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Damp proofing RAMS Builder
Damp proofing risk assessment and method statement
Prepare RAMS for brushing or rolling on a cold-applied damp-proof membrane and injecting DPC cream into a drilled mortar course.
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Pick everything this RAMS covers. The questions that follow are chosen from what you tick here.
Damp proofing RAMS template
A blank damp proofing RAMS to fill in: job details, method statement, risk assessment and briefing record.
Risk assessment and method statement
Damp proofing 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
Damp proofing RAMS example
The same RAMS, filled in for one job.
Risk assessment and method statement
Damp proofing, 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.
- 2Read the tin before you open itRead the label and the safety sheet for the membrane you are using. Check it is the right product for this surface and for whatever goes on top of it.
- 3Carry the materials 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.
- 4Prepare a clean, sound surfaceMake the surface smooth, clean, dry, sound and free from contamination. Use only the preparation named for this membrane and substrate.
- 5Apply the membrane evenlyTransfer the product into a suitable container. Brush it over the substrate in all directions for uniform coverage.
- 6Keep the membrane off skin and eyesKeep the product off skin and eyes while applying it and cleaning tools. Wash promptly if product gets onto exposed skin.
- 7Protect the membrane until it is readyCheck coverage, continuity and damage before the area is handed back. Follow the named product cure and recoat instructions before covering it.
- 8Clear 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.
Skin burns, fumes or a coating that will not stick because the product is wrong for the job
The installer and people nearby
Use the gloves, mask and ventilation the safety sheet asks for. Stop if there is no label or no safety sheet.
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 membrane fails to bond to a contaminated or unsound surface
The installer and people nearby
Follow the product preparation instructions. Stop if the substrate is not suitable.
Uneven coverage leaves the waterproofing incomplete
The installer and people nearby
Use the container and tool named by the product instructions. Keep the coat continuous at edges and around details.
Dermatitis, burns or eye injury from membrane contact
The installer
Use gloves and eye protection selected for the product. Provide washing facilities and do not use solvent on skin.
Puncture, failed bond or trapped moisture from early covering
The installer and following trades
Keep traffic and incompatible work off the treated area. Record the treated limits and the agreed handback condition.
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 Damp proofing RAMS covers
Cold-applied surface damp-proof membranes, and DPC cream injected into a surveyed and specified mortar course. Not covered: tanking, pressure-injected resin and DPC rods.
- Cold applied damp proofing
- Chemical DPC cream injection
Suggested steps and hazards for Damp proofing
Suggested for cold applied damp proofing before any questions are answered.
Read the tin before you open it
- Read the label and the safety sheet for the membrane you are using.
- Check it is the right product for this surface and for whatever goes on top of it.
Hazard
Skin burns, fumes or a coating that will not stick because the product is wrong for the job
Who might be harmed and how
The installer and people nearby
Controls in place
- Use the gloves, mask and ventilation the safety sheet asks for.
- Stop if there is no label or no safety sheet.
The tin tells you what the stuff does to you and what it will stick to.
Chemical safety data sheets Prepare a clean, sound surface
- Make the surface smooth, clean, dry, sound and free from contamination.
- Use only the preparation named for this membrane and substrate.
Hazard
The membrane fails to bond to a contaminated or unsound surface
Who might be harmed and how
The installer and people nearby
Controls in place
- Follow the product preparation instructions.
- Stop if the substrate is not suitable.
A clean, sound surface gives the membrane a suitable bond.
RIW LAC data sheet Apply the membrane evenly
- Transfer the product into a suitable container.
- Brush it over the substrate in all directions for uniform coverage.
Hazard
Uneven coverage leaves the waterproofing incomplete
Who might be harmed and how
The installer and people nearby
Controls in place
- Use the container and tool named by the product instructions.
- Keep the coat continuous at edges and around details.
Uniform coverage prevents gaps in the surface waterproofing.
RIW LAC data sheet
What the builder asks about Damp proofing
Your answers decide which steps, hazards and controls it suggests.
The job
- What treatment has been specified?
- What wall and treatment course are specified?
Where
- What pipes or cables run in or behind the wall at the drilling course?
How it’s done
- What will you stand on to reach the work?
- What does the surface need before coating?
- How is the membrane prepared and applied?
- What is in or near the drilling course?
- How will the materials get to the work?
What you’ve been told
- Has the moisture source and DPC need been assessed?
What your Damp proofing 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.