Building conservation cleaning RAMS Builder
Building conservation cleaning risk assessment and method statement
Checking this browser for your work…
RAMS review
Check a RAMS
Building conservation cleaning RAMS template
A blank building conservation cleaning RAMS to fill in: job details, method statement, risk assessment and briefing record.
Risk assessment and method statement
Building conservation 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
Building conservation cleaning RAMS example
The same RAMS, filled in for one job.
Risk assessment and method statement
Building conservation cleaning, Former Town Hall, Market Place, Stockport: front elevation
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 changed surface is cleaned with a method that was never accepted for it
Cleaner and historic fabric
Keep the test record at the work area. Refer changes before continuing.
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.
Wind catches the hoses and cleaning equipment 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.
Cleaning materials 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.
Water, product or removed dirt damages nearby fabric or enters the building
Cleaner, occupants and the building
Check protection before each section. Stop if water or product escapes the work area.
Cleaning crosses into fabric or deposits that the test did not cover
Cleaner, client and historic fabric
Check the boundary before each section. Stop when the material or deposit changes.
Contaminated waste reaches the fabric, people, soil or drainage
Cleaner, occupants and the environment
Check the containers and route before wet work. Stop if the agreed route cannot contain the waste.
An aggressive method removes sound surface or historic detail
Cleaner and building owner
Keep the accepted limits visible. Monitor the fabric while cleaning.
Excess force or unsuitable tools damage historic masonry and finishes
Cleaner and historic fabric
Keep the pressure limit visible. Stop if the surface reacts.
Runoff carries dirt across cleaned fabric or creates uneven staining
Cleaner and building owner
Keep runoff contained. Stop if the sequence does not suit the approved method.
Continued cleaning causes irreversible damage to historic fabric
Cleaner and building owner
Do not chase a result by increasing pressure or changing product. Seek a new conservation decision.
Contaminated washings escape to people, soil or drainage
Cleaner, occupants and the environment
Check containers before wet work. Stop if they are full, damaged or leaking.
Damage, residue or an unsafe wet area is missed at handover
Cleaner, client and building users
Photograph the finished area. Tell the client about defects or remaining deposits.
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.
Building conservation cleaning, Former Town Hall, Market Place, Stockport: front elevation
- Company
- Hollins & Reed Conservation Ltd
- Site and work area
- Former Town Hall, Market Place, Stockport: front elevation
- Planned dates
- 12 to 14 October 2026
- In charge on site
- Dan Hollins
- Team
- Two conservation operatives: Dan Hollins leads and agrees the test areas with the conservation officer; 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.
- 2Confirm the accepted area and methodCompare the work area with the accepted test patch, fabric and deposit. Stop if the surface, deposit or conditions differ.
- 3Check 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 historic masonry, render and old finishes. No survey, or a material you do not recognise: stop and get it checked.
- 4Check the weather before you startDo not lift or fix hoses and cleaning equipment in strong wind. Stop in heavy rain, ice or lightning.
- 5Stop things falling on people belowKeep people out of the area below the work so nobody walks under the cleaning materials. Keep toe boards and guards in place on any platform, and lanyard tools where you can.
- 6Work 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.
- 7Protect nearby fabric and openingsCover or isolate windows, joints, plants and surfaces that must not be wetted or treated. Keep dirty water and loosened material from spreading.
- 8Mark the accepted cleaning boundaryMark the area that matches the tested fabric and deposit. Keep different masonry, finishes and deposits outside the run.
- 9Contain washings and removed materialCollect dirty water and removed material under the agreed plan. If no route is agreed, hold wet work and keep solids away from drains.
- 10Start with the mild methodUse the least aggressive accepted method first. If the area or method is not agreed, hold the work instead.
- 11Use the accepted water-and-brush methodUse only the agreed water supply, pressure and soft brushes. Rinse and work in the accepted sequence.
- 12Work from bottom to topClean the masonry in the accepted sequence. Keep cleaned and uncleaned areas distinguishable.
- 13Stop when the fabric changesStop if the surface roughens, powders, stains or loses detail. Protect the area and report the change.
- 14Collect washings for the agreed routeCapture dirty water and solids as the work progresses. Keep the container secure and send it by the agreed route.
- 15Record the work and hand backRecord the cleaned area, method used, remaining deposits and any change to the fabric. Leave the area protected until it is dry and accepted.
- 16Clear 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 a building conservation cleaning RAMS covers
Test patches on historic stone, brick and other fabric, then cleaning only the agreed areas by the agreed method. Not covered: abrasive blasting.
- Test historic surface
- Clean approved fabric
Suggested steps and hazards for building conservation cleaning
Suggested for clean approved fabric before any questions are answered.
Confirm the accepted area and method
- Compare the work area with the accepted test patch, fabric and deposit.
- Stop if the surface, deposit or conditions differ.
Hazard
A changed surface is cleaned with a method that was never accepted for it.
Who might be harmed and how
Cleaner and historic fabric
Controls in place
- Keep the test record at the work area.
- Refer changes before continuing.
Checking the area against the test prevents an unapproved treatment.
Looking After Historic Buildings Protect nearby fabric and openings
- Cover or isolate windows, joints, plants and surfaces that must not be wetted or treated.
- Keep dirty water and loosened material from spreading.
Hazard
Water, product or removed dirt damages nearby fabric or enters the building.
Who might be harmed and how
Cleaner, occupants and the building
Controls in place
- Check protection before each section.
- Stop if water or product escapes the work area.
Protection keeps the approved treatment on the intended fabric.
Looking After Historic Buildings Contain washings and removed material
- Collect dirty water and removed material under the agreed plan.
- If no route is agreed, hold wet work and keep solids away from drains.
Hazard
Contaminated waste reaches the fabric, people, soil or drainage.
Who might be harmed and how
Cleaner, occupants and the environment
Controls in place
- Check the containers and route before wet work.
- Stop if the agreed route cannot contain the waste.
Containing washings and removed material protects people, drainage and the fabric.
Looking After Historic Buildings
What the builder asks about building conservation cleaning
Your answers decide which steps, hazards and controls it suggests.
The job
- What fabric and deposit are you testing?
- What area did the accepted test cover?
Where
- 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?
- What method is allowed on the test patch?
- Which cleaning method was accepted?
- How will dirty water and removed material be controlled?
What you’ve been told
- Who will accept the test patch?
What your building conservation 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.