# Rooflights RAMS Builder > Rooflight RAMS builder for installing a new unit or replacing an old one. Answer a few questions, or download a free RAMS template or example as a PDF. > Web page: https://complyonsite.com/tools/rams-builder?job=rooflights Rooflight installation 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) ## Rooflights RAMS template A blank rooflights RAMS to fill in: job details, method statement, risk assessment and briefing record. Risk assessment and method statement Rooflights 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/rooflights-rams-template.pdf) ## Rooflights RAMS example The same RAMS, filled in for one job. Risk assessment and method statement Rooflights, 22 Hawthorn Road, Stockport: rear roof slope 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 spark gets into the roof build-up and smoulders into a fire after you have gone Everyone in and below the building Clear loose felt, timber and insulation away from where the sparks land. Do not finish the permit until the one-hour check is done. - A mismatched unit leaks or cannot be secured Rooflight installers and building occupants Use the manufacturer's compatible system. Stop if the opening, covering or pitch is outside the product range. - The support fails or the unit does not fit the opening The installation team and people below Stop and get the opening repaired or designed if it is not suitable. Keep the opening protected while the decision is made. - Hitting a live cable or gas pipe causes shock, fire or gas escape The person doing the work and everyone nearby Check again wherever the work moves. If you hit something, stop, keep clear and report it. - Wind catches the rooflight units and flashing or blows someone off balance at height The team and people below Agree a wind limit for this work and check the forecast before you start. Tie down or take in loose materials before you leave. - Rooflight units and tools falling onto people below People below Bring waste down by hand or in bags. Never throw it. Keep the exclusion zone up until the last item is down. - Falling from a scaffold that has been altered; materials falling from the scaffold Anyone working on the lift, where a guardrail, board or tie has been taken out to get the work done. Anyone passing or working underneath, including the public where the scaffold is over a footpath. Never remove boards, ties, guardrails or bracing; ask the scaffolding contractor to alter it. Report damage or a missing tag and keep off until it is checked. Fit brick guards or netting where materials could fall on people below. - 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. - A person falls through the opening or fragile rooflight Installers and people below Use collective protection where possible. Keep the drop area clear until the work is complete. - The unit drops, cracks or comes loose after fitting The installation team and people below Keep hands clear while the unit is seated. Do not leave a partly fixed unit unattended. - Rainwater or condensation enters around the roof window Rooflight installers and building occupants Use the manufacturer's collar and fitting sequence. Do not substitute sealant for the specified system. - Wind or rain gets behind an incomplete flashing Rooflight installers and building occupants Use the complete specified flashing set. Check the water path before covering any detail. - A late fall or leak occurs after the unit appears to be fitted Installers, occupants and people below Do not walk on the rooflight. Remove waste through the agreed route and keep the drop area clear. - 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. Rooflights, 22 Hawthorn Road, Stockport: rear roof slope - **Company**: Hollins & Reed Roofing Ltd - **Site and work area**: 22 Hawthorn Road, Stockport: rear roof slope - **Planned dates**: 12 to 13 October 2026 - **In charge on site**: Dan Hollins - **Team**: Two roofers: Dan Hollins leads and fits; Priya Shah works 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 Permit and fire watch for any flameAny torch, grinder or hot air gun on the roof needs a hot works permit from the site first. Keep an extinguisher at the work spot, and check the area again an hour after the last flame or spark. 3. 3 Match the unit to the openingCheck this job's unit, dimensions, roof covering and pitch against the fitting guide. Keep the guide and the compatible flashing set at the work face. 4. 4 Check the opening before fittingCheck the opening is sound, the supports are secure and the dimensions match the unit. Do not start structural alteration under this method. 5. 5 Find and isolate hidden servicesFind cables and pipes before you disturb anything: drawings, then a detector. Mark what you find. Not sure what is there? Turn the supply off, or do not start. Have cables and gas isolated by the right person and prove them dead before you start. 6. 6 Check the weather before you startDo not lift or fix rooflight units and flashing in strong wind. Stop in heavy rain, ice or lightning. 7. 7 Stop things falling on people belowKeep people out of the area below the work so nobody walks under the rooflight units and tools. Keep toe boards and guards in place on any platform, and lanyard tools where you can. 8. 