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Ventilation RAMS Builder
Ventilation risk assessment and method statement
Prepare RAMS for mounting or replacing ventilation units, mechanical work on ductwork and air handling units, and routine ventilation maintenance.
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Pick everything this RAMS covers. The questions that follow are chosen from what you tick here.
Ventilation RAMS template
A blank ventilation RAMS to fill in: job details, method statement, risk assessment and briefing record.
Risk assessment and method statement
Ventilation 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
Ventilation RAMS example
The same RAMS, filled in for one job.
Risk assessment and method statement
Ventilation, Second floor, Atlas House, 8 Chapel Lane, Stockport: office
- Company
- Hollins & Reed Mechanical Ltd
- Site and work area
- Second floor, Atlas House, 8 Chapel Lane, Stockport: office
- Planned dates
- 12 to 14 October 2026
- In charge on site
- Dan Hollins
- Team
- Two fitters: Dan Hollins leads and operates the scissor lift; Priya Shah works with him. Both hold MEWP operator cards.
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 duct insulation, boards, fire stopping and plant surrounds. No survey, or a material you do not recognise: stop and get it checked.
- 3Stop things falling on people belowFence off the ground below the work so nobody walks under the units, duct sections and tools. Use toe boards, brick guards or netting on platforms and lanyard tools where you can.
- 4Check the unit and instructionsIdentify the correct unit and read the maker's installation instructions before opening it. Confirm the support, lifting points, clearances and connection handovers.
- 5Use the MEWPCheck the MEWP and work area before use. Look up for overhead lines and check the wind limit before raising the platform. Set up on suitable ground within the machine limits. Keep the platform within the planned work zone. Lower and secure the machine after use.
- 6Use the hoistCheck the hoist has a current inspection tag and can take the weight. Keep people out from underneath while a load is up.
- 7Isolate and get each handoverStop the fan and isolate every relevant power, pressure and water supply. Lock off where it could be switched back on, then get the agreed specialist handover.
- 8Plan the lift and clear the areaPlan the route, equipment, people and responsibilities for the actual unit. Keep people out of the lift and fall area while the unit is moved.
- 9Support the unit before releasePut temporary support under or on the unit before undoing its last fixing. Do not let it hang from pipework, ductwork or the ceiling grid.
- 10Fix the unit securelyFit the specified support, fixings and anti-vibration parts for this model and background. Check the unit is stable and leaves the maker's service access clear.
- 11Leave power and controls connections to an electricianA competent electrician isolates, disconnects and reconnects the power and controls. Get their handover before moving the unit and before it is switched back on.
- 12Drain and check the water connectionsIsolate and drain the water coil or condensate before a joint is broken or made. Test the joints and the condensate fall for leaks before the ceiling or cover is closed.
- 13Clear 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.
Units, duct sections and tools falling onto people below
People below, including the public
Lower waste in bags or a chute, never throw it. Keep the exclusion zone up until the last item is down.
Working on the wrong unit or using an unsuitable mounting method
Ventilation engineers and people using the building
Use the actual model instructions and stop if the unit or support does not match the job.
The MEWP overturning; contact with overhead power lines; tools or materials dropped from the platform
The operator, and anyone beside the machine, where the ground gives way or it is worked outside its limits. The operator, and anyone touching the machine, from shock or burns. Anyone passing or working underneath.
Use a trained operator and follow the machine limits. Stop when the wind reaches the machine’s limit. Keep the agreed rescue arrangement available. Check for overhead lines before raising the platform and keep the agreed clearance. Barrier the area below so the public and other workers cannot walk under the platform.
A load falls from the hoist onto someone below
People below the hoist
Secure the load and use a tag line for large panels. One person controls the lift and everyone can hear them.
Unexpected start-up or release of electricity, refrigerant or water
The installation team and nearby workers
Prove the unit is safe before handling it. Keep electrical and refrigerant work with the people who own those systems.
The unit falling, swinging or striking someone during movement
Installers and people near the lift
Use suitable lifting equipment and competent people. Restrict access below or beside a suspended load.
The unit or a part of it falls when its fixings are removed
Installers and anyone below the unit
Use support that can take the actual load. Keep hands clear of crush points while support is set.
The unit loosening, vibrating or falling after installation
Ventilation engineers and people below the unit
Inspect the support before letting go. Do not substitute fixings or block required access.
Electric shock from a power or controls connection that is still live or made live too early
The ventilation team and the electrician
Do not break into or remake electrical connections as part of this operation. Record what remains outstanding.
Water escaping from a coil or condensate joint onto people, electrics or the room below
The ventilation team and people below the unit
Keep a drip tray and absorbent to hand while joints are open. Record what remains outstanding.
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 Ventilation RAMS covers
Fitting or replacing fans and ventilation units, ductwork and AHU work, and routine ventilation maintenance. Not covered: electrical connection and refrigerant handling.
- Mount/replace unit
- Duct/AHU mechanical work
- Routine ventilation maintenance
Suggested steps and hazards for Ventilation
Suggested for mount/replace unit before any questions are answered.
Check the unit and instructions
- Identify the correct unit and read the maker's installation instructions before opening it.
- Confirm the support, lifting points, clearances and connection handovers.
Hazard
Working on the wrong unit or using an unsuitable mounting method
Who might be harmed and how
Ventilation engineers and people using the building
Controls in place
- Use the actual model instructions and stop if the unit or support does not match the job.
The unit, support and handovers must match the actual installation before it is opened.
HSE: Maintenance of work equipment Isolate and get each handover
- Stop the fan and isolate every relevant power, pressure and water supply.
- Lock off where it could be switched back on, then get the agreed specialist handover.
Hazard
Unexpected start-up or release of electricity, refrigerant or water
Who might be harmed and how
The installation team and nearby workers
Controls in place
- Prove the unit is safe before handling it. Keep electrical and refrigerant work with the people who own those systems.
The unit cannot be moved safely while an energy source or specialist connection remains live.
HSE: Maintenance of work equipment Plan the lift and clear the area
- Plan the route, equipment, people and responsibilities for the actual unit.
- Keep people out of the lift and fall area while the unit is moved.
Hazard
The unit falling, swinging or striking someone during movement
Who might be harmed and how
Installers and people near the lift
Controls in place
- Use suitable lifting equipment and competent people. Restrict access below or beside a suspended load.
A planned route and clear area keep the unit and the people near it under control.
HSE: Lifting operations
What the builder asks about Ventilation
Your answers decide which steps, hazards and controls it suggests.
The job
- Where will the unit sit?
- What part are you changing?
- Which service task are you doing?
- Which unit, and how heavy is it?
Where
- What else is in or around the section?
- What will hold the unit up?
- What has been through the duct?
- Is the building older than the year 2000? Older buildings can have asbestos in them.
- What pipes or cables run behind or around the unit, duct or fixings?
How it’s done
- What will you stand on to reach the work?
- What does the manual allow you to clean?
- What is hooked up to the unit?
- How will the units and duct sections get to the work?
- Will you cut anything on site, and with what?
What your Ventilation 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.