When this template fits
This RAMS is for UK contractors and security systems teams carrying out roller shutter & barrier 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 building services & m&e 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
Install roller shutters and barriers — lifting, height and electrical.
Sequence of works
- 1Pre-task survey: Inspect the opening, confirm structural lintel capacity, identify service routes (electrical conduits, pipes) within and adjacent to the installation area, and agree isolation requirements with the site electrical supervisor.
- 2Site set-up: Erect physical segregation barriers around the installation area; position warning signs; establish an exclusion zone directly below any overhead working area; brief all operatives on the method, hazards, and emergency procedures.
- 3Electrical isolation: Isolate the dedicated shutter supply circuit at the distribution board, apply lockout/tagout, and confirm dead using a GS38-compliant voltage indicator before any electrical work begins.
- 4Fixing and bracket installation: Using a MEWP or podium steps (preferred), drill and fix the head-plate brackets, guide channel tops, and barrel support brackets to the lintel and reveals. De-burr all cut channel sections before handling.
- 5Guide channel installation: Fix the full-length guide channels to the reveals using appropriate fixings. Check for plumb and parallel alignment before final tightening.
- 6Barrel and curtain installation: Using a mechanical hoist or MEWP with banksman control, raise the pre-assembled barrel and curtain assembly into the support brackets. Secure the barrel before releasing the hoist.
- 7Spring tensioning: Clear all non-essential personnel from the area. The trained operative, wearing face visor and reinforced gloves, tensions the counterbalance spring in accordance with the manufacturer's written procedure and adjusts balance.
- 8Motor and control wiring: A qualified electrician completes the final mains connection to the drive unit and control panel. Security engineer connects and commissions limit switches, safety edges, and control interfaces.
- 9Functional testing and commissioning: Test open, close, and stop functions; verify safety edge and obstacle detection; confirm limit switch settings; test manual override and emergency release mechanism.
- 10Site clear and handover: Remove all barriers, tools, off-cuts, and packaging. Restore public access. Provide the client with the operating manual, maintenance schedule, and commissioning record.
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
- › Redesign installation sequence or use extended fixing tools to reduce the need to work at height where practicable.
- › Where practicable, use a static scaffold, mobile elevated work platform (MEWP), or podium steps with integral guardrails in preference to a ladder, providing collective fall protection.
- › Where a ladder is the only practicable option for short-duration low-risk tasks, use a Class 1 industrial ladder secured at the top or footed by a second operative, positioned at 75° (1 in 4 rule).
- › Wear a safety helmet at all times at height. If working from a MEWP basket, wear a full-body harness with lanyard attached to the anchor point inside the basket.
Falling objects striking persons below
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Establish a clearly demarcated exclusion zone beneath the work area using barriers and signage. Maintain for the full duration of overhead work.
- › All persons in the vicinity must wear a safety helmet rated to EN 397.
- › Use tool lanyards to tether hand tools. Store loose fixings in a secured pouch. Use a materials hoist or rope-and-bucket system to raise components rather than carrying them up ladders.
Electric shock — live conductors
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Isolate the electrical supply at the distribution board, apply a lockout/tagout device, and use a voltage indicator (GS38-compliant) to confirm dead before any electrical work begins.
- › All mains electrical connections to motor drives and control panels must be made by a qualified electrician. Security engineers must not connect to live circuits.
- › Use GS38-compliant insulated test probes and 1000 V-rated insulated hand tools. Wear electrical-rated insulating gloves where required.
Manual handling — heavy shutter components
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Use a trolley, pallet truck, or proprietary shutter installation jig to transport and raise barrel assemblies. Use a beam clamp and chain block or MEWP to lift the barrel into its brackets.
- › Carry out a manual handling assessment. Where mechanical aids cannot be used, organise a team lift with clear communication. Break down loads into manageable components wherever possible.
- › Ensure all operatives have received manual handling training covering safe lifting techniques, posture, and recognition of overload.
- › Wear steel-toecap safety boots (EN ISO 20345) and anti-vibration/grip gloves to protect against dropped components and sharp shutter slat edges.
Entrapment by counterbalance spring release
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Specify and order shutter assemblies with springs pre-set and secured in a factory jig to minimise on-site tensioning operations.
- › Follow the manufacturer's written spring tensioning and winding procedure exactly. Only operatives trained by the manufacturer or with documented competence in spring adjustment must perform this task.
- › Clear the area of all other personnel during spring winding or adjustment. Post a physical barrier and warning signs.
- › The operative tensioning springs must wear a full-face visor and reinforced anti-cut gloves.
Laceration from shutter slat edges
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Ensure all guide channels and curtain sections cut to length on site are de-burred and edge-dressed using appropriate tools before handling.
- › Wear cut-resistant gloves rated to EN 388 Level C or above when handling unprotected shutter slat edges.
Slips, trips and falls at same level
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Establish a defined installation zone. Remove packaging, off-cuts, and waste to a skip or waste sack on a continuous basis throughout the task.
- › Route power cables for tools and temporary supplies overhead or along walls secured with cable clips. Do not trail cables across pedestrian routes.
- › Wear safety boots with an SRC-rated slip-resistant sole throughout.
Noise and vibration — drilling and cutting
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Select SDS or combination hammer drills with manufacturer-declared vibration values as low as reasonably practicable. Use anti-vibration handles and avoid grip beyond what is necessary.
- › Plan work to keep each operative's daily vibration exposure below the EAV of 2.5 m/s² A(8). Rotate tasks between operatives where daily exposure limits may be approached.
- › Wear Class 3 hearing protection (EN 352) during sustained drilling and cutting operations. Wear anti-vibration gloves where HAV exposure cannot otherwise be controlled.
Public interface — commercial premises
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Physically segregate the installation area from public circulation using Heras fencing or hard barriers with pedestrian diversion signage before work commences.
- › Where feasible, programme noisy, high-risk activities outside peak occupancy hours to minimise public exposure.
- › Appoint a banksman to manage public/pedestrian movements through or adjacent to the work area, particularly during lifting and large-component handling operations.
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
- ✓ Insulated gloves where live work is unavoidable
- ✓ Hearing protection (to the assessed SNR)
Competence
- ✓ Competent installer; electrical competence for mains connections (Part P where notifiable)
- ✓ 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
- › Isolation valves / pipe-freezing kit
- › Gas tightness test gauge (gas work)
- › Press tool or soldering/brazing set
- › MEWP or tower for high-level plant
- › LEV / extraction for brazing fume
Permits & legislation
What principal contractors usually check
- ✓ Named competence where required (Gas Safe / F-Gas / Part P)
- ✓ Service isolation and test-before-touch (gas tightness, electrical lock-off)
- ✓ Hot-works permit and fire watch for brazing/soldering near combustibles
- ✓ 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 roller shutter & barrier 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 roller shutter & barrier 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 roller shutter & barrier installation?
Work at Height Regulations 2005, Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 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, Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, section 3. 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.