When this template fits
This RAMS is for UK contractors and demolition teams carrying out suspended ceiling 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
- ✓ 8 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
Strip out suspended ceilings from access equipment.
Sequence of works
- 1Pre-task survey: Obtain and review the current R&D asbestos survey and register. Confirm all ACMs above the ceiling void have been removed or made safe by a licensed contractor before any strip-out begins.
- 2Services isolation: Engage a qualified electrician to isolate and lock-off all electrical circuits in the ceiling void. Confirm isolation with a calibrated voltage indicator. Document lock-off on a permit system.
- 3Area preparation: Erect Heras fencing or barrier tape to create an exclusion zone around the work area. Post warning signs. Remove or protect vulnerable items below. Lay dust sheets on floor if required.
- 4Access equipment set-up: Erect PASMA-compliant mobile scaffold tower or podium steps on firm, level ground with castors locked. Inspect before use. Brief operatives on safe use and no-overreach rules.
- 5Ceiling void inspection: From the access platform, open ceiling tiles to inspect the void with a torch or camera. Confirm absence of unexpected ACMs, services or structural hazards before full removal commences. Report any concerns to supervisor before proceeding.
- 6Ceiling tile removal: Lightly dampen tiles where dusty. Wearing full PPE (coverall, RPE, goggles, gloves, helmet), lift and remove ceiling tiles panel by panel. Pass tiles down or stack on platform before controlled lowering — do not drop. Bag in skips below.
- 7Grid system dismantling: Unclip and unscrew suspension wires, main tees and cross tees systematically. Pass components down to ground-level operative for sorting and disposal. Avoid cutting wires under tension without controlling the free end.
- 8Progressive housekeeping: Clear debris from the floor at frequent intervals. Maintain defined pedestrian routes. Segregate waste materials (metal, tiles, packaging) for appropriate disposal in accordance with the site waste management plan.
- 9End of shift checks: Ensure all access equipment is returned to a safe state or dismantled. Confirm exclusion zone remains intact if work is incomplete. Record completion status and any issues found in the site diary.
- 10Final inspection and sign-off: Supervisor inspects completed area to confirm all ceiling components removed, floor cleared, services made safe and area ready for following trades. Update RAMS and site records accordingly.
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
- › Inspect all access equipment (steps, hop-ups, podiums) before each use. Remove defective equipment from service. Ladders only used where a work platform is not reasonably practicable.
- › Prioritise mobile scaffold towers or podium steps with integral guardrails and toe boards over stepladders. Ensure towers are erected to manufacturer's instructions and PASMA guidelines.
- › Ensure operative's belt buckle remains within the platform at all times. Reposition access equipment rather than overreaching. Supervise to enforce compliance.
- › Establish and barrier a minimum 2 m exclusion zone beneath and around working platform to protect persons below from falling debris and tools.
Falling materials
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Remove ceiling tiles and grid sections in a controlled manner, handing materials down or using a material hoist rather than dropping. Stack components on platform before lowering.
- › Hard-barrier the work area with Heras fencing or similar and post warning signs to prevent unauthorised access beneath the work area.
- › All persons within the work area and exclusion zone boundary to wear a safety helmet rated to EN 397.
Asbestos exposure
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Obtain a current Refurbishment & Demolition (R&D) asbestos survey conducted by a UKAS-accredited analyst before any strip-out commences. Review the asbestos register and management plan.
- › Where ACMs are identified above the ceiling void or within tiles, engage a licensed asbestos removal contractor (or notifiable non-licensed, as appropriate) prior to ceiling strip-out. Do not proceed until clearance certificate is issued.
- › If suspected ACMs are encountered during strip-out (e.g., fibrous boards, pipe lagging), cease work immediately, isolate the area, inform the supervisor and arrange re-inspection by a competent analyst before resuming.
Inhalation of dust
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Lightly dampen friable ceiling tiles and insulation with water spray before removal to suppress dust generation at source.
- › Provide adequate ventilation to the work area by opening windows, doors or using mechanical ventilation to dilute and disperse airborne dust. Use industrial vacuum with HEPA filter for debris collection at low level.
- › Complete a site-specific COSHH assessment for mineral wool / man-made mineral fibres and any other identified substances before work begins. Define exposure limits and control measures.
- › Provide and enforce use of correctly fitted FFP2 minimum (FFP3 for MMMF / mineral fibre) disposable respirators. Face-fit testing required for tight-fitting RPE.
Manual handling injury
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Pre-cut cable lengths at ground level; split battery and panel deliveries into smaller sub-assemblies to keep individual loads below 20 kg where practicable.
- › Use team handling (two operatives) for long grid suspension systems or large panel sections to distribute load and reduce overhead strain.
- › Ensure all operatives have received manual handling training. Rotate operatives to limit cumulative overhead work to 30-minute periods with rest breaks.
Contact with concealed services
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Before strip-out begins, identify all electrical circuits serving the ceiling void (lighting, small power, data). Isolate and lock-off at the distribution board by a qualified electrician and confirm dead using a calibrated voltage indicator.
- › Inspect the ceiling void before removal using a torch or inspection camera to identify and mark the location of all cables and pipework. Agree a safe sequence that avoids or carefully manages each service.
- › Use insulated hand tools when working near any services that cannot be confirmed as dead. Wear Class 00 electrical insulating gloves as a last resort precaution.
Slips and trips from debris
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Clear and bag debris from the floor at regular intervals during the strip-out — at minimum every 30 minutes and at each break. Designate a waste skip or clearly marked debris area.
- › Mark and keep clear defined access routes through the work area. Use cones or tape to separate operative movement routes from debris accumulation zones.
- › All operatives to wear safety boots with anti-slip soles rated SRC to EN ISO 20345.
Noise exposure
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Provide and enforce use of appropriate hearing protection (ear defenders or plugs with adequate SNR rating) in designated hearing protection zones where exposure exceeds 85 dB(A).
- › Dismantle suspended grid systems by unscrewing and unclipping components rather than ripping or forcing, reducing impact noise at source.
- › Conduct or commission a noise assessment for the strip-out activity. Where noise is likely to exceed 80 dB(A), identify hearing protection zones and limit daily exposure through task rotation.
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
- ✓ Disposable RPE (FFP3)
- ✓ Disposable coveralls (Type 5)
- ✓ RPE (FFP3 or as risk-assessed) with face-fit
- ✓ Insulated gloves where live work is unavoidable
- ✓ 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 suspended ceiling 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 suspended ceiling 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 suspended ceiling removal?
Work at Height Regulations 2005, Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) are the main ones, alongside Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, 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.