When this template fits
This RAMS is for UK contractors and stone masonry teams carrying out stone masonry & walling — 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 9-step method statement (sequence of works)
- ✓ PPE, plant/equipment, permits and competence requirements
- ✓ Emergency arrangements and operative briefing / sign-off section
1
Scope of works
Cut, dress and lay natural stone — silica dust, manual handling and access.
2
Sequence of works
- 1Pre-task planning: Complete COSHH assessment for stone types, mortars and chemicals. Carry out manual handling assessment. Brief all operatives via toolbox talk. Confirm scaffold inspection certificate and any permit-to-work is in place before work begins.
- 2Site preparation: Establish designated stone storage area on flat, stable ground. Set out cutting zone away from pedestrian routes with clear exclusion zone boundaries. Check water supply for wet suppression and confirm LEV/vacuum equipment is serviceable.
- 3Stone delivery and handling: Use mechanical aids (telehandler, vacuum lifter, stone trolley) to unload and position stone. Segregate units by size. Where manual handling is unavoidable, use two-person lift technique. Remove packaging waste immediately.
- 4Cutting and dressing: Operate disc cutters and angle grinders with wet suppression activated and/or on-tool LEV connected. Wear FFP3 RPE, safety goggles and hearing protection. Inspect blade guards before starting. Position cutting so splatter faces away from others. Do not exceed daily vibration exposure limits.
- 5Scaffold or access platform setup: Verify scaffold is erected by a competent scaffolder, toe-boards, guardrails and brick guards are in place, and the inspection tag is current. Establish exclusion zone beneath elevated work. Confirm materials hoist or crane lift plan before lifting stone to height.
- 6Laying and building: Lay stone in accordance with design specification and mortar product data sheet. Restrict daily lift height (typically ≤1.2 m for lime mortar). Erect temporary propping for freestanding sections. Ensure operatives do not stand directly beneath suspended loads during crane-assisted placement.
- 7Mortar mixing and pointing: Mix mortars in designated area using mechanical mixer where possible to reduce dust. Operatives to wear nitrile gloves and apply barrier cream. Contain and dispose of mortar waste; avoid washing large quantities to drain.
- 8End-of-day inspection and securing: Barrier off newly laid walls until mortar achieves adequate cure. Remove all offcuts, waste and loose material from scaffold platforms and walkways. Secure tools and check scaffold is stable before leaving site.
- 9Health surveillance and monitoring: Ensure operatives engaged in prolonged cutting and dressing of stone undergo periodic lung function and HAVS health surveillance as required by the COSHH and vibration risk assessments. Report any symptoms (breathlessness, tingling, whitening of fingers) to supervisor immediately.
3
Hazards, risk rating & controls
Risk = likelihood × severity (1–25). Initial is before controls; residual is with controls applied.
Silica dust inhalation
Initial20→Residual10
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Avoid dry cutting of bricks and blocks; use wet-cut methods (water-suppressed disc cutters or guillotine block splitters) to eliminate airborne dust generation.
- › Where dust suppression and extraction cannot reduce exposure below the WEL for RCS (0.1 mg/m³ 8h TWA per EH40), wear a tight-fitting FFP3 disposable or half-mask respirator with P3 filter. RPE must be face-fit tested.
- › Fit angle grinders, disc cutters and diamond-blade saws with integrated water-feed systems to suppress dust at source. Maintain water flow and replace suppression attachments regularly.
- › Where wet cutting is impracticable (e.g. hand dressing, fine detail work), use on-tool local exhaust ventilation (LEV) connected to an H-class vacuum unit to capture dust before it disperses.
- › Complete a COSHH assessment before work starts. Monitor personal RCS exposure against the WEL of 0.1 mg/m³ (8-hr TWA). Review if task or stone type changes.
Manual handling — heavy stone
Initial12→Residual4
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Specify stone units in manageable sizes (typically ≤25 kg for one person) at design stage. Request pre-cut units from the supplier to reduce on-site dressing and handling weight.
- › Use telehandlers, scissor lifts, vacuum lifting devices, stone trolleys or gantry hoists to move heavy or awkward stone units. Identify lift plan and safe working loads before use.
- › For units between 20–25 kg where mechanical aids are not reasonably practicable, use a two-person lift with coordinated technique. Ensure all operatives have received manual handling training.
- › Wear steel-toecap and midsole-penetration-resistant safety boots to protect against dropped stone. Wear cut-resistant gloves to protect against sharp arrises.
Fall from height
Initial20→Residual10
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Redesign installation sequence or use extended fixing tools to reduce the need to work at height where practicable.
