When this template fits
This RAMS is for UK contractors and bricklaying teams carrying out re-pointing & repair — typically because a principal contractor or client has asked for a risk assessment and method statement before work can start. It covers the recognised trades & finishing hazards for this task, with the controls a reviewer expects to see.
What this RAMS includes
- ✓ 8 task-specific hazards scored on a 5×5 matrix (initial → residual)
- ✓ Specific control measures for each hazard, in hierarchy-of-control order
- ✓ A 10-step method statement (sequence of works)
- ✓ PPE, plant/equipment, permits and competence requirements
- ✓ Emergency arrangements and operative briefing / sign-off section
Scope of works
Rake out and re-point brickwork — silica dust and access.
Sequence of works
- 1Pre-task: Review asbestos management survey or refurbishment survey for the building. Confirm no ACMs are present in areas to be raked. Obtain COSHH assessments and Safety Data Sheets for all mortar products. Brief all operatives on hazards, controls and emergency procedures.
- 2Erect and inspect access equipment: Erect scaffold or mobile tower to a competent person's design. Fit guard rails, mid rails, toe boards and debris netting. Inspect and record condition before first use and after adverse weather. Establish and sign a ground-level exclusion zone beneath the working area.
- 3Set up dust controls: Connect angle grinder or raking tool to H-class vacuum with on-tool extraction shroud. Prepare water spray supply for wet suppression as backup or primary control. Confirm RPE (FFP3 minimum) is available, face-fit tested and worn correctly by all operatives before work begins.
- 4Rake out joints: Using hand chisels or, where necessary, power raking tools with dust extraction, rake mortar to the required depth (minimum 15–20 mm) without damaging the brick arises. Monitor dust levels and trigger times; rotate operatives to manage vibration and noise exposure.
- 5Brush and dampen joints: Remove loose material from raked joints using a stiff brush. Dampen brickwork with clean water to control suction and improve bond; do not saturate.
- 6Prepare and apply mortar: Mix or open pre-batched mortar as per the COSHH assessment instructions. Wearing nitrile gloves, goggles and appropriate PPE, apply mortar to raked joints using a pointing trowel or hawk and trowel, working to the specified mix and profile for the building type.
- 7Finish and tool joints: Once mortar has reached initial set, tool joints to the specified finish (e.g. weatherstruck, recessed). Remove any mortar smears from brick faces with a damp brush. Avoid excessive water which may weaken the joint.
- 8Clear working platform and scaffold: Remove debris, tools and excess mortar from the working platform at the end of each work session or shift. Lower materials to ground level using a hoist; do not throw debris from height.
- 9Inspect completed work: Competent person to inspect finished pointing for voids, cracks, poor adhesion or incorrect profile before scaffold is struck. Record any defects for remediation.
- 10Dismantle access equipment and reinstate: Dismantle scaffold or tower in accordance with a competent person's guidance. Remove exclusion zone barriers only once the working area above is clear. Remove waste mortar and debris from site in accordance with waste management plan.
Hazards, risk rating & controls
Risk = likelihood × severity (1–25). Initial is before controls; residual is with controls applied.
Fall from height
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Redesign installation sequence or use extended fixing tools to reduce the need to work at height where practicable.
- › Where working at height cannot be avoided, erect a full scaffold system with guard rails, mid rails and toe boards as the preferred collective protective measure over personal fall protection.
- › Scaffold, mobile tower or ladder must be inspected by a competent person before first use and after adverse weather. Records to be retained on site.
- › Where collective protection is not reasonably practicable (e.g. short-duration access via MEWP), operatives must wear a harness with lanyard attached to a suitable anchor point.
Silica dust inhalation
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Where dust suppression and extraction cannot reduce exposure below the WEL for RCS (0.1 mg/m³ 8h TWA per EH40), wear a tight-fitting FFP3 disposable or half-mask respirator with P3 filter. RPE must be face-fit tested.
- › Apply water continuously to the joint being raked to suppress dust at source before it becomes airborne. Use a spray attachment on angle grinders or manual watering for hand tools.
- › Fit dust extraction shroud and H-class vacuum to angle grinders or raking tools wherever wet suppression is insufficient or impractical. Confirm extraction meets required capture efficiency.
- › Substitute angle grinder raking with hand-raking chisels where feasible to reduce dust generation. Limit continuous exposure time through job rotation.
Chemical exposure — mortar and admixtures
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Obtain Safety Data Sheets for all mortar mixes and admixtures. Complete a COSHH assessment before work begins and brief operatives on findings.
- › Specify pre-blended mortar to reduce mixing, quantity of cement handled and consequent skin contact opportunity.
- › Operatives to wear nitrile gloves, barrier cream, eye protection (chemical splash goggles), and ensure no skin is exposed to wet mortar for prolonged periods.
