Roofing RAMS for UK Sites

Roofing RAMS live or die on the access and fall-protection detail: how people and materials get onto the roof, what stops a fall from the edge or through the surface, and what happens when the weather turns. This page sets out what a roofing Risk Assessment and Method Statement usually needs to address before you build yours free in the QR Safety RAMS Builder.

Create your free RAMS

Typical activities to cover

Setting up access — scaffold, stair tower, ladder access, MEWP or roof hatch.
Installing edge protection, guardrails, netting, crawl boards or covers.
Stripping existing coverings, battens, felt, tiles, slates or sheets.
Loading out and distributing materials across the roof.
Flat roofing works including single ply, built-up felt and liquid systems.
Hot works such as torch-on felt or bitumen boilers, where used.
Pitched roof tiling, slating, leadwork, flashings and verge details.
Gutter, valley, rooflight and penetration detailing.
Waste removal, clearing down and final inspection.

Hazards and planning considerations

Falls from the roof edge, through openings, and through fragile or corroded surfaces.
Falling materials, tools and debris reaching people below.
Weather — wind on sheets and membranes, rain, ice, heat and sun exposure.
Access equipment: scaffold handover, inspection records and safe loading limits.
Fire risk where hot works are used, including hidden voids and adjacent materials.
Manual handling of tiles, sheets, rolls, lead and waste.
Asbestos risk in older roofs and the need to check records before disturbance.
Public, occupants and other trades below the work area.
Fumes, dust and hazardous substances from primers, adhesives and sealants.
Rescue arrangements if someone falls into a harness or is injured on the roof.

Site-specific information you need to provide

Roof type, pitch, construction, condition and any fragile areas or rooflights.
How the roof is accessed and who provides and inspects the access equipment.
Scaffold or edge protection arrangements, handover certificates and inspection intervals.
The exclusion zone below, and how the public and occupants are kept out of it.
Asbestos survey or management information for the building.
How materials are lifted and where they are stored and loaded out.
Permit requirements, including any hot works permit from the client.
Working hours, weather limits and who decides to stop work.
First aid, rescue and emergency arrangements, including the nearest A&E.

Illustrative outline sequence

Illustrative only. This is not a complete safe system of work. It must be adapted to your actual job, site and team, and reviewed and approved by a competent person before any work starts.

Induction, permits in place, roof condition and asbestos information confirmed.
Access and edge protection installed, inspected and handed over before use.
Exclusion zone set out below with signage and barriers.
Existing covering stripped in planned bays, waste cleared as you go.
Materials loaded out within the agreed loading limits.
New covering, flashings and details installed in sequence.
Work inspected, area cleared, access and protection removed in a controlled order.

How the builder helps

Select the roofing, work-at-height and access activity groups to pull in the recommended controls and risk ratings.
Add custom hazards for the specific roof, building and surroundings.
Record COSHH items such as primers, adhesives and cleaners with data sheets attached.
Complete manual handling assessments for tiles, rolls, sheets and waste.
Write the sequence of works yourself, dictate it, or edit an AI first draft.
Add emergency arrangements and the nearest A&E, then export a branded PDF or Word document.

Not sure where to start? Read the step-by-step guide or draft a RAMS with AI from a short job brief.

Create your free RAMS