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Abrasive cleaning risk assessment and method statement
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Abrasive cleaning RAMS template
A blank abrasive cleaning RAMS to fill in: job details, method statement, risk assessment and briefing record.
Risk assessment and method statement
Abrasive cleaning 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
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Risk assessment
| Hazard | Who might be harmed and how | Controls in place | Further action |
|---|---|---|---|
Abrasive cleaning RAMS example
The same RAMS, filled in for one job.
Risk assessment and method statement
Abrasive cleaning, Unit 3, 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.
A shock from water or abrasive hitting live wiring, lights or sockets
The blaster, the helper and anyone in the area
Only an electrician isolates, locks off and proves dead; do not do it yourself. Stop and ask if you find wiring or a fitting nobody has dealt with.
A hose, coupling, nozzle or safety device fails under pressure
Blaster and maintenance workers
Use compatible equipment within its stated limits. Remove damaged equipment from service.
Breathing asbestos fibres from old boards, sheets, sealants or insulation
The team and anyone in the building
Do not cut, drill or break any material until it is confirmed asbestos free. Licensed work is not for this method; hand it to a licensed contractor.
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 enters the abrasive or dust cloud and is struck or exposed
Blaster and people nearby
Keep the exclusion zone closed. Use a spotter where the boundary could be crossed.
Abrasive and dust escape into occupied areas or contaminate nearby work
Workers and occupants
Check the enclosure for gaps during the job. Stop if the recovery system fails.
Respirable dust damages the blaster's lungs and spreads to other workers
Blaster and other workers
Stop if dust control is not working. Use the assessed RPE for the actual abrasive and coating.
The blast damages the surface or releases an unexpected hazardous coating
Blaster and building occupants
Keep unexpected material untouched until it is assessed. Stop if the test does not match the agreed method.
Silica or an unknown abrasive creates harmful dust or unexpected surface damage
Blaster and other workers
Check the product before loading the blast pot. Stop if the actual abrasive differs from the agreed method.
The abrasive is changed or reused without its dust and waste information
Blaster and supervisor
Keep the product information at the work area. Recheck the product after any delivery or change.
Spent abrasive and dust are inhaled or spread during clean-up
Blaster, cleaners and other workers
Use suitable recovery equipment. Keep waste contained until its route is confirmed.
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.
Abrasive cleaning, Unit 3, Canal Side Business Park, Stockport
- Company
- Hollins & Reed Contracting Ltd
- Site and work area
- Unit 3, Canal Side Business Park, Stockport
- Planned dates
- 12 to 14 October 2026
- In charge on site
- Dan Hollins
- Team
- Two operatives: Dan Hollins leads and checks the area each morning; Priya Shah works with him.
Method statement
- 1Set 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.
- 2Get the power off in the area firstAsk the site to switch off and lock off the lights, sockets and any fittings in the area you are blasting. Get it proved dead before you start, and cover or tape anything that has to stay live.
- 3Check the blasting equipmentSet up the blast pot, hose, nozzle, air supply and recovery equipment to the maker's instructions. Check connections, guards and safety devices before pressurising.
- 4Check for asbestos before you disturb anythingCheck the asbestos survey covers exactly what you will disturb, to the full depth. Register only, or nothing: get a refurbishment survey or a sample first. Read what it says about old coatings, masonry and sealants. No survey, or a material you do not recognise: stop and get it checked.
- 5Carry the abrasive and equipment 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.
- 6Set the blast boundarySeparate the work with barriers and warning signs. Allow only authorised, trained people inside.
- 7Keep the blast containedFit the enclosure or local vacuum before dust and spent grit are made. Keep sheeting closed and recovery running while blasting.
- 8Keep dust under controlKeep the agreed extraction and respiratory protection in use while blasting. Keep other people out of the dust area and clean with the recovery equipment.
- 9Test the surface firstConfirm the marked substrate and coating before directing the blast. Use a small agreed test area and stop if the surface breaks up or changes unexpectedly.
- 10Use the specified abrasiveUse only this job's silica-free abrasive; never use sand. Keep the product information with the job record.
- 11Record the abrasive productWrite the product name, supplier and composition into the job record. Check recycled or mineral grit is confirmed silica-free before use.
- 12Clear the blast waste safelyCollect spent abrasive, coating and dust in the agreed sealed route. Do not brush or blow settled dust into the air.
- 13Clear 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.
What an abrasive cleaning RAMS covers
Blasting coatings, rust and grime off a surface with abrasive media, dry or wet. Not covered: conservation cleaning of historic fabric.
- Dry abrasive blasting
- Wet abrasive blasting
Suggested steps and hazards for abrasive cleaning
Suggested for dry abrasive blasting before any questions are answered.
Get the power off in the area first
- Ask the site to switch off and lock off the lights, sockets and any fittings in the area you are blasting.
- Get it proved dead before you start, and cover or tape anything that has to stay live.
Hazard
A shock from water or abrasive hitting live wiring, lights or sockets.
Who might be harmed and how
The blaster, the helper and anyone in the area
Controls in place
- Only an electrician isolates, locks off and proves dead; do not do it yourself.
- Stop and ask if you find wiring or a fitting nobody has dealt with.
Water and wet abrasive carry a shock straight back to whoever is holding the lance.
HSE: Electricity, systems in buildings Check the blasting equipment
- Set up the blast pot, hose, nozzle, air supply and recovery equipment to the maker's instructions.
- Check connections, guards and safety devices before pressurising.
Hazard
A hose, coupling, nozzle or safety device fails under pressure.
Who might be harmed and how
Blaster and maintenance workers
Controls in place
- Use compatible equipment within its stated limits.
- Remove damaged equipment from service.
A pre-start check finds failures before compressed air and abrasive are released.
COSHH essentials: CN7: Abrasive blasting Set the blast boundary
- Separate the work with barriers and warning signs.
- Allow only authorised, trained people inside.
Hazard
A person enters the abrasive or dust cloud and is struck or exposed.
Who might be harmed and how
Blaster and people nearby
Controls in place
- Keep the exclusion zone closed.
- Use a spotter where the boundary could be crossed.
The boundary keeps people out of the abrasive and dust cloud.
COSHH essentials: CN7: Abrasive blasting
What the builder asks about abrasive cleaning
Your answers decide which steps, hazards and controls it suggests.
The job
- What are you blasting?
- What surface and deposit will the wet blast treat?
Where
- What will happen to the dirty water?
- Is the building older than the year 2000? Older buildings can have asbestos in them.
How it’s done
- What will you stand on to reach the work?
- Which dry abrasive is specified?
- How will you contain the blast?
- Which wet-blast equipment is specified?
- How will the abrasive and equipment get to the work?
What your abrasive cleaning 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.
The method statement and risk assessment in one A4 PDF. Your logo on Pro and Team.
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).
- 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).
HSE guidance: the steps to manage risk and what contractors must do under CDM. 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 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.