# Asbestos removal RAMS Builder > Asbestos removal RAMS builder for licensed and non-licensed removal and encapsulation. Answer a few questions, or download a free template or example PDF. > Web page: https://complyonsite.com/tools/rams-builder?job=asbestos-removal Asbestos removal risk assessment and method statement ## RAMS review [Check a RAMS](https://complyonsite.com/tools/rams-review) ![A RAMS page with passages highlighted and numbered review comments beside them](https://complyonsite.com/art/rams-review-highlight.webp) ## Asbestos removal RAMS template A blank asbestos removal RAMS to fill in: job details, method statement, risk assessment and briefing record. Risk assessment and method statement Asbestos removal RAMS - **Company**: left blank to fill in - **Site and work area**: left blank to fill in - **Planned dates**: left blank to fill in - **In charge on site**: left blank to fill in - **Team**: left blank to fill in Method statement 1. 1 2. 2 3. 3 4. 4 5. 5 6. 6 Risk assessment | Hazard | Who might be harmed and how | Controls in place | Further action | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | [Download the templatePDF, 4 pages](https://complyonsite.com/rams/samples/asbestos-removal-rams-template.pdf) ## Asbestos removal RAMS example The same RAMS, filled in for one job. Risk assessment and method statement Asbestos removal, Garage store, Canal Side Business Park, Stockport Risk assessment - People entering the work area or tripping over materials Workers, occupants and visitors Mark or barrier the active work area. Store tools and materials away from access routes. - Work starts with no written method, or with someone whose training does not cover this work The team and everyone in the building Awareness training is not enough to work on asbestos; it only teaches you to avoid it. Change the plan on site if the material is not what you were told. - Working on a material nobody has identified, and disturbing something that needs a licence The team, other trades and people in the building Ask the building dutyholder for the register and survey before the first day. Stop and get a sample analysed if what you find does not match the paperwork. - Falling through a fragile cement roof, and breaking the sheets into dust The person on the roof and anyone underneath Check nobody is working below before sheets start coming off. If sheets break up and make significant dust, stop: the job becomes notifiable, and in rare cases needs a licence. - Carrying on past the point where the work needs a licence The team and everyone in the building Count setting up, enclosure building and cleaning in the time, not just the stripping. Sprayed coating and loose fill always need a licence. So does removing or disturbing lagging; only a minor, short repair can be NNLW. - Notifiable work done with no notification, no medicals and no exposure record The team, now and in forty years Usually NNLW: badly damaged or broken-up cement sheets, steam or gel stripping beyond small areas, paper-backed tiles, short AIB removal in a refurb, short work on insulation. Not sure: settle whether it needs a licence first, then use the HSE chart to see if it is notifiable. - The MEWP overturning; contact with overhead power lines; tools or materials dropped from the platform The operator, and anyone beside the machine, where the ground gives way or it is worked outside its limits. The operator, and anyone touching the machine, from shock or burns. Anyone passing or working underneath. Use a trained operator and follow the machine limits. Stop when the wind reaches the machine’s limit. Keep the agreed rescue arrangement available. Check for overhead lines before raising the platform and keep the agreed clearance. Barrier the area below so the public and other workers cannot walk under the platform. - Other trades or the public walk through the work and carry fibres out on their feet Other trades, the public and the people in the building Agree with the site who keeps people out while you are working. Isolate any services you have to work around before you start. - Dry working, power tools or sweeping throw huge numbers of fibres into the air The person doing the work and everyone nearby Use a garden-type sprayer or a machine under 3.4 bar (50 psi). Where the material cannot be wetted through, shadow vacuum with a Class H vacuum. - Fibres get past a mask that does not seal, or go home on clothes and footwear The team and their families Use a hooded powered respirator for anyone with facial hair or for long jobs. Never take used overalls home and never dangle the mask round your neck. - A mask that leaks around the face gives no protection at all Everyone wearing a mask Doubling up dust masks does nothing; you need a respirator. Store the mask clean and covered, never lying about collecting dust. - A domestic vacuum blowing fibres back into the room The person cleaning and everyone in the area Turn back a hire vacuum with an out-of-date certificate or a damaged hose. Use a wet-and-dry Class H vacuum if you need to pick up water. - Fibres carried out of the area on boots, overalls and skin, and taken home to the family The team, their families and other people using the facilities Decide where people will clean up when you plan the job, not on the day. Keep other people out of the washing facilities until you have cleaned them. - Breaking, dropping or smashing the material turns a low-fibre job into a high one The team and anyone below or downwind Two people on anything long or heavy; do not wrestle it alone at height. Clean up as you go with damp rags and a Class H vacuum, not a brush. - An uncontrolled release carries on while people stand in it The team, other trades and the people in the building Never sweep up a spill; it spreads the fibres. Find a material you did not expect: stop and get it sampled before going on. Lagging, loose fill, sprayed coating or a big insulating board release: a licensed contractor cleans it up. - Split bags or asbestos going out with the general waste The team, waste crews and the public Use a registered waste carrier and a licensed disposal site. Fill in a consignment note and keep the copies for three years. - Debris, tools or unfinished work left in the area Workers, occupants and visitors Remove waste by the agreed route. Record and protect any unfinished work. Asbestos removal, Garage store, Canal Side Business Park, Stockport - **Company**: Hollins & Reed Asbestos Services Ltd - **Site and work area**: Garage store, Canal Side Business Park, Stockport - **Planned dates**: 12 to 13 October 2026 - **In charge on site**: Dan Hollins - **Team**: Three trained operatives: Dan Hollins leads and controls the enclosure; Priya Shah and Sam Okoro work with him. Method statement 1. 