Timber treatment RAMS Builder
Timber treatment risk assessment and method statement
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Timber treatment RAMS template
A blank timber treatment RAMS to fill in: job details, method statement, risk assessment and briefing record.
Risk assessment and method statement
Timber treatment 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
Timber treatment RAMS example
The same RAMS, filled in for one job.
Risk assessment and method statement
Timber treatment, 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.
The wrong product on the skin, or rot left untreated behind a finish
Treatment workers and occupants
Go by the current tin and its sheet, not the last job. Stop if nobody can say the product is right for this timber.
Skin, eye or breathing exposure to preservative
Treatment workers
Keep the product in its original labelled container. Stop if the label or instructions are missing.
Unexpected timber damage or treatment outside the product scope
Treatment workers and people nearby
Keep preparation dust and debris away from others. Refer damage that the treatment cannot safely resolve.
Others contact wet or active biocide
Treatment workers and occupants
Use barriers and signs. Keep the exclusion in place for the stated period.
Exposure or ineffective treatment if the product is used wrongly
Treatment workers and nearby people
Use the product instructions and controls. Do not mix or substitute products outside the label.
Preservative is swallowed from contaminated hands or accessed later
Treatment workers and people using the area later
Provide washing facilities and follow the supplier hygiene instructions. Keep products away from unauthorised people.
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.
Timber treatment, 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 tin suits this timberBefore you open it, check the tin is made for this timber and this job. A brush-on treatment is not a swap for pressure-treated timber. It will not tell you what the rot is either; that is a survey.
- 3Assess this product before opening itDo the COSHH assessment for this product, amount, method and room. A safety data sheet is not a risk assessment. Set ventilation, gloves, eye protection and any mask before opening the tin.
- 4Check and prepare the timberRemove loose dirt and prepare the timber only as this job's product method says. Stop if the timber needs decay diagnosis, repair or a different treatment.
- 5Close off the treatment areaRestrict access while timber is treated and until product information allows re-entry. Keep treated timber separate from people who are not doing the work.
- 6Apply only this job's treatmentApply the preservative by this job's brush, roller or spray method. Keep to the stated coverage, coats and drying time.
- 7Wash up and store safelyWash hands before eating, drinking or leaving the work area. Store the product in its original labelled container as the supplier requires.
- 8Clear 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 timber treatment RAMS covers
Preparing timber in place and applying preservative, stain, oil or varnish to the label and data sheet. Not covered: cutting out and replacing decayed timber.
- Finish timber
- Treat timber with preservative
Suggested steps and hazards for timber treatment
Suggested for treat timber with preservative before any questions are answered.
Check the tin suits this timber
- Before you open it, check the tin is made for this timber and this job.
- A brush-on treatment is not a swap for pressure-treated timber.
- It will not tell you what the rot is either; that is a survey.
Hazard
The wrong product on the skin, or rot left untreated behind a finish
Who might be harmed and how
Treatment workers and occupants
Controls in place
- Go by the current tin and its sheet, not the last job.
- Stop if nobody can say the product is right for this timber.
These are poisons picked for a particular timber and a particular bug or rot.
Using biocides: Overview Assess this product before opening it
- Do the COSHH assessment for this product, amount, method and room. A safety data sheet is not a risk assessment.
- Set ventilation, gloves, eye protection and any mask before opening the tin.
Hazard
Skin, eye or breathing exposure to preservative
Who might be harmed and how
Treatment workers
Controls in place
- Keep the product in its original labelled container.
- Stop if the label or instructions are missing.
The assessment turns the label and data sheet into controls for this room and this amount.
Pesticide safety Check and prepare the timber
- Remove loose dirt and prepare the timber only as this job's product method says.
- Stop if the timber needs decay diagnosis, repair or a different treatment.
Hazard
Unexpected timber damage or treatment outside the product scope
Who might be harmed and how
Treatment workers and people nearby
Controls in place
- Keep preparation dust and debris away from others.
- Refer damage that the treatment cannot safely resolve.
The preservative must be used on timber within its stated treatment scope.
Using biocides: Overview
What the builder asks about timber treatment
Your answers decide which steps, hazards and controls it suggests.
The job
- What finish are you applying?
- What named preservative are you using?
- Which preservative product will you use?
Where
- Can the area stay closed after treatment?
- Will anyone use the area while it dries?
How it’s done
- What will you stand on to reach the work?
- What does the tin say the finish is?
- How will you put the preservative on?
- How will you put the finish on?
What your timber treatment 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.