Landscaping RAMS example Worked examples for common jobs, written with our builder. Read, download, adapt.
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Electrical second fix and testing in a house refurbishment Lived-in 1970s house, accessories and consumer unit fitted, one circuit dead at a time, tested dead then live before handover. 7 pages, checked 2 November 2026 Hot works: cutting and welding in an occupied warehouse Steel brackets cut out and replaced on a live bay, with a permit for each shift and a separate fire watcher. 7 pages, checked 2 November 2026 Erecting an independent tied scaffold on a two-storey house Independent tube and fitting scaffold to a TG20 compliance sheet, family at home, rescue kit on the wagon. 6 pages, checked 2 November 2026 Stripping and re-tiling a pitched roof from a scaffold Lived-in house, tiles, battens and underlay off, one section made weathertight each day. 8 pages, checked 2 November 2026 Digging a 1.2 m trench for strip footings and a drain Beside a lived-in house, services located first, excavator then hand tools, trench sheets and props before anyone goes in. 7 pages, checked 2 November 2026 Repainting occupied offices Water-based paint from a podium, walls filled and sanded first, one bay screened off at a time while staff work on. 5 pages, checked 2 November 2026 Bathroom first and second fix in a lived-in house Only bathroom replaced, press-fit pipework under the floor and in a duct, tested before anyone closes it up, suite fitted after tiling. 8 pages, checked 2 November 2026 Tarmac resurfacing on a car park that stays partly open Old surface tested and planed off, private retail car park, laid bay block by bay block with shoppers around. 5 pages, checked 2 November 2026 Unloading a builders’ merchant delivery with a lorry loader Packs of blocks and plasterboard landed on a small building site, on a standing lift plan reviewed for this site. 6 pages, checked 2 November 2026 Cleaning the outside of a two-storey office with a water-fed pole All from the ground, in an open office set back behind its own car park, on cold November mornings. 4 pages, checked 2 November 2026 MIG welding a pump frame in a plant room MIG welding bare mild steel at floor level in a closed plant room, with on-torch extraction, while the retail park keeps trading. 5 pages, checked 2 November 2026 Stripping out a vacant single-storey workshop Office ceiling, partitions, carpet and benches out by hand, building empty, every service including the fire alarm disconnected on a certificate, lit by roof lights and a 110 V string. 7 pages, checked 2 November 2026 Skimming and patching walls in an occupied house Ground floor living room of a 2006 house, family at home, plaster mixed in the room with the door shut, from a hop-up. 5 pages, checked 2 November 2026 Building a garden wall in blockwork and facing brick A 5 m long, 1 m high wall, one brick thick, on a foundation already in, laid from the ground. 6 pages, checked 2 November 2026 Core drilling a flue hole through a cavity blockwork wall One 125 mm wet core, rig fixed to the inner leaf, through an external wall of a single-storey extension, with the core caught outside. 5 pages, checked 2 November 2026 Replacing damaged ceiling tiles and grid in an occupied office, out of hours Like-for-like tiles and tees on the existing hangers, from a podium, with the offices empty and the fire alarm left live. 4 pages, checked 2 November 2026 Clearing gutters on a bungalow from a ladder Eight ladder positions of under 15 minutes each, one hand on the ladder, with a stand-off keeping it clear of the gutter. 4 pages, checked 2 November 2026 Laying a block paved patio in a lived-in garden Dug out by hand to 250 mm, sub-base compacted, blocks laid on sand and cut wet, family at home. 6 pages, checked 2 November 2026 Hanging office doors in existing linings, out of hours in a working building Six heavy non-fire meeting room doors, trimmed and routed on trestles after the staff have gone. 4 pages, checked 2 November 2026 Landscaping RAMS example Laying a block paved patio in a lived-in garden
Dug out by hand to 250 mm, sub-base compacted, blocks laid on sand and cut wet, family at home.