1 Set up the work areaConfirm the work area and scope before starting. Keep other people outside the active work area. Keep entrances and escape routes clear. 2. 2 Write the plan, and only use trained peoplePut in writing what the material is, how much there is, how long it takes and how you control the dust. Cover how tools and PPE get cleaned and where the waste goes, and keep it on site for the team to read. Everyone working on the asbestos, and their supervisor, needs training for this level of work, with records kept. 3. 3 Check what the material actually isGet the survey, the register and any lab result for the exact material you are about to disturb. Look at the condition: damaged or crumbling material changes what the job is. No information: do not start. Get a sample tested, or presume the worst type and use a licensed contractor if required. 4. 4 Cement sheets: the roof will not hold youCement roof sheets are always fragile and will not take your weight, however solid they look. Work from a platform, staging boards or a MEWP, never off the sheets themselves. Watch for cement debris on the ground below and do not crush it. 5. 5 Know where non-licensed work stopsNon-licensed work is low-exposure work, like taking cement sheets off whole or short maintenance on firmly bound material. Insulating board needs a licence unless it is in good condition, exposure stays low, all workers total no more than 2 hours in 7 days, and no one does over 1 hour. If the material starts breaking up and making dust, stop: the job has changed. 6. 6 Notify it if it is notifiable workNotifiable non-licensed work is notified to the enforcing authority online before the work begins. Workers doing NNLW need a medical examination, then one at least every 3 years. Keep a record of the work each person does and their exposure, and keep it for 40 years. 7. 7 Use the MEWPCheck the MEWP and work area before use. Look up for overhead lines and check the wind limit before raising the platform. Set up on suitable ground within the machine limits. Keep the platform within the planned work zone. Lower and secure the machine after use. 8. 8 Shut the work area offClose the doors, put up warning tape and notices, and keep everyone else out. Cover nearby floors and fittings with polythene sheeting taped to non-asbestos surfaces. Keep the number of people in the area as low as the job allows. 9. 9 Never work on it dryWet the material with a wetting agent first and keep it damp; water on its own does not wet asbestos. Spray at low pressure and let the spray fall on the material; do not jet it or make a slurry. No power tools, no sanding, no rubbing down and no sweeping brush. 10. 10 Overalls and a mask that fitsType 5 disposable overalls, one size too big, hood over the mask straps, legs worn over the boots. Boots without laces; laced boots cannot be cleaned properly. Masks must be fit tested to the wearer and fit checked every time; they do not seal on a beard or stubble. 11. 11 Fit test the masks and check them dailyArrange fit testing and training before the job; the mask must be the make and size that fits that person. Use RPE with an assigned protection factor of 20 or more: FFP3 disposable, or a P3 half mask. Fit check every time you put it on, and use a powered hood for beards, stubble or long spells of work. 12. 12 Only a Class H asbestos vacuum, testedOnly a Class H vacuum to BS 8520 is any use; a domestic or HEPA household vacuum passes fibres straight through. Check the test certificate is in date; these are examined and tested at least every six months. Use it to shadow vacuum at the tool as well as to clean up afterwards. 13. 13 Clean yourself up every time you come outClean boots and overalls with damp rags or the brush on a Class H vacuum, patting not rubbing. Peel disposable overalls off inside out and bag them, then take the mask off last. Wash every time you leave the work area, and clean the washing facilities afterwards. 14. 14 Take it off whole, do not break itUnbolt, unscrew or cut the fixings and lift items down in one piece; a bolt cutter beats breaking a sheet. Lower items on straps or by hand, never drop or throw them, and bag or wrap them straight away. Spray under tiles and sheets as they lift so any paper backing underneath is wet. 15. 15 Fibres released: stop and clear the areaStop work, warn anyone nearby and keep out everyone not needed to deal with it. Anyone without overalls and a mask leaves the area at once. Dust all over you: stay put, mask on if you can, damp wipe, take off outer clothes, then move. Bag them as asbestos waste. Find out what caused it and get control back before anyone goes back in. Tell the person in charge and get the asbestos management plan updated. 16. 16 Bag, label and book out the wasteDouble wrap: a red inner bag with asbestos warnings inside a clear outer bag with the label. Do not overfill bags and do not break up big pieces; double wrap them in 1000-gauge sheeting instead. Overalls, rags, sheeting and tools you cannot clean all go in as asbestos waste. 17. 17 Clear and hand back the areaRemove tools, waste and unused materials. Check the area is clean and ready to use. Tell the customer or whoever runs the site when the work is complete. [Download the examplePDF, 6 pages](https://complyonsite.com/rams/samples/asbestos-removal-rams-example.pdf) ## What an asbestos removal RAMS covers Non-licensed and licensed removal of asbestos found in the survey, or sealing and labelling it in place. Not covered: asbestos surveys and air testing. - Non-licensed removal - Licensed removal - Encapsulation and labelling ## Suggested steps and hazards for asbestos removal Suggested for non-licensed removal before any questions are answered. 