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Concrete floor cutting RAMS Builder
Concrete floor cutting risk assessment and method statement
Prepare RAMS for sawing openings through a concrete slab and cutting joints in a floor.
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Concrete floor cutting RAMS template
A blank concrete floor cutting RAMS to fill in: job details, method statement, risk assessment and briefing record.
Risk assessment and method statement
Concrete floor cutting 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
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- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
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Risk assessment
| Hazard | Who might be harmed and how | Controls in place | Further action |
|---|---|---|---|
Concrete floor cutting RAMS example
The same RAMS, filled in for one job.
Risk assessment and method statement
Concrete floor cutting, 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 for asbestos before you disturb anythingAsk for the asbestos survey or register before you start. Read what it says about old floor finishes, screeds and coatings over the concrete. No survey, or a material you do not recognise: stop and get it checked.
- 3Check the slab and cut lineRead the current drawing and mark the opening on the ground-supported slab. Stop if the slab, boundary or material differs from the information for the job.
- 4Carry the cut slab pieces safelyPlan the route, clear it, and carry long items upright with two people. Store materials close to the work so nobody carries further than they need to.
- 5Set the agreed cut depthSet the saw to the recorded depth and make a controlled start on the marked line. Do not deepen the cut because the blade is not following the line.
- 6Control dust before the blade startsConnect the planned water suppression or extraction before the blade enters the concrete. Keep it working for the whole cut and collect slurry if the cut is wet.
- 7Cut in the planned orderComplete the marked cuts without undermining the slab that remains. Keep the exclusion zone in place through breakthrough.
- 8Remove pieces and protect the openingTake out cut pieces by the planned handling method and keep the route clear. Guard or cover the opening before handback or the next activity.
- 9Keep water and slurry under controlRun enough water for the whole cut and collect the slurry as it forms. Stop if the route becomes slippery or slurry reaches a drain.
- 10Clear and hand back the areaRemove tools, waste and unused materials. Check the area is clean and ready to use. Tell the person in charge when the work is complete.
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.
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.
The saw cuts outside the opening or into an unexpected part of the slab
The saw team and people near the work
Keep the marked line visible through the set-up and cut. Report an unexpected void, reinforcement or change before continuing.
Back and shoulder injury from carrying heavy or long items
Everyone handling materials
Use a trolley or sack truck on the flat. Never carry up a ladder; hand items up or hoist them.
The blade cuts too deep, breaks through unexpectedly or damages the slab
The floor-saw operator and nearby workers
Check the depth setting before each cut run. Stop if the slab moves or the blade meets unexpected material.
Silica dust reaches the operator or slurry makes the route slippery
The saw operator and people near the slab
Keep people outside the cutting area. Stop if the water or extraction method fails.
The slab moves, fragments fly or the opening grows beyond the marked line
The saw team and nearby workers
Use clear signals between the operator and the person watching the cut. Stop and report binding, movement or an unexpected material.
Strains, trips or a person falls through an unprotected opening
The saw team and other people on site
Do not leave pieces or an open edge unattended. Use a barrier or cover that stays in place until the opening is closed.
Slurry spreads into a slip hazard or enters a drain
The saw team and people using the route
Use barriers and a collection method that suits the floor. Clear the route before removing the barriers.
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.
What a Concrete floor cutting RAMS covers
Sawing openings through a slab and cutting movement and control joints, with dust and slurry controlled. Not covered: breaking out the cut section.
- Slab opening cut
- Joint cutting
Suggested steps and hazards for Concrete floor cutting
Suggested for slab opening cut before any questions are answered.
Check the slab and cut line
- Read the current drawing and mark the opening on the ground-supported slab.
- Stop if the slab, boundary or material differs from the information for the job.
Hazard
The saw cuts outside the opening or into an unexpected part of the slab
Who might be harmed and how
The saw team and people near the work
Controls in place
- Keep the marked line visible through the set-up and cut.
- Report an unexpected void, reinforcement or change before continuing.
A clear line and a known slab keep the opening to the planned area.
Set the agreed cut depth
- Set the saw to the recorded depth and make a controlled start on the marked line.
- Do not deepen the cut because the blade is not following the line.
Hazard
The blade cuts too deep, breaks through unexpectedly or damages the slab
Who might be harmed and how
The floor-saw operator and nearby workers
Controls in place
- Check the depth setting before each cut run.
- Stop if the slab moves or the blade meets unexpected material.
The recorded depth controls breakthrough and the later removal sequence.
Construction physical ill health risks: Vibration Control dust before the blade starts
- Connect the planned water suppression or extraction before the blade enters the concrete.
- Keep it working for the whole cut and collect slurry if the cut is wet.
Hazard
Silica dust reaches the operator or slurry makes the route slippery
Who might be harmed and how
The saw operator and people near the slab
Controls in place
- Keep people outside the cutting area.
- Stop if the water or extraction method fails.
Continuous control limits dust exposure and stops slurry spreading through the work area.
What the builder asks about Concrete floor cutting
Your answers decide which steps, hazards and controls it suggests.
Where
- What is under the slab?
- Is the building older than the year 2000? Older buildings can have asbestos in them.
- What pipes or cables run in or under the concrete slab?
How it’s done
- What will you stand on to reach the work?
- How deep is the cut?
- Will you cut wet or dry?
- How will the cut slab pieces get to the work?
- Will you cut anything on site, and with what?
What you’ve been told
- How will the slurry and offcuts leave the area?
What your Concrete floor cutting 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.
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. 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 the PDF is made on your device.
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.