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Welding and fabrication · United Kingdom

Method statement for steel fabrication

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

You must assess the risks of steel fabrication 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 welding and cutting fumes, being hit by mobile plant, fire from hot works and saw cuts and kickback.

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RAMS example: steel fabrication

This is a complete RAMS for steel fabrication, 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)
Workshop steel fabrication · Welding and fabrication · Example
Document RAMS-001 · Rev 1

Risk assessment

#ActivityHazardsWho might be harmedRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Move steel with a forklift or overhead crane, keeping walkways clear
  • Being hit by mobile plant
  • Crane and lifting failure
Workers, Visitors, PublicVery high (15)
  • Separate people and plant with barriers, exclusion zones and marked walkways. Isolate
  • Use plant with working reversing alarms, cameras and lights. Control (engineering)
  • Have a traffic management plan showing plant routes, loading areas and pedestrian paths. Control (procedures)
  • Use a spotter when reversing or working near people. Control (procedures)
  • Make eye contact with the operator before going near. Stay out of the swing radius. Control (procedures)
  • Operators hold a CPCS, NPORS or equal card for the plant they use. Control (procedures)
  • Do a pre-start check on each machine every day and record it. Control (procedures)
  • Wear hi-vis clothing and a hard hat. PPE
  • 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
Medium (5)
2Cut and drill steel with guards in place
  • Saw cuts and kickback
  • Angle grinder injuries
  • Loud noise
Workers, People nearbyHigh (12)
  • Keep blade guards fitted and working, and use the riving knife on table saws. Control (engineering)
  • Use push sticks and clamps, and support long pieces so they do not pinch the blade. Control (engineering)
  • Use a sharp, undamaged blade made for the material. Control (procedures)
  • Stand to one side of the blade line, out of the kickback path. Control (procedures)
  • Let the blade stop fully before reaching in or putting the saw down. Control (procedures)
  • Use a guarded saw or a different tool where you can. Reduce / substitute
  • Keep the guard on and use the side handle. Never remove the guard. Control (engineering)
  • Use the right disc for the job, rated for the grinder's speed. Check it for cracks first. Control (procedures)
  • Only trained people change discs, with the grinder unplugged or the battery out. Control (procedures)
  • Keep both hands on the grinder and let the disc stop before putting it down. Control (procedures)
  • Use quieter tools and methods, such as cut-to-size materials, low-noise machines and battery tools. Reduce / substitute
  • Keep noisy plant away from work areas, and use screens or distance between the noise and people. Isolate
  • Keep tools maintained and use mufflers on compressors and generators. Control (engineering)
  • Limit time on noisy tools and rotate workers. Control (procedures)
  • If you have to shout to be heard by someone 2 metres away, the noise is probably 85 dB(A) or more: wear hearing protection. Control (procedures)
  • Assess noise. At 85 dB(A) or more, hearing protection is required and the zone must be marked. Control (procedures)
Medium (8)
3Weld in a booth with extraction
  • Welding and cutting fumes
  • Eye injuries
  • Fire from hot works
Workers, People nearby, Occupants, PublicVery high (16)
  • Remove paint, galvanising and coatings from the weld area first, or use a process that makes less fume. Reduce / substitute
  • Use fume extraction (local exhaust ventilation) close to the weld. Control (engineering)
  • Weld outdoors or in a well-ventilated area, and keep your head out of the fume plume. Control (engineering)
  • Do a COSHH assessment. HSE expects fume extraction for all indoor welding, including mild steel. Control (procedures)
  • Never weld or cut in a confined space without testing the air and using forced ventilation. Control (procedures)
  • Wear a powered air respirator or fitted respirator when extraction is not enough. 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
  • Use cold work methods where you can, such as bolting, press fittings or cutting with a saw instead of a torch. Eliminate
  • Move anything that can burn at least 10 metres away, or cover it with fire blankets. Isolate
  • Use fire-resistant screens to stop sparks reaching people or gaps in walls and floors. Control (engineering)
  • Get a hot work permit before starting. Control (procedures)
  • Keep a charged fire extinguisher and fire blanket at the work spot. Control (procedures)
Medium (8)
4Handle hot and sharp parts with gloves
  • Burns from hot surfaces
  • Cuts from sharp edges
WorkersMedium (8)
  • Isolate heating systems and let parts cool before you touch them. Eliminate
  • Fit guards or insulation on hot pipes and equipment. Control (engineering)
  • Mark hot items with chalk or a "HOT" sign so others know. Control (procedures)
  • Keep a first aid kit and cool running water nearby for burns. Control (procedures)
  • Wear heat-resistant gloves and long sleeves. PPE
  • Deburr or cover sharp edges, and fit edge protectors on exposed sheet metal. Control (engineering)
  • Use knives with retractable or self-retracting blades. Control (engineering)
  • Cut away from your body and keep your other hand clear. Control (procedures)
  • Put used blades in a blade bin or sharps container. Control (procedures)
  • Use two people to handle large sheets of metal or glass. Control (procedures)
  • Wear cut-resistant gloves and long sleeves. PPE
Low (4)
5Store gas bottles upright and chained
  • Flammable liquids and gases
  • Compressed air
Workers, Occupants, Public, People nearbyHigh (10)
  • Use non-flammable or water-based products where you can. Reduce / substitute
  • Keep ignition sources away: no smoking, no hot work and no running engines near flammables. Isolate
  • Store fuels and solvents in approved, closed containers in a ventilated area away from the work. Control (engineering)
  • Refuel equipment outdoors with the engine off and cool. Control (procedures)
  • Keep only what you need for the day on site. Control (procedures)
  • Store gas cylinders upright, secured and outdoors. Control (procedures)
  • Keep a suitable fire extinguisher where flammables are used or stored. Control (procedures)
  • Wear chemical gloves and safety glasses when pouring or mixing. PPE
  • Fit whip checks (safety cables) on hose joints and check hoses before use. Control (engineering)
  • Fit a pressure regulator and keep pressure to the tool's rating. Control (engineering)
  • Turn off and bleed the line before disconnecting. Control (procedures)
  • Never use compressed air to clean clothes or skin, or point it at anyone. Control (procedures)
  • Wear safety glasses and hearing protection. PPE
Medium (5)
6Sweep up slag and offcuts
  • 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. Move steel with a forklift or overhead crane, keeping walkways clear
  2. Cut and drill steel with guards in place
  3. Weld in a booth with extraction
  4. Handle hot and sharp parts with gloves
  5. Store gas bottles upright and chained
  6. Sweep up slag and offcuts