1. ### Write the plan, and only use trained people - Put in writing what the material is, how much there is, how long it takes and how you control the dust. - Cover how tools and PPE get cleaned and where the waste goes, and keep it on site for the team to read. - Everyone working on the asbestos, and their supervisor, needs training for this level of work, with records kept. Hazard Work starts with no written method, or with someone whose training does not cover this work Who might be harmed and how The team and everyone in the building Controls in place - Awareness training is not enough to work on asbestos; it only teaches you to avoid it. - Change the plan on site if the material is not what you were told. A written plan of work and the right level of training are both required before asbestos is disturbed. 2. ### Check what the material actually is - Get the survey, the register and any lab result for the exact material you are about to disturb. - Look at the condition: damaged or crumbling material changes what the job is. - No information: do not start. Get a sample tested, or presume the worst type and use a licensed contractor if required. Hazard Working on a material nobody has identified, and disturbing something that needs a licence Who might be harmed and how The team, other trades and people in the building Controls in place - Ask the building dutyholder for the register and survey before the first day. - Stop and get a sample analysed if what you find does not match the paperwork. Whether the job needs a licence depends on the material, and only the survey tells you what it is. [HSE: Asbestos, actions by job role](https://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/introduction/actions.htm) 3. ### Know where non-licensed work stops - Non-licensed work is low-exposure work, like taking cement sheets off whole or short maintenance on firmly bound material. - Insulating board needs a licence unless it is in good condition, exposure stays low, all workers total no more than 2 hours in 7 days, and no one does over 1 hour. - If the material starts breaking up and making dust, stop: the job has changed. Hazard Carrying on past the point where the work needs a licence Who might be harmed and how The team and everyone in the building Controls in place - Count setting up, enclosure building and cleaning in the time, not just the stripping. - Sprayed coating and loose fill always need a licence. So does removing or disturbing lagging; only a minor, short repair can be NNLW. The line depends on the material, its condition, the time and the exposure, and it is the law. ## What the builder asks about asbestos removal Your answers decide which steps, hazards and controls it suggests. The job - What asbestos material are you working on? - What have you been given about this material? - What is already sorted before the job starts? - How are you sealing it in? How it’s done - What will you stand on to reach the work? - How will you keep the fibres down? - What masks will the team wear? - Where will the team clean up before going home? - How is the asbestos waste leaving site? ## What your asbestos removal RAMS includes ### Method statement The work in order, step by step. ### Risk assessment Each hazard, who could be harmed, the controls in place and any further action. ### PDF The method statement and risk assessment in one A4 PDF. Your logo on Pro and Team. - ### [Confined space RAMS](https://complyonsite.com/tools/rams-builder?job=confined-space) - [All trades and tasks](https://complyonsite.com/tools/rams-builder) ## What the law asks for ### What a RAMS is A risk assessment and method statement. The risk assessment records what could cause harm on the job, who could be harmed and how, and the controls that keep the risk down. The method statement sets out how the work will be done, step by step, in the order it happens. A client or main contractor will usually ask for one before you start. RAMS is a site term, not a legal one: the law asks for the risk assessment and for the work to be planned, and a method statement is the usual way to show that plan for one job. ### What the law asks for - Employers, and self-employed people doing construction work, must make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to their own people and to anyone else affected by the work ([Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, regulation 3](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1999/3242/regulation/3)). - An employer with five or more employees must record the significant findings and any group of employees it finds especially at risk. The assessment must be reviewed if there is reason to think it is no longer valid, or the work has changed significantly. - Every contractor must plan, manage and monitor its work so that, so far as is reasonably practicable, it is done without risks to health and safety, and must give its workers the information and instructions they need, including the hazards the risk assessment found ([Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, regulation 15](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/51/regulation/15)). HSE guidance: [the steps to manage risk](https://www.hse.gov.uk/simple-health-safety/risk/steps-needed-to-manage-risk.htm) and [what contractors must do under CDM](https://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/cdm/2015/contractors.htm). This is the law in Great Britain; Northern Ireland has its own equivalent regulations. ### What the builder does You choose the work and answer questions about how the job will be done, such as what you will stand on and what else is going on nearby. Your answers decide which steps, hazards and controls it suggests. Many suggestions link to the HSE guidance they draw on. Your work is kept in this browser and, signed in, on your account with its photos; the PDF is made on your device. A briefing you send to phones goes through your account. ### Separate documents A COSHH assessment, lifting plan, permit to work, asbestos survey and the principal contractor’s construction phase plan are separate from the RAMS. ### Reviewing a RAMS before work starts [RAMS review](https://complyonsite.com/tools/rams-review) reads a RAMS PDF, yours before you send it or one a subcontractor sends you, and lists the points to raise, each marked on the page it comes from. Quick reviews are free.