What to change Company, people, site and dates What the service plans and locator show Depth of the build-up and the falls Block cutting and dust Moving materials through the property Who is at home Emergency arrangements Sources Checked 2 November 2026
ComplyOnSite complyonsite.com WORKED EXAMPLE: RISK ASSESSMENT AND METHOD STATEMENT Laying a block paved patio in a lived-in garden Hollins & Reed Landscapes Ltd · 12 to 16 October 2026 · In charge: Dan Hollins Worked example. Change it to fit your job before you use it. Job details Company Hollins & Reed Landscapes Ltd Site and work area 27 Orchard Close, Wilmslow: rear garden Planned dates 12 to 16 October 2026 Customer Mr and Mrs Barker In charge on site Dan Hollins Team Two landscapers: Dan Hollins leads, first aider and cuts the blocks; Priya Shah is his deputy and runs the compactor. Work Laying a block paved patio in a lived-in garden Prepared by Dan Hollins Signature Date Work and boundaries Lay paving. Areas: Rear garden patio, about 20 m² Working arrangement Access: the floor or ground. Paving system: Laid on sand, with sand joints. Dust control when cutting: Water on the blade. Other people will use parts of the area at times. Mr and Mrs Barker are at home through the job. The garden is closed to them and their dog while we work, and they use the front door. Build-up for this patio: 150 mm sub-base, 30 mm sand and 60 mm blocks, dug to 250 mm to leave a little to trim, with a fall of 1 in 40 away from the house and the finished level 150 mm below the damp proof course. The gas, electricity and water plans and Dan’s locator sweep show nothing under the patio. The garden light cable runs along the east fence, 2 m clear of the dig, and is marked. No overhead line crosses the garden or the drive. Worked example. Change it to fit your job before you use it. Page 1 of 6 Page 1 of 6
Example: Laying a block paved patio in a lived-in garden ComplyOnSite The blocks and sand are dropped on the front drive, and everything comes through the side gate by barrow on boards. Spoil goes to a skip on the drive and leaves with a waste transfer note. Emergency arrangements Priya Shah rings 999 and gives 27 Orchard Close, Wilmslow; Dan Hollins does if Priya is the one hurt. Dan is the first aider and the kit is in the van on the drive. Whichever of us is not hurt stays with the casualty. Mr or Mrs Barker waits on the front drive and brings the crew through the side gate, kept unlocked and clear. Struck cable: keep clear, keep everyone out, ring 105. Struck gas pipe or a smell of gas: stop the engines, no flames or smoking, get everyone out of the garden, and get Mr and Mrs Barker out of the house if it is near the house. Ring 0800 111 999, and 999 if anyone is hurt or there is a fire. Planned method 1 Set up the work area Confirm the work area and scope before starting. Keep other people outside the active work area. Keep entrances and escape routes clear. 2 Keep people clear of the work Agree how people get past or around the work while it is going on. Put barriers or signs where a route crosses the work. Do not leave open work unattended. 3 Find buried services before digging Get the service plans, scan and mark the ground before breaking it. Do not dig until an unsafe or unknown service has been dealt with. 4 Check the paving delivery Inspect units for damage and confirm this job's product before installation. Hold damaged or unsuitable units out of the work. 5 Check the weather before you start Stop handling materials and equipment when the wind is strong enough to catch them. Stop in heavy rain, ice or lightning. 6 Carry the blocks, sand and stone safely Plan the route, clear it, and get help with anything long or heavy. Store materials close to the work so nobody carries further than they need to. 7 Keep the cutter and compactor away from people Set a clear exclusion area before starting the disc cutter or plate compactor. Stop the machine when anyone enters the area. 8 Look after the fuel Keep petrol and oil in their own labelled cans, away from drains and hot exhausts. Refuel with the engine off and cool, and keep a spill kit with you. Worked example. Change it to fit your job before you use it. Page 2 of 6 Page 2 of 6
