When this template fits
This RAMS is for UK contractors and decorating teams carrying out exterior decorating — 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
- ✓ 9 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
External painting and decorating from access equipment.
Sequence of works
- 1PLAN & SURVEY: Review drawings and inspect the facade before work begins. Identify building age, existing coating types, presence of lead paint, proximity to overhead services and public interface risks. Complete COSHH assessments for all products and a work at height risk assessment.
- 2ACCESS EQUIPMENT SELECTION & ERECTION: Select the most appropriate access method (scaffold, MEWP, podium, or ladder for short-duration only) following the hierarchy of collective protection. Erect or position equipment on firm, level ground; obtain scaffold completion certificate or MEWP pre-use checklist before use.
- 3SITE SET-UP & EXCLUSION ZONES: Erect barriers and signage to establish a ground-level exclusion zone beneath all working areas. Implement traffic management and pedestrian diversions where required. Brief all operatives and relevant third parties at toolbox talk.
- 4SURFACE PREPARATION: Wearing appropriate PPE, clean and prepare surfaces by washing down, hand or wet sanding, filling and priming. Where lead paint is suspected, use wet sanding or H-class vacuum-shrouded tools and follow lead paint controls. Bag and remove all waste safely.
- 5PAINT APPLICATION: Decant paint into appropriate-sized kettles before ascending. Apply paints and coatings in accordance with the manufacturer's data sheet and COSHH assessment. Use tool lanyards for all brushes, rollers and scrapers. Maintain three points of contact on ladders; do not over-reach.
- 6PLATFORM HOUSEKEEPING: At regular intervals and at end of each work period, remove empty containers, clean up spills immediately with appropriate absorbent, and ensure platforms are free from trip hazards and unnecessary materials.
- 7WEATHER MONITORING: Check weather forecast at the start of each day. Suspend work at height if wind speed exceeds safe thresholds, if there is lightning risk, ice or heavy rain. Ensure operatives have access to warm welfare facilities.
- 8MATERIAL STORAGE & WASTE MANAGEMENT: Store flammable and hazardous materials in a secure, ventilated, fire-resistant store away from the public boundary. Segregate and label hazardous waste (including lead paint debris) for collection by a licensed contractor.
- 9DAILY INSPECTIONS: Carry out and record daily scaffold or access equipment inspections before commencing work. Report and remedy any defects before allowing operatives to ascend. Formal scaffold inspection every 7 days by a competent person.
- 10COMPLETION & CLEAR DOWN: Remove all tools, materials and equipment from platforms before striking scaffold or returning MEWPs. Restore pedestrian routes and remove barriers only once all overhead risk has been eliminated. Dispose of waste in accordance with site 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, Members of the public
- › Assess whether any elements of the task can be performed at ground level (e.g. pre-priming components before fixing) to reduce time spent at height.
- › Use full scaffold with toe boards and double guard rails, or MEWPs with integral guardrails, in preference to ladder access. Scaffold must comply with TG20 or be designed by a competent person.
- › All scaffold, mobile towers, podiums and MEWPs to be inspected by a competent person before first use and after any event that may affect stability (e.g. severe weather). Records kept on site.
- › Operatives working from MEWPs must wear a correctly fitted full-body harness and short lanyard attached to the manufacturer's anchor point within the basket.
Falling objects striking persons below
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Erect physical barriers (e.g. Heras fencing, barriers with signage) to create a minimum exclusion zone beneath and around all working areas to prevent public or other workers entering the drop zone.
- › Fit scaffold with toe boards (minimum 150 mm) and debris/safety netting to arrest falling objects. Brick guards to be fitted where finer mesh containment is needed.
- › Secure tools with wrist or platform lanyards; use paint kettles with secure handles and non-spill lids where practicable. Never overfill containers.
- › All persons within or required to enter the exclusion zone must wear a hard hat (EN 397).
Exposure to hazardous paint substances
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Where performance requirements permit, select water-based paints and coatings with lower VOC content to reduce inhalation and flammability risk.
