When this template fits
This RAMS is for UK contractors and demolition teams carrying out partition & stud wall removal — typically because a principal contractor or client has asked for a risk assessment and method statement before work can start. It covers the recognised demolition & strip-out 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
Remove partition and stud walls — dust, manual handling and concealed services.
Sequence of works
- 1PLAN & SURVEY: Obtain refurbishment and demolition asbestos survey, structural engineer's confirmation of non-load-bearing status, and building services drawings. Mark up all confirmed service routes on the wall before work begins.
- 2ISOLATE SERVICES: Isolate and lock off all electrical circuits, water supplies and gas services serving the partition areas. Prove dead using an approved voltage indicator. Obtain Gas Safe engineer sign-off for gas lines. Record isolation on permit to work.
- 3SET UP WORK AREA: Erect temporary dust screens and exclusion zone around the work area. Position skip or waste bins adjacent to the work zone. Mark and keep clear a designated pedestrian access/egress route.
- 4SCAN WALL: Use a cable, pipe and stud detector to scan all wall faces. Mark the position of any detected services, studs and noggins on the wall surface with chalk or marker before any cutting begins.
- 5INSPECT OPENING: Hand-cut or manually create a small inspection opening in a section clear of detected services to visually confirm the absence of live services, asbestos materials and structural connections before proceeding with full removal.
- 6REMOVE PLASTERBOARD: Using hand tools or low-dust power tools fitted with on-tool H-class extraction, remove plasterboard in manageable sections (pre-cut to reduce load and dust). Work progressively from the top of the wall downward.
- 7DISMANTLE FRAMEWORK: Remove timber or metal stud framework, noggins, head and sole plates using appropriate hand tools. Check for residual fixings, nails and screws at floor and ceiling interfaces before removal.
- 8MANAGE DEBRIS: Clear debris from floor progressively throughout the operation. Segregate materials for recycling (metal, timber, plasterboard) and place waste into designated skips. Do not allow debris to accumulate.
- 9INSPECT AND MAKE SAFE: On completion of each wall removal, inspect the exposed area for protruding fixings, open service terminations and exposed floor voids. Cap or make safe any redundant service ends and install guards or covers over floor openings.
- 10CLOSE OUT: Clean down the work area, dispose of PPE consumables (especially disposable respirators) in accordance with waste regulations, remove dust screens, and confirm with the site manager that the area is safe before restrictions are lifted.
Hazards, risk rating & controls
Risk = likelihood × severity (1–25). Initial is before controls; residual is with controls applied.
Contact with live electrical services
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Identify all electrical circuits serving the area and isolate at the distribution board. Apply lock-off/tag-out and prove dead using an approved voltage indicator before work begins.
- › Conduct a full services survey using a calibrated cable and pipe detector to identify and mark the location of all concealed electrical cables prior to demolition.
- › Implement a formal permit-to-work system confirming isolation has been completed and verified by a competent electrician before work party proceeds.
- › Use insulated hand tools rated for electrical work; wear insulating gloves as a last line of defence when working near any residual risk of contact with electrical services.
Asbestos exposure
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Commission an UKAS-accredited surveyor to complete an R&D asbestos survey of all areas before demolition begins. Do not proceed until a written survey report is available on site.
- › Where ACMs are identified, engage a licensed contractor (or appropriately trained operative for NNLW) to remove and dispose of asbestos prior to general strip-out. Provide written clearance certificate before operatives proceed.
- › Operatives must stop work immediately if material suspected of containing asbestos is encountered unexpectedly. Clear the area, prevent re-entry and notify the site manager. Do not resume until assessed by a competent person.
- › Where any residual risk of fibre release exists during disturbance of uncertain materials, wear a close-fitting FFP3 respirator as a minimum precaution pending clearance.
Inhalation of construction dust
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Where structurally feasible, remove panels by hand or unscrew fixings to avoid generating fine dust from power tools.
- › Where power cutting tools are required, connect an H-class or M-class vacuum extractor directly to the tool to capture dust at source before it becomes airborne.
