Cleaning RAMS Builder
Cleaning risk assessment and method statement
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Cleaning RAMS template
A blank cleaning RAMS to fill in: job details, method statement, risk assessment and briefing record.
Risk assessment and method statement
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
Cleaning RAMS example
The same RAMS, filled in for one job.
Risk assessment and method statement
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.
An unknown deposit is disturbed or an uncontrolled work area is entered
Cleaners and people nearby
Keep others out of the work area. Do not sweep or wash to discover what a deposit is.
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.
Accumulated debris creates trips and leaves dust or waste for other people
Cleaners, visitors and other trades
Keep waste in the agreed containers. Keep wet or unfinished areas closed until safe.
Someone slips on a wet floor left by the clean
Cleaners, visitors and other trades
Put out a clear warning and keep it in place while the floor dries. Do not leave a wet route as the only access.
A cleaner becomes ill or injured alone in an empty or out-of-hours building and is not found quickly
The cleaner working alone and the person checking on them
Agree check-in and missed-check action before entry. Keep doors, lighting and escape routes usable.
Sharp or awkward construction debris causes cuts, punctures or strains
Cleaners
Look before reaching into a pile. Use a barrow or get help for an awkward load.
A sharp item punctures a hand or contaminates the cleaner
Cleaners and anyone sorting the waste
Keep hands out of bags, boxes and hidden debris. Keep sharp waste separate and tell the person in charge.
Waste spills, cuts someone or is put into the wrong disposal route
Cleaners, other trades and waste handlers
Use the site’s waste route and keep the area tidy. Stop if the waste type or container is not 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.
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.
- 2Check the area before clearingLimit the area to authorised, trained people. Stop and report anything unexpected before disturbing it.
- 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 old boards, insulation and debris left by other trades. No survey, or a material you do not recognise: stop and get it checked.
- 4Keep clearing controlledClean as you go so debris does not build up. Inspect the route and finish before handing the area back.
- 5Keep wet areas closedUse barriers or another route while damp cleaning or washing is under way. Check the floor is dry enough before people return.
- 6Set the check-in before startingTell the responsible person where you are working and when you expect to finish. Keep a working phone and a way to raise help; do not start if the check-in cannot work.
- 7Collect larger debris firstUse a rake, shovel and bucket or wheelbarrow for larger pieces. Keep sharp pieces and bags in the agreed waste container.
- 8Pick up sharps without reaching inLook over rubble and waste before touching it. Use a tool and a rigid container for broken glass, blades or needles; stop for anything suspect.
- 9Bag and remove waste safelyPut waste in the agreed container as you go. Do not overfill bags; close them before moving them and keep chemical or suspect waste separate.
- 10Clear 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 cleaning RAMS covers
Builders cleans, cleaning chemicals, pressure washing, small floor scrubbers and routine manual cleaning. Not covered: abrasive blasting and high-level window cleaning.
- Builders clean
- Chemical clean
- Ordinary pressure clean
- Small corded floor scrubber
- Routine manual clean
Suggested steps and hazards for cleaning
Suggested for builders clean before any questions are answered.
Check the area before clearing
- Limit the area to authorised, trained people.
- Stop and report anything unexpected before disturbing it.
Hazard
An unknown deposit is disturbed or an uncontrolled work area is entered.
Who might be harmed and how
Cleaners and people nearby
Controls in place
- Keep others out of the work area.
- Do not sweep or wash to discover what a deposit is.
The area and its contents must be understood before clearing starts.
COSHH essentials: CN5: Small scale clearing of rubble, dust and debris Keep clearing controlled
- Clean as you go so debris does not build up.
- Inspect the route and finish before handing the area back.
Hazard
Accumulated debris creates trips and leaves dust or waste for other people.
Who might be harmed and how
Cleaners, visitors and other trades
Controls in place
- Keep waste in the agreed containers.
- Keep wet or unfinished areas closed until safe.
Controlled clearing leaves the route and finished area safe for others.
COSHH essentials: CN5: Small scale clearing of rubble, dust and debris Keep wet areas closed
- Use barriers or another route while damp cleaning or washing is under way.
- Check the floor is dry enough before people return.
Hazard
Someone slips on a wet floor left by the clean.
Who might be harmed and how
Cleaners, visitors and other trades
Controls in place
- Put out a clear warning and keep it in place while the floor dries.
- Do not leave a wet route as the only access.
Builders’ cleans often leave wet floors in areas other trades need to use.
Slips and trips: The importance of floor cleaning
What the builder asks about cleaning
Your answers decide which steps, hazards and controls it suggests.
The job
- What is left to remove?
- What are you removing, and from which surface?
- What surface and deposit are you washing?
- Which machine, pad and detergent suit the floor?
- What needs cleaning?
Where
- Is the floor newly installed or treated?
- What must stay dry or out of the way?
- Will anyone work alone or out of hours?
- 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 product and application will you use?
- Which machine and power source will you use?
- Which manual method will you use?
- How will you pick it up?
What your 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.