# Electrofusion welding RAMS Builder > Electrofusion welding RAMS builder for PE socket joints and saddle branches. Answer a few questions, or download a free RAMS template or example as a PDF. > Web page: https://complyonsite.com/tools/rams-builder?job=electrofusion-welding Electrofusion welding 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) ## Electrofusion welding RAMS template A blank electrofusion welding RAMS to fill in: job details, method statement, risk assessment and briefing record. Risk assessment and method statement Electrofusion welding 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/electrofusion-welding-rams-template.pdf) ## Electrofusion welding RAMS example The same RAMS, filled in for one job. Risk assessment and method statement Electrofusion welding, Footpath outside 3 to 9 Mill Lane, Stockport: water main repair 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. - A poor or incompatible joint failing in service The fusion operator and people using the pipe Use the fitting maker's instructions and the approved joint record. Stop if damage, ovality or compatibility is not resolved. - Wind catches the long pipe and fittings and blows them onto people nearby The team and people nearby Check the forecast before you start and agree when the wind stops the work. Tie down or take in loose materials before you leave. - Back and shoulder injury from carrying heavy or long items Everyone handling materials Use a trolley or sack truck on the flat where the load suits one. Where the work is up a level, hand items up or hoist them. Never carry them up a ladder. - Contamination causing a weak fusion joint The fusion operator and people using the pipe Keep hands, dirt and unapproved solvents away from the prepared surface. Keep the fitting in its packaging until needed. - Misalignment or movement leaving gaps in the joint The fusion operator and people using the pipe Use only the clamp specified for the fitting. Do not start fusion while the pipe is under avoidable stress. - Overheating, fire or an incomplete joint from the wrong fusion settings The fusion operator and people nearby Use the approved control unit and a stable power supply. Stop if the displayed settings do not match the fitting. - Disturbing a hot joint or accepting a visibly defective joint The fusion operator and people using the pipe Record the fusion and cooling details. Ask the fitting maker when a fault or interrupted cycle is found. - 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. Electrofusion welding, Footpath outside 3 to 9 Mill Lane, Stockport: water main repair - **Company**: Hollins & Reed Utilities Ltd - **Site and work area**: Footpath outside 3 to 9 Mill Lane, Stockport: water main repair - **Planned dates**: 12 to 14 October 2026 - **In charge on site**: Dan Hollins - **Team**: Two operatives: Dan Hollins is the trained electrofusion operator; Priya Shah prepares the pipe ends and looks after the generator. 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 Check the pipe and fittingConfirm the pipe and fitting are compatible and the pipe end is sound and square. Keep the fitting sealed until preparation is ready. 3. 3 Check the weather before you startStop handling long pipe and fittings when the wind is strong enough to catch them. Stop in heavy rain, ice or lightning. 4. 4 Carry the pipe and fittings safelyPlan the route, clear it, and get help with anything long or heavy. Store materials close to the work so nobody carries further than they need to. 5. 5 Prepare a clean, dry weld zoneRemove dirt and the oxidised surface with the approved tool. Use an approved alcohol wipe and let the weld zone dry. 6. 6 Align and clamp the jointInsert the pipe to the marked depth and fit the specified alignment clamp. Keep the pipe and fitting still through welding and cooling. 7. 7 Run the fusion cycleConnect the control unit and scan the fitting barcode. Check the displayed time and voltage against the fitting information before starting. 8. 8 Cool and inspect the jointLeave the clamps in place for the full cooling time on the fitting. Check the cycle, melt indicators, insertion mark and fitting for faults before release. 9. 9 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, 3 pages](https://complyonsite.com/rams/samples/electrofusion-welding-rams-example.pdf) ## What an electrofusion welding RAMS covers Preparing and clamping PE pipe, fusing couplers over joints, and fusing saddles onto a main for branches. Not covered: butt fusion welding. - Join PE pipe with a socket - Make a PE saddle branch ## Suggested steps and hazards for electrofusion welding Suggested for join PE pipe with a socket before any questions are answered. 1. ### Check the pipe and fitting - Confirm the pipe and fitting are compatible and the pipe end is sound and square. - Keep the fitting sealed until preparation is ready. Hazard A poor or incompatible joint failing in service Who might be harmed and how The fusion operator and people using the pipe Controls in place - Use the fitting maker's instructions and the approved joint record. - Stop if damage, ovality or compatibility is not resolved. Checking compatibility and the pipe end prevents a poor joint from being made. [POP001A Guide to Electrofusion Assembly and Welding](https://pipa.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/PIPA-POP001A-Guide-to-Electrofusion-Assembly-and-Welding-Issue-1.pdf) 2. ### Prepare a clean, dry weld zone - Remove dirt and the oxidised surface with the approved tool. - Use an approved alcohol wipe and let the weld zone dry. Hazard Contamination causing a weak fusion joint Who might be harmed and how The fusion operator and people using the pipe Controls in place - Keep hands, dirt and unapproved solvents away from the prepared surface. - Keep the fitting in its packaging until needed. A clean, dry weld zone prevents contamination from weakening the fusion joint. [POP001A Guide to Electrofusion Assembly and Welding](https://pipa.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/PIPA-POP001A-Guide-to-Electrofusion-Assembly-and-Welding-Issue-1.pdf) 3. ### Align and clamp the joint - Insert the pipe to the marked depth and fit the specified alignment clamp. - Keep the pipe and fitting still through welding and cooling. Hazard Misalignment or movement leaving gaps in the joint Who might be harmed and how The fusion operator and people using the pipe Controls in place - Use only the clamp specified for the fitting. - Do not start fusion while the pipe is under avoidable stress. Alignment and clamping keep the pipe and fitting together without gaps or movement. [POP001A Guide to Electrofusion Assembly and Welding](https://pipa.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/PIPA-POP001A-Guide-to-Electrofusion-Assembly-and-Welding-Issue-1.pdf) ## What the builder asks about electrofusion welding Your answers decide which steps, hazards and controls it suggests. The job - Is the main isolated before the branch is made? How it’s done - What will you stand on to reach the work? - Which socket fitting are you using? - How will you prepare the pipe surface? - What saddle fitting will you use? - How will the pipe and fittings get to the work? What you’ve been told - Who checks and releases the joint after cooling? - Who checks the branch joint? ## What your electrofusion welding 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. - ### [Groundworks RAMS](https://complyonsite.com/tools/rams-builder?job=groundworks) - ### [Excavation RAMS](https://complyonsite.com/tools/rams-builder?job=excavation) - ### [Trench RAMS](https://complyonsite.com/tools/rams-builder?job=trench) - ### [Drainage RAMS](https://complyonsite.com/tools/rams-builder?job=drainage) - ### [Dewatering RAMS](https://complyonsite.com/tools/rams-builder?job=dewatering) - [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.