Free to use · PDF download
Abrasive cleaning RAMS Builder
Abrasive cleaning risk assessment and method statement
Prepare RAMS for dry and wet abrasive blasting of masonry, steel and other surfaces. Add the job and the blast media, edit the suggestions to suit and check the PDF draft.
- Free to use
- No account needed
- Questions follow HSE guidance
- Work recovers in this browser
Prepare the Abrasive cleaning RAMS
Checking this browser for your work…
What will you be doing?
More details
Pick everything this RAMS covers. The questions that follow are chosen from what you tick here.
What a Abrasive cleaning RAMS covers
Stripping coatings, rust and grime by blasting a surface with abrasive media, either dry under compressed air or with water added to keep the dust down.
- Dry abrasive blasting
- Wet abrasive blasting
Suggested steps and hazards for Abrasive cleaning
What it offers for dry abrasive blasting before you have answered anything.
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 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 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
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 sequence of the work, step by step. The suggestions are a starting point; you write the method for the job as it will be done.
Risk assessment
Each hazard, who could be harmed, the controls in place and any further action. There is no risk score: you judge each row against the real site, and adding a hazard does not put its controls in place.
PDF draft for review
The document as you left it, for someone competent to check. A download is not approval and not permission to start work.