- › Provide independent scaffold, system scaffold or mobile elevated work platform (MEWP) with full guardrails (minimum 950 mm), mid-rails and toe-boards. Inspect scaffold weekly and after adverse weather by a competent person.
- › Scaffold to be erected/altered only by a competent scaffolder. Provide scaffold inspection tag and handover certificate before use. Implement permit-to-work where scaffold is in a public or shared zone.
- › Where collective protection cannot be provided (e.g. leading edge, final course), operatives must wear a full-body harness with energy-absorbing lanyard attached to a certified anchor point. Harness inspection and training required.
Noise and vibration — power tools
Initial12→Residual4
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Where practicable, replace percussive pneumatic chisels with dampened electric or anti-vibration hand tools. Select lower-vibration blades and confirm vibration emission values from manufacturer data.
- › Calculate daily vibration exposure (EAV 2.5 m/s² and ELV 5 m/s²). Rotate operatives to limit individual exposure. Introduce tool breaks of at least 10 minutes per hour of continuous use.
- › Designate hearing protection zones wherever noise levels exceed 85 dB(A). Provide ear defenders (SNR ≥ 27 dB) or moulded earplugs. Display mandatory hearing protection signage.
Struck by falling stone or materials
Initial12→Residual4
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Establish a demarcated exclusion zone below all elevated masonry work. Use physical barriers (Heras fencing, bunting and signage) to prevent access. Size zone to account for potential scatter.
- › Install scaffold toe-boards (minimum 150 mm) and brick guards or debris netting on all open faces of working scaffold to prevent tools and offcuts falling.
- › Appoint a trained banksman to control exclusion zone during mechanical lifts of stone. No operatives or public beneath a suspended load.
- › All personnel within the exclusion zone or on scaffold must wear a hard hat (EN 397) at all times.
Mortar and cement dermatitis
Initial6→Residual3
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Specify and use cement products that comply with the EU low-chromate (VI) limit (≤2 ppm soluble chromate). Verify product data sheets before ordering.
- › Carry out a COSHH assessment for all mortar, grout and cleaning chemicals used. Ensure safety data sheets are on site and operatives are briefed.
- › Apply pre-work barrier cream to exposed skin. Wear nitrile or neoprene gloves during mixing and laying. Use pH-neutral skin cleanser and moisturiser after work. Do not use solvents to clean skin.
Slips and trips on site
Initial6→Residual3
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › All operatives must wear safety boots with S1P or S3 slip-resistant soles throughout the works.
- › Designate a flat, stable area for stone storage with a clear pedestrian access route. Remove offcuts and waste materials daily. Establish a mortar spill clean-up routine.
- › Conduct toolbox talks on housekeeping. Assign daily clean-up duties. Keep walkways clear of hoses, cables and hand tools. Place non-slip matting in wet working areas.
Collapse of unsupported walling
Initial12→Residual4
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Design and install temporary propping or raking shores to support free-standing or partially built sections of walling. Propping design must be checked by a competent person.
- › Restrict the maximum lift height of new stonework per day in accordance with the mortar specification and manufacturer guidance (typically ≤1.2 m per day for traditional lime mortar). Allow adequate cure time before removing temporary support.
- › Barrier off newly built wall sections until mortar has achieved design strength. Display warning signage.
Eye injury from stone splinters
Initial12→Residual4
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Ensure all powered cutting saws are fitted with manufacturer-supplied blade guards and deflector shields. Inspect guards before each use; do not operate with guards removed.
- › Position the cutting or dressing zone so ejected debris travels away from other operatives. Use temporary screens or hoarding to contain splatter in confined areas.
- › All operatives and those within the immediate work area must wear safety glasses (EN 166) with side shields or close-fitting goggles during any cutting, dressing or chipping of stone.
4
PPE
- ✓ Safety footwear (EN ISO 20345)
- ✓ Hi-vis clothing
- ✓ Safety gloves (task-appropriate)
- ✓ Hard hat (EN 397) where overhead risk or site rules require
- ✓ 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)
- ✓ RPE per the COSHH assessment
- ✓ Chemical-resistant gloves
5
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.
6
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
7
Permits & legislation
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH)Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992Work at Height Regulations 2005Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005PUWER 1998 — Provision and Use of Work Equipment RegulationsManagement of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, reg 3 — risk assessment
8
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.
9
Frequently asked questions
Who should write a stone masonry & walling 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 stone masonry & walling, 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 stone masonry & walling?
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, Work at Height Regulations 2005 are the main ones, alongside Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, PUWER 1998 — Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations, 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 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.
This is a draft, not a finished RAMS. The content above is a starting point generated from recognised hazards and controls for this task. A competent person must review it and confirm it is suitable and sufficient for the specific site before use. It is not legal advice or a guarantee of acceptance.