SafetyPaperwork
Solar · United Kingdom

Method statement for solar panel cleaning

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

You must assess the risks of solar panel cleaning 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 a roof edge, electric shock from live wiring, falling from a ladder and glass handling and breakage.

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RAMS example: solar panel cleaning

This is a complete RAMS for solar panel cleaning, with 6 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)
Solar panel cleaning · Solar · Example
Document RAMS-001 · Rev 1

Risk assessment

#ActivityHazardsWho might be harmedRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Set up roof access and edge protection or harness
  • Falling from a roof edge
  • Falling from a ladder
Workers, People belowVery high (20)
  • Do what you can from the ground or from a scaffold at the gutter line, for example pre-assemble parts on the ground. Eliminate
  • Install edge protection or guardrails on all open roof edges before work starts. Isolate
  • Use a perimeter scaffold with handrails and toe boards along the eaves where practical. Control (engineering)
  • Where guardrails cannot be fitted, use fall restraint on certified roof anchors so workers cannot reach the edge. Control (engineering)
  • Use one safe, controlled access point and keep others off the roof. Control (procedures)
  • Stop roof work in strong wind or rain, and when the roof is wet, icy or covered in dust or frost. Control (procedures)
  • Wear a harness clipped to a rated anchor when using restraint or fall arrest, and soft-soled non-slip boots. PPE
  • 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
Medium (8)
2Never stand on panels and watch for wet slippery surfaces
  • Slips and trips
  • Glass handling and breakage
Workers, Visitors, Public, OccupantsHigh (12)
  • 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
  • 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)
3Check for damaged panels or cables before cleaning
  • 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)
4Clean with low pressure water and soft brushes
  • High pressure water jetting
  • Electric shock from live wiring
Workers, People nearby, OccupantsVery high (15)
  • Set an exclusion zone around the jetting area. Isolate
  • Use a dead man's trigger that stops the jet when released, and check hoses and fittings before use. Control (engineering)
  • Only trained operators use high pressure jetting gear. Control (procedures)
  • Never point the lance at anyone or put a hand in front of it. Control (procedures)
  • Treat any jetting injury as serious and go to hospital, even if it looks small. Control (procedures)
  • Wear a face shield, waterproof clothing, gloves, hearing protection and safety boots. PPE
  • Electric shock from live wiring: see step 3 for the full controls Control (procedures)
Medium (5)
5Watch for birds, nests and wasps under panels
  • Bites and stings
WorkersMedium (9)
  • Check work areas before starting, and get pest control to remove nests. Eliminate
  • Look before you reach into dark spaces. Control (procedures)
  • Ask owners to keep pets away from the work area. Control (procedures)
  • Know who has allergies and keep their medication, such as an adrenaline auto-injector, close by. Control (procedures)
  • Wear gloves, long sleeves and boots. Use insect repellent outdoors. PPE
Medium (6)
6Clean up and remove access
  • Heat stress
  • Poor housekeeping and waste
Workers, VisitorsHigh (12)
  • Schedule heavy work for the cooler part of the day. Eliminate
  • Provide shade over work and rest areas, and fans or cooling in roof spaces. Control (engineering)
  • Supply cool drinking water close by and drink a cup every 15 to 20 minutes. Control (procedures)
  • Take regular rest breaks in the shade, more often as it gets hotter. Control (procedures)
  • Let new and returning workers build up to full work in the heat over about a week. Control (procedures)
  • Watch each other for dizziness, headache, confusion or stopping sweating. Stop work, cool down and get help. Control (procedures)
  • Have a hot weather plan, including when work stops. Control (procedures)
  • Wear light, loose, long-sleeved clothing, a hat or brim, and sunscreen. 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 (8)

Method statement: sequence of work

  1. Set up roof access and edge protection or harness
  2. Never stand on panels and watch for wet slippery surfaces
  3. Check for damaged panels or cables before cleaning
  4. Clean with low pressure water and soft brushes
  5. Watch for birds, nests and wasps under panels
  6. Clean up and remove access

PPE

Safety bootsFull body harness and lanyardRigger glovesSun protection (sunscreen and neck cover)Safety helmetCut-resistant glovesSafety glassesInsulated electrical glovesArc-rated clothing and face shieldFace shieldCoverallsEar defenders

Plant and equipment

Extension ladderPressure washer (jet wash)Hand tools

Permits and plans

Roof access permitWork at height permitPermit 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.

Free RAMS template for solar panel cleaning

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 solar panel cleaning

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 roof access and edge protection or harness
  2. Never stand on panels and watch for wet slippery surfaces
  3. Check for damaged panels or cables before cleaning
  4. Clean with low pressure water and soft brushes
  5. Watch for birds, nests and wasps under panels
  6. Clean up and remove access

Hazards to watch on solar panel cleaning

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

Step 4High pressure water jettingHigh pressure water cuts through skin and injects water and dirt into the body, or the hose whips.
Step 5Bites and stingsSpiders, wasps, bees, ticks and dogs bite or sting workers in roof spaces, under floors and in gardens.
Step 2Glass handling and breakageGlass panes break while being moved or fitted, causing deep cuts, or heavy panels fall and crush.
Step 1Falling from a roof edgeA worker slips or walks off the edge of a roof or gutter line and falls to the ground.
Step 6Heat stressHard work in hot weather or hot roof spaces causes heat exhaustion or heat stroke, which can kill.
Step 1Falling from a ladderThe ladder slips or tips, or the worker overreaches, and they fall onto a hard surface.
Very likelyLikelyPossibleUnlikelyVery unlikelyHow bad it could be: Negligible to FatalBA
Highest risk on solar panel cleaning: 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 solar panel cleaning?

You must assess the risks of solar panel cleaning 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 solar panel cleaning?

Usually Safety boots, Full body harness and lanyard, Rigger gloves, Sun protection (sunscreen and neck cover), Safety helmet, Cut-resistant gloves, Safety glasses, Insulated electrical gloves, Arc-rated clothing and face shield, Face shield, Coveralls, Ear defenders. The site rules may add more, so check with the principal contractor.

More solar RAMS

RAMSSolar Panel Installation6 stepsRAMSCommercial Solar Installation6 stepsRAMSSolar Inverter Installation5 stepsRAMSBattery Storage Installation5 stepsRAMSSolar Panel Removal and Reinstall5 steps

Related jobs in other trades

ElectricalConsumer Unit ReplacementAlso involves electric shock from live wiringRoofingRe-RoofingAlso involves falling from a roof edgeDemolitionSoft StripAlso involves electric shock from live wiringScaffoldingScaffold ErectionAlso involves falling from a ladderBricklayingBrickworkAlso involves falling from a ladder

Toolbox talks for this job

Toolbox talkLadder SafetyToolbox talkManual Handling and Back SafetyToolbox talkHeat StressToolbox talkSlips, Trips and Falls

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

Sources