When this template fits
This RAMS is for UK contractors and carpentry teams carrying out kitchen installation — 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 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
Install fitted kitchens including units, worktops and appliance connection.
Sequence of works
- 1Pre-start: Carry out site induction, review RAMS with all operatives, confirm circuit isolation is in place and locked off by a competent electrician. Scan all walls with a CAT detector and mark service routes. Confirm gas is isolated if gas appliances are to be fitted.
- 2Establish work zone: Erect barriers or hoarding to segregate the kitchen installation area from occupants and other trades. Set up designated waste area outside the zone and position trolleys and lifting aids ready for use.
- 3Measure, mark out and cut: Take all dimensions and prepare units and worktops for cutting. Carry out all cutting operations in a ventilated area (or outside where possible) using on-tool dust extraction. Wear FFP2/FFP3 mask, eye protection and cut-resistant gloves.
- 4Fix base units: Position and level base units using two-person team for heavy or corner units. Secure units to wall and floor fixings, checking each fixing position with CAT scanner before drilling. Remove packaging progressively as work proceeds.
- 5Fit and fix wall units: Use podium step or low-level platform to work at height. Fix wall units to wall using confirmed fixing positions. Check load-bearing capacity of wall is suitable — flag to supervisor if any doubt.
- 6Install and seal worktops: Lift worktops using two-person lift (or mechanical aid for stone). Apply adhesives and sealants with forced ventilation running. Wear nitrile gloves and RPE as required by COSHH assessment.
- 7Appliance fitting and electrical connection: Position appliances using trolley or two-person lift. Hardwired appliances to be connected by competent electrician only. Confirm circuits remain isolated until all connections are complete and inspected.
- 8Gas appliance connection: Gas Safe registered engineer to connect all gas appliances and carry out pressure testing and gas tightness checks. Kitchen fitter must not carry out or interfere with any gas connection work.
- 9Final checks and handover: Reinstate all circuit breakers only after electrician confirms installation is safe. Test all appliances and electrical sockets. Confirm gas tightness certificate obtained. Clear all waste and PPE from the area. Brief client or site manager on any residual risks.
Hazards, risk rating & controls
Risk = likelihood × severity (1–25). Initial is before controls; residual is with controls applied.
Manual handling injury
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Use trolleys, sack trucks, pallet trucks, or mini-telehandlers to move heavy items where layout permits, avoiding manual lifting.
- › Complete a site-specific manual handling assessment before installation, identifying weights, routes, floor surfaces and team-lift requirements. Brief all operatives on findings.
- › All lifts of worktops, tall units and appliances must be carried out by a minimum of two operatives using agreed signals and coordinated movement.
- › Operatives to wear appropriate knee pads when working at floor level and consider back support belts where personal risk assessment indicates benefit.
Electric shock from live services
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › All circuits serving the kitchen area must be isolated, locked off and proved dead by a competent electrician before any drilling, fixing or appliance connection work begins.
- › Use a calibrated cable avoidance tool (CAT) to scan all surfaces before drilling fixings. Mark identified cable routes and maintain minimum 50 mm clearance.
- › All hardwired appliance connections (cooker, hob, oven) must be carried out or directly supervised by a competent electrician. Confirm compliance with BS 7671 before energising.
- › All power tools used during installation must be 110 V centre-tapped-to-earth or protected by a 30 mA RCD. Inspect leads and plugs before each use.
Dust inhalation from cutting and drilling
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Where possible, carry out all cutting operations outside the occupied building or in a designated well-ventilated area away from other trades and occupants.
- › Attach H-class vacuum dust extraction to all power saws, jigsaws and routers when cutting MDF, chipboard or composite stone. Use wet-cutting methods for natural stone worktops.
- › Where composite or natural stone worktops are being cut, a specific COSHH assessment must be completed identifying silica exposure risk and specifying controls including RPE selection.
- › Operatives must wear minimum FFP2 dust mask (FFP3 for silica-generating cuts) when dust extraction cannot fully control exposure. Fit-check mask before each use.
Laceration from cutting tools and sharp edges
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Ensure all blade guards and riving knives are in place and functioning before use. Never defeat or remove guards. Inspect tools before each session.
- › Clamp or secure all workpieces to a stable work surface before cutting to prevent movement. Do not hold workpieces by hand when using powered saws.
- › Only trained and competent operatives may use powered cutting tools. Supervisor to confirm competency before work begins.
- › Wear cut-resistant gloves (EN 388 minimum Level B) when handling sheet material edges. Safety glasses or goggles to be worn during all cutting operations.
Slips and trips from packaging and off-cuts
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Designate a skip or waste area outside the kitchen. Remove packaging and off-cuts to the waste area continuously during work — do not allow accumulation in the working zone.
- › Barrier or screen off the kitchen installation zone from other trades and building occupants. Use clearly marked segregation to prevent unauthorised access.
- › Supervisor to conduct a walk-through housekeeping check at least every two hours and at end of each working day to confirm floors are clear.
Working at height — wall unit installation
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Use a podium step or low-level work platform with guardrails in preference to a stepladder. Select equipment with a working platform at the required height.
- › Where a stepladder is the only practicable option (short-duration, light work), use an industrial-class stepladder on a stable, level surface. Maintain three points of contact at all times and do not overreach.
- › Visually inspect steps and platforms before each use. Remove and tag out any damaged equipment.
Gas connection — explosion and asphyxiation
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › All gas pipework connection, appliance connection and pressure testing must be carried out exclusively by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Joiner or fitter must not connect or disturb any gas supply.
- › Gas supply to the kitchen must be isolated at the meter before the kitchen fitter commences work in areas near gas pipework. Reopen only when Gas Safe engineer is present.
- › Ensure adequate ventilation (open windows and doors) during any gas connection or pressure testing phase to disperse any minor leak.
Adhesive and sealant fume exposure
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Where technically suitable, substitute solvent-based adhesives with water-based or low-VOC equivalents to reduce fume hazard.
- › Obtain and review the Safety Data Sheet for all adhesives, primers and sealants before use. Complete a COSHH assessment identifying exposure routes and required controls.
- › Open all windows and doors and use a temporary axial fan to maintain air movement through the kitchen space during adhesive and sealant application and curing.
- › Wear nitrile gloves (EN 374) and, where SDS specifies or ventilation cannot be assured, an appropriate half-face respirator with the correct filter cartridge.
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
- ✓ RPE (FFP3 or as risk-assessed) with face-fit
- ✓ 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 kitchen installation 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 kitchen installation, 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 kitchen installation?
Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) are the main ones, alongside PUWER 1998 — Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations, Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, reg 3 — risk assessment, Work at Height Regulations 2005, DSEAR 2002 — Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations, COSHH 2002, reg 7 — prevention or control of exposure. 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.