Example: Laying a block paved patio in a lived-in garden ComplyOnSite 9 Keep people off open paving Separate the work from people using the route. Keep unfinished edges and materials controlled until the surface is safe. 10 Set the paving build-up Base the paving design on the ground conditions and expected loads. Do not guess the base, bedding or falls. 11 Separate and remove the paving waste Keep broken units, offcuts, spoil and packaging apart as you go. Keep cutting slurry, cement and sand out of gullies and drains; remove the waste before people return. 12 Dig out to the depth of the build-up Dig to the depth of the sub-base, sand and blocks together, and keep the finished level at least 150 mm below the damp proof course. Dig with an insulated spade or shovel near any marked service, working alongside it and never spiking the ground. Stop if you find a pipe, cable, marker tape or old footing the check did not show. 13 Set the edge restraint first Set the edging before any sub-base goes in, with a firm vertical face down past the sand. Wear waterproof gloves with wet concrete and wash any off your skin straight away. 14 Limit noise and vibration Wear ear defenders on the compactor and when cutting. Note how long each person's hands are on each tool while it runs. Take the tool's vibration figure from the maker or HSE's table and check it fits how you use it. Points per hour times hours on the trigger, added up for the day, gives the exposure: 100 points is the action value, 400 is the limit. HSE's vibration calculator does the sum. Over 100, cut it with lower-vibration kit or less time, and never pass 400. Write the result down. Sharing the work does not replace this. Keep the tools maintained. 15 Lay and compact the sub-base Spread the sub-base in layers of no more than 75 mm and compact each one with the plate compactor before the next. Build the falls into the sub-base, not the sand. Wear ear defenders on the compactor and keep a note of each person's time on the handle for the vibration assessment. 16 Screed the sand laying course Spread the sand to an even depth, compact it, then screed it, 30 mm when compacted. Lay out only what you will cover in this working period, and leave no more than 1 m uncovered at the end of the day. Do not use the sand to level up. Cover any exposed sand overnight and in bad weather. 17 Lay the blocks from the laid surface Draw blocks from at least three packs and lay the whole blocks first, working off the laid surface. Leave cut blocks to the edges and obstacles, and cut none smaller than a quarter of a block. Kneel on knee pads or a kneeling board, and stand up and change task through the day. 18 Control the dust when cutting Split blocks with a block splitter where you can, and keep saw cuts to the ones it cannot do. Worked example. Change it to fit your job before you use it. Page 3 of 6 Page 3 of 6
Example: Laying a block paved patio in a lived-in garden ComplyOnSite Saw cuts: water or H or M Class extraction, plus an APF 20 mask (FFP3), fit tested and clean-shaven. 19 Wet cutting This job is wet cutting: keep water on and collect the slurry. 20 Use the disc cutter safely Check the disc is the right type and speed for the tool and the material. Keep the guard on and both hands on the tool. Wear impact-rated eye protection. 21 Fill the joints and compact the blocks Fit the rubber or neoprene sole plate to the compactor. Brush dry jointing sand into every joint before the final compaction. Run the plate compactor over the blocks, then top up the joints. 22 Clear and hand back the area Remove 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. Risk assessment Hazard Who might be harmed and how Controls in place People entering the work area or tripping over materials Step 1 Workers, occupants and visitors Mark or barrier the active work area. Store tools and materials away from access routes. People using the building or passing by walking into the work or over what it leaves Step 2 Occupants, visitors, members of the public and workers Keep the barriers and signs up while the work is active. Give people a clear way round where their normal route is blocked. A spade, fork or machine hits a live cable, gas pipe or water main Step 3 Landscapers, workers nearby and the public Use the agreed detector and safe digging method. Stop, keep clear and report anything unexpected. A damaged unit fails during handling or leaves an unsafe finished surface Step 4 Landscapers and people using the area Check the actual product instructions. Do not substitute a different laying method. Wind catches the materials and equipment and blows them onto people nearby Step 5 The team and people nearby Check the forecast before you start and agree when the wind stops the work. Tie down or take in loose materials before you leave. Worked example. Change it to fit your job before you use it. Page 4 of 6 Page 4 of 6