Noise and hand-arm vibration (HAVs)
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Use hand raking tools (chisels, plugging chisels) instead of angle grinders wherever practical to eliminate vibration and reduce noise at source.
- › Calculate daily vibration exposure using manufacturer's declared vibration magnitude. Ensure no operative exceeds the daily Exposure Action Value (EAV 2.5 m/s²) or limit value (ELV 5 m/s²). Use job rotation to spread exposure.
- › Wear ear defenders (SNR appropriate to noise level) when operating angle grinders. Anti-vibration gloves may reduce transmission but do not replace trigger-time controls.
Falling debris and materials
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Establish a demarcated exclusion zone at ground level beneath all elevated re-pointing operations. Use barriers, signage and a banksman/spotter where public access cannot be prevented.
- › Fit scaffold toe boards (minimum 150 mm) and consider fine-mesh debris netting or brick guards to prevent materials falling from the working platform.
- › All personnel within the exclusion zone and on the scaffold must wear safety helmets and steel toe-capped footwear at all times.
Asbestos-containing materials in mortar/render
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Before work commences, obtain and review the building's asbestos management survey or commission a refurbishment/demolition survey for areas to be disturbed. Do not proceed until asbestos risk is confirmed as absent or managed.
- › If materials with unusual texture, colour or labelling suspected of containing asbestos are encountered, operatives must stop work immediately, withdraw from the area and report to the supervisor for specialist assessment.
Manual handling — materials and tools
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Specify 25 kg or smaller mortar bags rather than 40 kg. Use hoist or gin wheel on scaffold to raise materials; avoid manual carrying up ladders.
- › Assess manual handling tasks, train operatives in correct techniques and agree maximum single-lift weights (typically no more than 25 kg for males as a guideline).
Slips and trips on working platforms
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Maintain clear working platforms at all times. Clear raked debris and unused materials at regular intervals throughout the working day and at the end of each shift.
- › All operatives to wear safety boots with slip-resistant soles appropriate for wet and mortar-contaminated surfaces.
PPE
- ✓ Safety footwear (EN ISO 20345)
- ✓ Hi-vis clothing
- ✓ Safety gloves (task-appropriate)
- ✓ Hard hat (EN 397) where overhead risk or site rules require
- ✓ Safety harness and lanyard where fall arrest is the selected control
- ✓ RPE (FFP3 or as risk-assessed) with face-fit
- ✓ RPE per the COSHH assessment
- ✓ Chemical-resistant gloves
- ✓ Hearing protection (to the assessed SNR)
- ✓ Disposable RPE (FFP3)
- ✓ Disposable coveralls (Type 5)
Competence
- ✓ Site induction completed; CSCS or equivalent where the site requires it
Schemes (CSCS, PASMA, IPAF…) evidence competence; they are not statutory requirements in themselves.
Plant & equipment
- › Hand and power tools appropriate to the trade
- › 110V or battery power supplies
- › Dust extraction for cutting and sanding
- › Mixing equipment with splash protection
- › Access steps or podiums
Permits & legislation
What principal contractors usually check
- ✓ Dust controls for cutting and sanding
- ✓ Coordination with other trades in the same area
- ✓ COSHH for adhesives, paints and solvents
- ✓ The document is site-specific — real address, access arrangements and dates, not a generic template
- ✓ Hazards match the actual task and the controls are specific (not “take care” and “use PPE”)
- ✓ Named supervisor and competent person, with operative sign-off space
- ✓ Emergency and rescue arrangements that work for this site
The report builder runs these as pre-submission checks before you download — or run an existing document through the free RAMS pre-submission checker.
Frequently asked questions
Who should write a re-pointing & repair RAMS?
Someone competent to plan the work — usually the contractor doing the job or their supervisor. A template like this gives you the recognised hazards and controls for re-pointing & repair, but the person signing it off must review it as the competent person and confirm it matches the actual site and method.
How long is the RAMS valid for?
Until something changes — there's no fixed expiry in law. Review it if the method, site conditions, equipment or people change, after any incident or near miss, and at sensible intervals on longer jobs. Date the review and re-brief the team.
What regulations apply to re-pointing & repair?
Work at Height Regulations 2005, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), COSHH 2002, reg 7 — prevention or control of exposure are the main ones, alongside Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, reg 3 — risk assessment, Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and CDM 2015 apply to all construction work.
Does a RAMS need to be site-specific?
Yes — this is the most common reason documents get sent back. Principal contractors reject generic copy-paste RAMS. Your document should name the site, access arrangements, dates, supervisor and any site-specific hazards. The RamsDocs builder fills these in for you and flags what's missing before you download.
Is this template free?
Yes — everything on RamsDocs is free during early access, including building a site-specific version of this RAMS and downloading the PDF. No card required.