- › Obtain and review Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for every product. Complete a documented COSHH assessment identifying exposure routes and required controls before work starts.
- › Ensure natural cross-ventilation on external elevations; when working in recesses, soffits or enclosed external areas, introduce forced ventilation or take scheduled breaks to prevent vapour accumulation.
- › Wear nitrile gloves (EN 374) and, where SDS requires, an FFP3 half-mask or supplied-air respirator (for isocyanate-containing coatings). Face/eye protection for spray application.
Lead paint disturbance
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Arrange lead paint testing (e.g. X-ray fluorescence or laboratory analysis of paint chips) on buildings of unknown age or heritage before any mechanical surface preparation.
- › Where lead paint is confirmed, use wet sanding techniques or power tools fitted with H-class on-tool extraction to suppress dust at source. Avoid dry sanding and heat stripping.
- › Double-bag lead paint debris, label as hazardous waste and dispose of via licensed contractor. Operatives must decontaminate before eating, drinking or leaving site.
- › Wear a minimum FFP3 disposable mask or full-face respirator with P3 filter, disposable coveralls, gloves and eye protection when disturbing lead paint.
Manual handling of access equipment and materials
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Use sack trucks, palette trolleys or hoists to move heavy materials. Hoist scaffold boards and materials to elevated platforms rather than carrying by hand.
- › Decant paint into manageable kettles or 5-litre containers before taking to height. Do not carry full 25-litre tins onto scaffold.
- › Use two-person lifts for scaffold sections and long ladders. Ensure all operatives have received manual handling training and are briefed on correct technique.
Ladder misuse and instability
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Ladders should only be used where a risk assessment confirms the task is short duration (typically under 30 minutes), light duty and collective protection is not reasonably practicable.
- › Position ladders at 75° (1:4 ratio), secure at the top (tied) or foot (footed by a second person). Use proprietary stand-off or stabiliser on uneven ground. Never rest against plastic guttering.
- › Inspect all ladders before use for defects (cracked stiles, missing rungs, damaged feet). Remove defective ladders from service immediately and tag as condemned.
Adverse weather exposure
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Establish written criteria for ceasing work at height: minimum sustained wind speed (commonly >17 mph / Beaufort 5 for scaffold; always comply with MEWP manufacturer limits), ice, lightning or heavy rain. Supervisors empowered to stop work.
- › Ensure scaffold boards are close-boarded with adequate drainage gaps, free from moss/algae and fitted with anti-slip strips where appropriate. Boards to be inspected after rainfall.
- › Provide insulated, wind-resistant outer layers. Ensure regular breaks in a heated welfare facility. Monitor operatives for signs of cold stress or reduced dexterity.
Public struck by access equipment or vehicles
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Produce and implement a traffic management plan (with highway authority consent where required). Provide a safe, clearly signed alternative pedestrian route and appoint a banksman during vehicle movements.
- › Where scaffold overhangs or abuts a public thoroughfare, erect solid hoarding at ground level to separate the public from the works. Ensure scaffold is licenced with the local authority if on the highway.
- › Schedule noisy or high-risk scaffold erection and striking outside of peak pedestrian times where possible and in line with local authority conditions.
Slips and trips on access platforms
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Keep platforms clear of unnecessary materials, trailing leads and empty containers. Return unused tools and materials to designated storage at end of each work period.
- › Route power cables for electric sanders and heat guns away from walkways using cable clips or hangers. Use cordless tools at height where practicable.
- › Wear safety boots with slip-resistant soles (SRC rating) suitable for wet and painted 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 per the COSHH assessment
- ✓ Chemical-resistant gloves
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 exterior decorating 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 exterior decorating, 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 exterior decorating?
Work at Height Regulations 2005, Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, section 3, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) are the main ones, alongside Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, reg 3 — risk assessment. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and CDM 2015 apply to all construction work.
Does a method statement 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.