Example: Laying a block paved patio in a lived-in garden ComplyOnSite Hazard Who might be harmed and how Controls in place Back and shoulder injury from carrying heavy or long items Step 6 Everyone handling materials Barrow on boards and keep loads small. Lay direct from the pack, not strung out. A machine, thrown object or moving part injures a worker, child, pet or passer-by Step 7 Operators, workers, residents, pets and passers-by Use guards and the operator instructions. Keep people out until the machine has stopped. Petrol spilled near a hot engine catches fire Step 8 The person refuelling and people nearby Never keep fuel in an unmarked bottle. Soak a spill up straight away and keep it out of drains. Someone trips on an open edge or disturbs unfinished paving Step 9 Landscapers, residents and visitors Provide an agreed alternative route. Check the area before removing the separation. Paving moves or cannot carry the expected use Step 10 Landscapers, residents and visitors Use the agreed design. Stop if the ground, loads or drainage design is not settled. Broken units, spoil or bags cause trips, and slurry or cement blocks drains Step 11 Landscapers, residents, visitors and waste carriers Keep spoil and rubble apart from packaging and from anything contaminated. Cover gullies near the cutting and mixing area and leave no waste where it can wash into a drain. A strike on a service nobody found, a trip into the dig, or strain from moving spoil Step 12 Landscapers, residents and visitors Barrow spoil on boards and keep loads small. Mark the edge of the dig and leave it closed off at the end of each day. Wet concrete burns the skin, or an edging unit traps fingers Step 13 Landscapers Keep wet concrete off skin and out of boots. Lower each unit into place, do not drop it. Hearing damage and hand-arm vibration from power tools Step 14 The person on the compactor or cutter Use sharp blades and discs, which cut faster with less vibration. Warn people nearby before you start cutting. Worked example. Change it to fit your job before you use it. Page 5 of 6 Page 5 of 6
Example: Laying a block paved patio in a lived-in garden ComplyOnSite Hazard Who might be harmed and how Controls in place Noise and hand-arm vibration from the plate compactor, or the plate runs onto a foot Step 15 The person on the compactor Walk behind the handle with feet clear of the plate. Stop the engine before moving it across the garden. Wet or disturbed sand lets the blocks settle unevenly and leaves a trip edge Step 16 Landscapers and people using the area Keep off the screeded sand. Work from the blocks already laid. Knee and back strain from long spells kneeling and bending Step 17 Landscapers Keep the packs close to the laying edge. Share the laying and barrowing so nobody kneels all day. Silica dust from power cutting damages the lungs Step 18 The person cutting and anyone downwind Cut in one place, downwind of the house and well away from anyone else. Keep people out until the cutting has stopped and the slurry is cleared. Collect any slurry while it is wet. Clear any dry dust with an H or M Class vacuum, not a brush. Silica dust if the water stops, and slipping on slurry Step 19 The person cutting and anyone nearby Stop cutting if the water stops. A disc bursts or the tool kicks back and cuts the user Step 20 The person cutting Only someone trained to change discs fits them. Stop and swap any cracked or worn disc. Blocks move, or the plate runs onto a foot on the finished surface Step 21 Landscapers and people using the area Keep people off until the joints are full. Wear ear defenders on the compactor. Debris, tools or unfinished work left in the area Step 22 Workers, occupants and visitors Remove waste by the agreed route. Record and protect any unfinished work. Worked example. Change it to fit your job before you use it. Page 6 of 6 Page 6 of 6
Method statement and risk assessment, side by side Method statement The work in order, step by step.Example: Laying a block paved patio in a lived-in garden ComplyOnSite The blocks and sand are dropped on the front drive, and everything comes through the side gate by barrow on boards. Spoil goes to a skip on the drive and leaves with a waste transfer note. Emergency arrangements Priya Shah rings 999 and gives 27 Orchard Close, Wilmslow; Dan Hollins does if Priya is the one hurt. Dan is the first aider and the kit is in the van on the drive. Whichever of us is not hurt stays with the casualty. Mr or Mrs Barker waits on the front drive and brings the crew through the side gate, kept unlocked and clear. Struck cable: keep clear, keep everyone out, ring 105. Struck gas pipe or a smell of gas: stop the engines, no flames or smoking, get everyone out of the garden, and get Mr and Mrs Barker out of the house if it is near the house. Ring 0800 111 999, and 999 if anyone is hurt or there is a fire. Planned method 1 Set up the work area Confirm the work area and scope before starting. Keep other people outside the active work area. Keep entrances and escape routes clear. 