When this template fits
This RAMS is for UK contractors and facilities management teams carrying out fm & reactive maintenance — typically because a principal contractor or client has asked for a risk assessment and method statement before work can start. It covers the recognised site & general 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 9-step method statement (sequence of works)
- ✓ PPE, plant/equipment, permits and competence requirements
- ✓ Emergency arrangements and operative briefing / sign-off section
Scope of works
Facilities management and reactive maintenance across occupied buildings — mixed trades and the public.
Sequence of works
- 1Receive and review the reactive maintenance job order. Confirm scope, location, building type and any known hazards (asbestos register, electrical schematics, building-specific rules). Ensure the operative is competent and authorised for the specific trade task.
- 2Sign in with the building manager or facilities helpdesk on arrival. Obtain the relevant permit-to-work (electrical isolation, hot works, confined space) where required. Review the building's emergency evacuation procedure and identify the nearest assembly point and first-aid provision.
- 3Conduct a dynamic site-specific risk assessment of the work area. Check for asbestos register entries, identify the locations of electrical distribution boards and isolators, assess public interface risks and confirm the condition of access equipment.
- 4Establish a safe work zone: erect barriers, cones or hoarding to exclude the public and building users from the immediate work area. Display appropriate hazard signage. Notify adjacent occupants of the activity and likely duration.
- 5Complete all required isolations before work begins (LOTO for electrical, water isolation and drainage for plumbing). Prove dead / prove isolated using calibrated test instruments before touching any energised system.
- 6Carry out the maintenance task following the method statement and permit conditions. Use the hierarchy of control for dust, COSHH, manual handling and working at height as identified in the RAMS. Maintain a tidy, hazard-free work zone throughout.
- 7On completion of the task, restore all isolations (reinstate electrical supply, restore water supply, re-pressurise as required) and verify correct operation of repaired or replaced equipment. Ensure all detectors, alarms and safety systems are reinstated and tested.
- 8Remove all tools, equipment, waste materials and PPE from the area. Clean up any dust, debris or spillages. Remove barriers and signage, and restore normal access to the work area.
- 9Close out the permit-to-work with the authorising authority. Report completion and any residual defects, follow-on works or observations to the facilities helpdesk. Update asset management records as required.
Hazards, risk rating & controls
Risk = likelihood × severity (1–25). Initial is before controls; residual is with controls applied.
Electric shock
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Identify and isolate the relevant circuit at the distribution board using an approved lockout/tagout device before any electrical connection work begins. Prove dead with a calibrated voltage indicator before touching conductors.
- › Issue a formal electrical permit-to-work for any live or complex isolation work, ensuring only one authorised person holds the key at any time.
- › Operatives use tools insulated to 1000 V ac and wear insulating gloves rated to the appropriate voltage category when there is residual risk of contact with live parts.
Fall from height
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Consider whether the task can be completed from ground level using tools with extended reaches, eliminating the need for a ladder entirely.
- › Wear a safety helmet and safety boots with ankle support to protect against struck-by and fall injury.
- › Select a podium step, low-level platform or MEWP in preference to a stepladder to provide a stable working platform with guardrails, giving collective protection to the operative.
- › Stepladders used only for short-duration, light-duty work where collective protection is not reasonably practicable. Operative must maintain three points of contact; stepladder must be in good condition and placed on firm, level surface.
Exposure to hazardous substances (COSHH)
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Where possible, replace high-VOC paints, solvents or cleaning chemicals with water-based or lower-hazard equivalents that achieve the same technical outcome.
- › Complete a COSHH assessment for each product used, referencing the manufacturer's Safety Data Sheet. Identify WELs where applicable and ensure controls are adequate before use.
- › Ensure natural or mechanical ventilation is sufficient to keep exposures below WELs. Use local exhaust ventilation (LEV) where ventilation alone is insufficient, particularly in plant rooms or enclosed spaces.
- › Wear chemical-resistant nitrile gloves, safety spectacles/goggles and a respiratory protective device (RPE) appropriate to the substance and task, as specified in the COSHH assessment.
Risk to members of the public
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Plan disruptive or hazardous tasks for periods of low or no occupancy (evenings, weekends) to reduce public exposure at source.
