-001 · Rev 1

Risk assessment

#ActivityHazardsWho might be harmedRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Mix compound with a paddle mixer, lifting bags carefully
  • Lifting and carrying heavy loads
  • General dust
  • Injury from power tools
Workers, Occupants, People nearbyHigh (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)
  • 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
  • General dust: see step 3 for the full controls Control (procedures)
  • 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)
Medium (6)
2Apply coats from a platform, not stilts on cluttered floors
  • Falling from a ladder
  • Slips and trips
Workers, Visitors, PublicHigh (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
  • 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
Medium (8)
3Sand using a vacuum sander and dust mask
  • General dust
  • Eye injuries
  • Repetitive work and awkward postures
Workers, Occupants, People nearbyMedium (9)
  • 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 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
  • 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)
  • Repetitive work and awkward postures: see step 4 for the full controls Control (procedures)
Medium (6)
4Take breaks from overhead work
  • 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 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. Mix compound with a paddle mixer, lifting bags carefully
  2. Apply coats from a platform, not stilts on cluttered floors
  3. Sand using a vacuum sander and dust mask
  4. Take breaks from overhead work
  5. Vacuum dust and clean up

PPE

FFP3 dust maskSafety glassesSafety bootsRigger glovesEar defendersSafety helmetSafety gogglesFace shieldKnee pads

Plant and equipment

Power sanderPodium stepH-class dust extractorHand 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 taping and jointing

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 taping and jointing

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

The safe sequence of work

  1. Mix compound with a paddle mixer, lifting bags carefully
  2. Apply coats from a platform, not stilts on cluttered floors
  3. Sand using a vacuum sander and dust mask
  4. Take breaks from overhead work
  5. Vacuum dust and clean up

Hazards to watch on taping and jointing

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

Step 3Eye injuriesFlying chips, dust, chemicals or sparks get into the eye and cause damage or blindness.
Step 1, 3General dustDust from plasterboard, filler, cement and clean up irritates eyes and lungs and makes it hard to see.
Step 1Injury from power toolsDrills, saws, routers and sanders kick back, catch clothing or throw debris, causing cuts, broken bones and eye injuries.
Step 3, 4Repetitive work and awkward posturesDoing the same movement for hours, kneeling or working overhead causes long-term damage to joints, muscles and tendons.
Step 2Falling from a ladderThe ladder slips or tips, or the worker overreaches, and they fall onto a hard surface.
Step 2Slips and tripsWorkers slip on wet or muddy ground or trip on leads, offcuts and uneven ground, causing sprains, broken bones or head injuries.
Very likelyLikelyPossibleUnlikelyVery unlikelyHow bad it could be: Negligible to FatalBA
Highest risk on taping and jointing: High before controls (B), down to Medium after controls (A), on the United Kingdom 5 by 5 risk matrix (likely and lost time 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 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 taping and jointing?

You must assess the risks of taping and jointing 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 taping and jointing?

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

More plastering and dry lining RAMS

RAMSDry Lining9 stepsRAMSCeiling Boarding5 stepsRAMSCoving Installation4 stepsRAMSPlasterboard Repair5 stepsRAMSExternal Rendering5 stepsRAMSSuspended Ceiling Installation4 steps

Related jobs in other trades

ElectricalConsumer Unit ReplacementAlso involves injury from power toolsBricklayingBrickworkAlso involves eye injuriesDemolitionSoft StripAlso involves general dustScaffoldingScaffold ErectionAlso involves falling from a ladderRoofingRe-RoofingAlso involves injury from power tools

Toolbox talks for this job

Toolbox talkLadder SafetyToolbox talkOverhead Power LinesToolbox talkExtension Leads and Power ToolsToolbox talkSlips, Trips and Falls

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

Sources