SafetyPaperwork
Tiling · United Kingdom

Method statement for balcony tiling

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

You must assess the risks of balcony tiling 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, silica dust from concrete, brick, stone and tiles, public entering the work area and electric shock from leads and power tools.

Make this RAMS nowWord templatePDF

RAMS example: balcony tiling

This is a complete RAMS for balcony tiling, 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)
Outdoor, balcony and pool tiling · Tiling · Example
Document RAMS-001 · Rev 1

Risk assessment

#ActivityHazardsWho might be harmedRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Check the balcony balustrade is in place before working near an edge
  • Falling from height
Workers, People belowVery high (20)
  • 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)
2Fence pools, as pools are a drowning risk for kids
  • Drowning
  • Public entering the work area
Workers, Public, ChildrenHigh (12)
  • Work from the bank or a platform instead of in or over the water where you can. Eliminate
  • Put up barriers or guardrails along water edges. Isolate
  • Pump out flooded pits and excavations before work. Control (engineering)
  • Never work near deep water alone. Keep a rescue person with a throw line or life ring ready. Control (procedures)
  • Check water levels and the weather, and stop work in floods or fast-flowing water. Control (procedures)
  • Wear a life jacket when working over or next to water deep enough to drown in. PPE
  • 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)
Medium (5)
3Cut tiles wet and keep leads dry
  • Silica dust from concrete, brick, stone and tiles
  • Electric shock from leads and power tools
Workers, People nearbyVery high (20)
  • Order materials cut to size, or use low-dust methods such as score and snap or a block splitter. Reduce / substitute
  • Cut outdoors or in a separate area, with other people well away and upwind. Isolate
  • Use water on the blade or on-tool dust extraction connected to an H-class vacuum. Control (engineering)
  • Clean up with a vacuum or wet methods. Never dry sweep or use compressed air. Control (procedures)
  • Do a COSHH assessment and keep exposure below the workplace exposure limit (0.1 mg/m3 respirable crystalline silica, 8 hours). Control (procedures)
  • Workers regularly exposed to silica dust get health surveillance (COSHH reg 11, HSE G404). Control (procedures)
  • Wear a fit-tested FFP3 mask. PPE
  • 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
Medium (5)
4Lay tiles in shade or cooler hours
  • Heat stress
  • Sun exposure (UV)
  • Repetitive work and awkward postures
WorkersHigh (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)
  • Plan outdoor work for early morning or late afternoon when UV is lower. Eliminate
  • Put shade covers over fixed work areas. Control (engineering)
  • Check the UV index each day. Use sun protection when it is 3 or higher. Control (procedures)
  • Check your skin regularly and see a doctor about any new or changing spots. Control (procedures)
  • Wear a broad-brim hat or hard hat brim, long sleeves, sunglasses and SPF 30 or higher sunscreen, reapplied every 2 hours. 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)
Medium (8)
5Grout, seal and clean up
  • 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. Check the balcony balustrade is in place before working near an edge
  2. Fence pools, as pools are a drowning risk for kids
  3. Cut tiles wet and keep leads dry
  4. Lay tiles in shade or cooler hours
  5. Grout, seal and clean up

PPE

Knee padsSafety glassesFFP3 dust maskChemical-resistant glovesSun protection (sunscreen and neck cover)Hi-vis vestHalf-mask respirator (P3 filters)Ear defendersSafety bootsRigger glovesSafety gogglesCoveralls

Plant and equipment

Wet tile cutterAngle grinder (disc cutter)Hand 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 balcony tiling

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 balcony tiling

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

The safe sequence of work

  1. Check the balcony balustrade is in place before working near an edge
  2. Fence pools, as pools are a drowning risk for kids
  3. Cut tiles wet and keep leads dry
  4. Lay tiles in shade or cooler hours
  5. Grout, seal and clean up

Hazards to watch on balcony tiling

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

Step 2DrowningA worker falls into a river, dam, pool or flooded pit and drowns or is swept away.
Step 4Sun exposure (UV)Long hours in the sun cause sunburn, eye damage and skin cancer.
Step 3Electric shock from leads and power toolsDamaged leads, plugs or tools, or water near power, give the user an electric shock.
Step 4Heat stressHard work in hot weather or hot roof spaces causes heat exhaustion or heat stroke, which can kill.
Step 4Repetitive work and awkward posturesDoing the same movement for hours, kneeling or working overhead causes long-term damage to joints, muscles and tendons.
Step 5Hazardous chemicalsGlues, sealants, solvents, acids, cleaners and cement burn skin and eyes or cause breathing problems and poisoning.
Very likelyLikelyPossibleUnlikelyVery unlikelyHow bad it could be: Negligible to FatalBA
Highest risk on balcony tiling: 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 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 balcony tiling?

You must assess the risks of balcony tiling 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 balcony tiling?

Usually Knee pads, Safety glasses, FFP3 dust mask, Chemical-resistant gloves, Sun protection (sunscreen and neck cover), Hi-vis vest, Half-mask respirator (P3 filters), Ear defenders, Safety boots, Rigger gloves, Safety goggles, Coveralls. The site rules may add more, so check with the principal contractor.

More tiling RAMS

RAMSBathroom Tiling5 stepsRAMSFloor Tiling5 stepsRAMSTanking9 stepsRAMSWall Tiling4 stepsRAMSTile Removal9 steps

Related jobs in other trades

RoofingRe-RoofingAlso involves public entering the work areaBricklayingBrickworkAlso involves falling from heightElectricalConsumer Unit ReplacementAlso involves electric shock from leads and power toolsScaffoldingScaffold ErectionAlso involves public entering the work areaDemolitionSoft StripAlso involves hazardous chemicals

Toolbox talks for this job

Toolbox talkWorking at HeightToolbox talkOverhead Power LinesToolbox talkExtension Leads and Power ToolsToolbox talkSilica Dust

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

Sources