PPE

Welding helmetWelding gauntletsSafety bootsSafety glassesEar defendersCoverallsHi-vis vestSafety helmetRigger glovesFFP3 dust maskFace shieldCut-resistant glovesHalf-mask respirator (P3 filters)Safety goggles

Plant and equipment

Welding setAngle grinder (disc cutter)Oxy-acetylene cutting setForklift truck: Accredited forklift training (e.g. RTITB, ITSSAR, CPCS or NPORS)Mobile crane: CPCS or NPORS crane operator card, plus slinger signaller card; lift plan by an Appointed Person

Permits and plans

Lift plan (LOLER reg 8)Hot works permit (fire watch at least 60 minutes after)

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 steel fabrication

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 steel fabrication

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

The safe sequence of work

  1. Move steel with a forklift or overhead crane, keeping walkways clear
  2. Cut and drill steel with guards in place
  3. Weld in a booth with extraction
  4. Handle hot and sharp parts with gloves
  5. Store gas bottles upright and chained
  6. Sweep up slag and offcuts

Hazards to watch on steel fabrication

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

Step 5Compressed airAn air hose whips when a fitting fails, or air blown at skin or eyes drives dirt in and causes injury.
Step 3Welding and cutting fumesWelding, cutting and brazing give off metal fumes and gases that damage the lungs and can cause cancer.
Step 4Burns from hot surfacesTouching hot pipes, tools, bitumen, solder or freshly welded metal burns the skin.
Step 5Flammable liquids and gasesPetrol, solvents, thinners and LPG catch fire or explode when vapour reaches a spark, flame or hot surface.
Step 1Crane and lifting failureA load falls or swings, or the crane tips, crushing workers under or near the lift.
Step 2Angle grinder injuriesThe disc shatters, binds or kicks back, causing deep cuts to legs and hands or eye injuries.
Very likelyLikelyPossibleUnlikelyVery unlikelyHow bad it could be: Negligible to FatalBA
Highest risk on steel fabrication: Very high before controls (B), down to Medium after controls (A), on the United Kingdom 5 by 5 risk matrix (likely and major 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 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?

Licences and legal requirements in United Kingdom

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

  • Forklift truck: Accredited forklift training (e.g. RTITB, ITSSAR, CPCS or NPORS)
  • Mobile crane: CPCS or NPORS crane operator card, plus slinger signaller card; lift plan by an Appointed Person

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 and PUWER 1998; Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER); Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER); Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005; COSHH Regulations 2002; CDM 2015 regs 29 to 31 (fire on construction sites). Occupied premises: Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (England and Wales), Fire (Scotland) Act 2005, Fire Safety Regulations (NI) 2010; Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR).

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 steel fabrication?

You must assess the risks of steel fabrication 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 steel fabrication?

Usually Welding helmet, Welding gauntlets, Safety boots, Safety glasses, Ear defenders, Coveralls, Hi-vis vest, Safety helmet, Rigger gloves, FFP3 dust mask, Face shield, Cut-resistant gloves, Half-mask respirator (P3 filters), Safety goggles. The site rules may add more, so check with the principal contractor.

More welding and fabrication RAMS

RAMSStructural Steel Erection9 stepsRAMSHot Works Welding6 stepsRAMSRSJ Installation5 stepsRAMSSteel Handrail Installation5 stepsRAMSGas Cutting5 steps

Related jobs in other trades

BricklayingBrickworkAlso involves being hit by mobile plantRoofingRe-RoofingAlso involves crane and lifting failureDemolitionSoft StripAlso involves cuts from sharp edgesElectricalConsumer Unit ReplacementAlso involves cuts from sharp edges

Toolbox talks for this job

Toolbox talkHearing Protection and NoiseToolbox talkHot Works SafetyToolbox talkAngle Grinder SafetyToolbox talkMobile Plant and Spotters

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

Sources