2 Keep people clear of the work Agree how people get past or around the work while it is going on. Put barriers or signs where a route crosses the work. Do not leave open work unattended. 3 Find buried services before digging Get the service plans, scan and mark the ground before breaking it. Do not dig until an unsafe or unknown service has been dealt with. 4 Check the paving delivery Inspect units for damage and confirm this job's product before installation. Hold damaged or unsuitable units out of the work. 5 Check the weather before you start Stop handling materials and equipment when the wind is strong enough to catch them. Stop in heavy rain, ice or lightning. 6 Carry the blocks, sand and stone safely Plan the route, clear it, and get help with anything long or heavy. Store materials close to the work so nobody carries further than they need to. 7 Keep the cutter and compactor away from people Set a clear exclusion area before starting the disc cutter or plate compactor. Stop the machine when anyone enters the area. 8 Look after the fuel Keep petrol and oil in their own labelled cans, away from drains and hot exhausts. Refuel with the engine off and cool, and keep a spill kit with you. Worked example. Change it to fit your job before you use it. Page 2 of 6 Risk assessment Each hazard, who could be harmed, the controls in place and any further action.Example: Laying a block paved patio in a lived-in garden ComplyOnSite Saw cuts: water or H or M Class extraction, plus an APF 20 mask (FFP3), fit tested and clean-shaven. 19 Wet cutting This job is wet cutting: keep water on and collect the slurry. 20 Use the disc cutter safely Check the disc is the right type and speed for the tool and the material. Keep the guard on and both hands on the tool. Wear impact-rated eye protection. 21 Fill the joints and compact the blocks Fit the rubber or neoprene sole plate to the compactor. Brush dry jointing sand into every joint before the final compaction. Run the plate compactor over the blocks, then top up the joints. 22 Clear and hand back the area Remove 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. Risk assessment Hazard Who might be harmed and how Controls in place People entering the work area or tripping over materials Step 1 Workers, occupants and visitors Mark or barrier the active work area. Store tools and materials away from access routes. People using the building or passing by walking into the work or over what it leaves Step 2 Occupants, visitors, members of the public and workers Keep the barriers and signs up while the work is active. Give people a clear way round where their normal route is blocked. A spade, fork or machine hits a live cable, gas pipe or water main Step 3 Landscapers, workers nearby and the public Use the agreed detector and safe digging method. Stop, keep clear and report anything unexpected. A damaged unit fails during handling or leaves an unsafe finished surface Step 4 Landscapers and people using the area Check the actual product instructions. Do not substitute a different laying method. Wind catches the materials and equipment and blows them onto people nearby Step 5 The team and people nearby Check the forecast before you start and agree when the wind stops the work. Tie down or take in loose materials before you leave. Worked example. Change it to fit your job before you use it. Page 4 of 6
RAMS example questions Are these real jobs? No. Every job, company, person and address here is made up. Each one is a worked example written with our builder, and every page says so.
Can I use one as it is? No. Your site, your people and your emergency arrangements will be different. Change it to fit your job before anyone works to it.
Why do they carry ComplyOnSite branding? They are made with our builder and printed in its standard design. A RAMS you build yourself carries your company name.
Word or PDF? Both. Word if you will change the wording yourself, PDF to read or print. Or press Use this and edit it in the builder , then download your own copy.
Where is the blank? On the RAMS template page. These examples are all filled in.
How were they checked? Each one is read against published guidance, mainly from HSE, for its facts, the order of the work and its emergency arrangements. The sources are listed beside it. If a document changes, it comes off this page until it has been checked again. The check covers the example, not your job.
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