8 Work from the scaffoldCheck the scaffold tag or handover shows an inspection within the last 7 days. Use only the lifts and access that were handed over. Keep materials within the loading the scaffold was built for. Keep off in high wind or ice, or when sheeting has come loose. 9. 9 Carry the rooflight units and glazing 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. 10. 10 Protect the fragile openingTreat the rooflight, opening and nearby roof as fragile until confirmed otherwise. Put the agreed covers, staging or fall system in place before handling the unit. 11. 11 Set and secure the unitLift the unit into the prepared opening and support it until every specified fixing is in. Follow the guide for level, position, fixings and tightening; do not stand on the rooflight. 12. 12 Fit the underfelt collarFit the compatible underfelt and drainage collar around the roof window. Keep the water path directed away from the opening. 13. 13 Fit the complete flashing setFit the flashing around the unit to match the roof covering and pitch. Secure the lower, side and head details in the order shown by the guide. 14. 14 Finish the roof and leave protection in placeCheck the unit, flashing and surrounding roof before the area is handed back. Keep covers, guards or nets secure until nobody can fall through the opening. 15. 15 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, 5 pages](https://complyonsite.com/rams/samples/rooflights-rams-example.pdf) ## What a rooflights RAMS covers Fitting the kerb and unit into a prepared opening and weathering it in, or replacing a failed rooflight. Not covered: structural alterations to trusses or joists around the opening. - Install rooflight - Replace rooflight ## Suggested steps and hazards for rooflights Suggested for install rooflight before any questions are answered. 1. ### Permit and fire watch for any flame - Any torch, grinder or hot air gun on the roof needs a hot works permit from the site first. - Keep an extinguisher at the work spot, and check the area again an hour after the last flame or spark. Hazard A spark gets into the roof build-up and smoulders into a fire after you have gone Who might be harmed and how Everyone in and below the building Controls in place - Clear loose felt, timber and insulation away from where the sparks land. - Do not finish the permit until the one-hour check is done. Roof fires usually start hours after the torch went off, in the layers underneath. [HSE HSG168: Fire safety in construction](https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/hsg168.pdf) 2. ### Match the unit to the opening - Check this job's unit, dimensions, roof covering and pitch against the fitting guide. - Keep the guide and the compatible flashing set at the work face. Hazard A mismatched unit leaks or cannot be secured Who might be harmed and how Rooflight installers and building occupants Controls in place - Use the manufacturer's compatible system. - Stop if the opening, covering or pitch is outside the product range. The unit and flashing only make a weatherproof roof connection when they match the opening and covering. [VELUX flashing installation guide](https://contenthub.velux.com/api/public/content/a15f8-1112d-f44cc_downloadOriginal?v=7d033d77) 3. ### Check the opening before fitting - Check the opening is sound, the supports are secure and the dimensions match the unit. - Do not start structural alteration under this method. Hazard The support fails or the unit does not fit the opening Who might be harmed and how The installation team and people below Controls in place - Stop and get the opening repaired or designed if it is not suitable. - Keep the opening protected while the decision is made. A rooflight cannot be made safe by forcing it into a damaged or wrong-sized opening. [VELUX installation products](https://www.velux.co.uk/professionals/installers/installation-product-system) ## What the builder asks about rooflights Your answers decide which steps, hazards and controls it suggests. The job - What unit are you fitting? - What unit is coming out? - What roof covering will the flashing join? - What replacement unit are you fitting? Where - Is the opening ready for this unit? - Has the roof around it been checked for fragility? - Is the building older than the year 2000? Older buildings can have asbestos in them. - What pipes or cables run around or through the roof opening? How it’s done - What will you stand on to reach the work? - Will the replacement fit the existing opening? - How will the rooflight units and glazing get to the work? ## What your rooflights 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. - ### [Roofing RAMS](https://complyonsite.com/tools/rams-builder?job=roofing) - ### [Strip and reroof RAMS](https://complyonsite.com/tools/rams-builder?job=strip-and-reroof) - ### [Mastic asphalt roofing RAMS](https://complyonsite.com/tools/rams-builder?job=mastic-asphalt-roofing) - ### [Liquid roofing RAMS](https://complyonsite.com/tools/rams-builder?job=liquid-roofing) - ### [Leadwork RAMS](https://complyonsite.com/tools/rams-builder?job=leadwork) - ### [Living roofs RAMS](https://complyonsite.com/tools/rams-builder?job=living-roofs) - [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.