- › Erect physical barriers (barrier tape, hoarding, cones) around the work area to prevent unauthorised access. Barriers must be robust enough to resist casual movement by members of the public, including children.
- › Notify building management, reception and relevant floor wardens of planned work areas and timescales. Post clear signage describing the hazard and diversion route.
Slips, trips and falls on the same level
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Operatives to wear safety boots with EN ISO 20345-compliant, slip-resistant soles rated for the substrate conditions on site.
- › Route power cables and hoses through cable ramps, secure against walls, or use battery-operated equipment to prevent trailing leads across walkways.
- › Place prominent wet floor warning signs immediately and lay non-slip absorbent matting over any wet surface until dry. Remove and replace floor coverings promptly after work.
Manual handling injury
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Plan strip-out sequence to minimise carry distances and drops. Use team lifts (two or more persons) for large or heavy items. Break down materials into manageable loads before bagging.
- › Ensure all operatives have received manual handling training covering safe lifting technique, load assessment, and recognition of when mechanical aids must be used.
- › Use sack trucks, pallet trucks, or mini-hoists to move bulk bags and materials to the work area rather than manual carrying.
Asbestos-containing material disturbance
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Before any intrusive maintenance task, consult the building's asbestos register and management survey. Do not proceed if the presence of ACMs in the work area is unconfirmed.
- › If materials suspected of containing asbestos are found unexpectedly, operatives must stop work immediately, leave the area, prevent others from entering and report to the duty holder and competent person for specialist assessment.
- › Where survey confirms ACMs are present and the work meets the threshold for licensable asbestos work, engage a licensed asbestos removal contractor. Non-licensed notifiable non-licensed work (NNLW) must be notified and planned by a competent person.
Fire and emergency during hot works
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Design out hot works by specifying push-fit, press-fit or mechanical joints for pipework repairs rather than soldering or brazing wherever technically feasible.
- › Issue a hot works permit specifying controls, work duration and the fire watch period (minimum 60 minutes after work ceases). A trained fire watcher must be present during and after works with a suitable extinguisher to hand.
- › Isolate local smoke detector heads (with building manager authorisation and time limit) and have a fire extinguisher and fire blanket immediately accessible. Reinstate detectors immediately after work and fire watch period.
Dust and fume inhalation
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Specify wet-cutting methods or pre-formed/pre-cut materials to avoid dust generation at source.
- › Attach H-class (high-hazard) dust extraction to power tools whenever cutting, grinding or drilling into masonry, concrete or wood in an occupied building.
- › Erect temporary dust screens or hoarding to contain dust within the work zone and prevent migration into occupied areas. Seal ventilation openings where practicable.
- › Where dust extraction cannot adequately control exposure, operatives wear a close-fitting FFP3 disposable respirator or equivalent half-mask with P3 filter, face-fit tested.
PPE
- ✓ Safety footwear (EN ISO 20345)
- ✓ Hi-vis clothing
- ✓ Safety gloves (task-appropriate)
- ✓ Hard hat (EN 397) where overhead risk or site rules require
- ✓ Insulated gloves where live work is unavoidable
- ✓ Safety harness and lanyard where fall arrest is the selected control
- ✓ RPE per the COSHH assessment
- ✓ Chemical-resistant gloves
- ✓ Disposable RPE (FFP3)
- ✓ Disposable coveralls (Type 5)
- ✓ RPE (FFP3 or as risk-assessed) with face-fit
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
- › Welfare units and signage
- › Barriers, cones and pedestrian segregation
- › First-aid kits and eye-wash
- › Spill kits
- › Communication (radios / lone-worker device)
Permits & legislation
What principal contractors usually check
- ✓ Welfare provision matching CDM 2015 Schedule 2
- ✓ Traffic management and pedestrian routes
- ✓ Lone-working check-in arrangements where relevant
- ✓ 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 fm & reactive maintenance 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 fm & reactive maintenance, 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 fm & reactive maintenance?
Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, Work at Height Regulations 2005, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) are the main ones, alongside Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, section 3, Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, reg 3 — risk assessment, Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. 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.