- › Erect temporary dust screens and restrict access to the work area. Dampen materials where appropriate to suppress dust before breaking out.
- › Operatives must wear a correctly face-fit-tested FFP3 respirator when dust cannot be adequately controlled at source.
Manual handling injury
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Score and cut plasterboard and timber sections into smaller sections before lifting to keep individual loads within safe limits (typically no more than 25 kg per person).
- › Use panel carriers, sack trucks, or a bin/skip positioned close to the work area to reduce manual carrying distance and frequency.
- › Implement team lifts for heavy or awkward sections. Brief operatives on safe lifting posture and planned routes before work starts. Conduct manual handling risk assessment for loads over 25 kg.
- › Wear cut-resistant and grip gloves to protect hands from sharp edges of cut plasterboard, exposed nails and fixings.
Fall from height
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Consider whether the task can be completed from ground level using tools with extended reaches, eliminating the need for a ladder entirely.
- › Use a proprietary low-level mobile work platform or scaffold system with guard rails and toe boards when working above 2 m. Do not use makeshift platforms or unsecured stepladders as a primary platform.
- › Identify and securely cover or guard any floor openings, voids or penetrations exposed during strip-out with load-rated covers or temporary barriers before progressing to adjacent areas.
- › Where ladders are used, ensure they are in good condition, secured at the top and used only for short-duration access — not as a working platform for demolition activities.
Concealed gas and plumbing services strike
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Isolate, lock off and purge gas supplies and isolate water services at the stopcock before demolition commences. Obtain written confirmation from a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas supplies.
- › Use a combined cable, pipe and gas detector to locate and mark concealed pipes and cables before any cutting or breaking commences.
- › Cut a small inspection opening by hand to expose and identify services before using power tools or removing full sections of plasterboard.
Slips, trips and falls on debris
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Clear demolition debris from working areas progressively during the shift rather than at end of day. Designate a waste bay or skip close to the work area.
- › Mark and maintain clear pedestrian access and egress routes through the work area, kept free of debris at all times.
- › All operatives to wear steel-toecap safety boots with a midsole to protect against nails and sharp fixings underfoot.
Noise and vibration exposure
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Where possible use battery-operated or newer generation tools with reduced vibration ratings. Check manufacturer HAV and noise emission data before selecting equipment.
- › Calculate daily vibration and noise exposure using HSE exposure points calculator. Rotate operatives to limit individual daily exposure below action values (HAV 2.5 m/s² A(8); noise 80 dB(A)).
- › Provide ear defenders (minimum SNR 30 dB) in areas exceeding 85 dB(A) and anti-vibration gloves where HAV exposure cannot be reduced to below action values by other means.
Structural instability
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Obtain a written structural engineer's assessment confirming which walls are non-load-bearing and safe to remove without temporary propping. Never assume a wall is non-structural without engineering sign-off.
- › Where any doubt exists regarding load paths, install temporary acrow props or strong-boys to support the structure above before removing any section of wall.
- › Follow the sequence set out by the structural engineer and demolition supervisor. Remove partitions in the agreed sequence only; do not work on adjacent walls simultaneously without supervision.
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
- ✓ Disposable RPE (FFP3)
- ✓ Disposable coveralls (Type 5)
- ✓ RPE (FFP3 or as risk-assessed) with face-fit
- ✓ Safety harness and lanyard where fall arrest is the selected control
- ✓ Hearing protection (to the assessed SNR)
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 strip tools and wrecking bars
- › Dust suppression equipment
- › Waste chutes and covered skips
- › Asbestos sample kits (analyst use only)
- › Temporary props where structure is affected
Permits & legislation
What principal contractors usually check
- ✓ Asbestos survey reviewed before any strip-out
- ✓ Structural stability checked before load-bearing removal
- ✓ Waste segregation and disposal route
- ✓ 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 partition & stud wall removal 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 partition & stud wall removal, 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 partition & stud wall removal?
Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) are the main ones, alongside Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, Work at Height Regulations 2005, Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, reg 3 — risk assessment, Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005. 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.