Painting and decorating 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 Painting and decorating RAMS example 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.
What to change Company, people, site and dates Occupied hours or out of hours Paint and its safety data sheet Age of the building and old paint Ventilation Escape routes, especially in a single-stair building Emergency arrangements Sources Checked 2 November 2026
ComplyOnSite complyonsite.com WORKED EXAMPLE: RISK ASSESSMENT AND METHOD STATEMENT Repainting occupied offices Hollins & Reed Decorating Ltd · 12 to 14 October 2026 · In charge: Dan Hollins Worked example. Change it to fit your job before you use it. Job details Company Hollins & Reed Decorating Ltd Site and work area Second floor offices, 14 Mill Street, Stockport Planned dates 12 to 14 October 2026 Customer Thornley Vale Estates Ltd In charge on site Dan Hollins Team Two decorators: Dan Hollins leads and agrees each room with the office manager; Priya Shah works with him. Work Repainting occupied offices Prepared by Dan Hollins Signature Date Work and boundaries Prepare surfaces, paint by brush or roller. Areas: Meeting rooms 1 and 2; Open-plan office; Corridor Working arrangement Access: a podium. Working height: rooms about 2.7 m. Ground or floor: level, carpeted. Sanding dust: On-tool extraction. Paint: water-based matt emulsion, data sheet with the office manager. Other people will use parts of the area at times. Offices stay in use; each bay is screened off and released to us by the office manager, one at a time, and desks are moved only with staff agreement. Fire doors are never wedged; corridors and stairs stay clear. Only the day’s paint comes to the work, lids on; tins and wash water go by the agreed waste route. The older paint was tested with a lead test kit: no lead found. The Worked example. Change it to fit your job before you use it. Page 1 of 5 Page 1 of 5
Example: Repainting occupied offices ComplyOnSite asbestos survey covers the textured ceilings: none found. A detector head goes off only with the building manager’s agreement: the second decorator checks that area while it is off, and it is back on before we leave. Emergency arrangements Fire bell: stop, close the tins and leave by Stair B. Do not use the lifts. Muster at Car Park C and report to the floor marshal. Fall from the podium: stop, do not move someone with a back or neck injury unless they are in danger. Spill or anyone unwell from the paint: open up, move staff away, stop using the product and bring the data sheet; tell the building manager at once. First aid: Reception, ext 200. Priya Shah rings 999; Reception meets the crew at the Mill Street door. 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 Check the paint information Read each label and safety data sheet before opening or mixing paint. Keep the product names with the RAMS. 4 Check preparation products Read labels and safety data sheets for cleaners, fillers and strippers. Set skin, eye and ventilation controls before use. 5 Check the surface as you go Compare the surface with the agreed description before scraping, filling or stripping. Stop if the material, coating or damage is different. 6 Check for asbestos before you disturb anything Check the asbestos survey covers exactly what you will disturb, to the full depth. Register only, or nothing: get a refurbishment survey or a sample first. Read what it says about old paint, textured coatings, boards and walls. No survey, or a material you do not recognise: stop and get it checked. 7 Set up access equipment Use access equipment suited to the task and work area. Check the equipment before use. Keep the area below the work controlled. 8 Set fresh air before painting Open doors and windows where the site allows it. Use the ventilation named by the product assessment. Worked example. Change it to fit your job before you use it. Page 2 of 5 Page 2 of 5
Example: Repainting occupied offices ComplyOnSite 9 Keep paint tins closed Close tins and containers when they are not being used. Clean spills with the agreed waste method. 10 Control sanding dust Use the sanding dust method named in this document, and stop if it fails. Wear an APF 20 mask (FFP3 or P3) for dusty sanding: fit tested and clean-shaven. 11 Apply the specified paint Use the specified brush or roller and follow the product order and drying instructions. 12 Keep people away from wet paint Mark or barrier wet areas and protect floors and fittings. Only hand the area back when the product allows it. 13 Wash before leaving the job Wash hands after painting and before eating, drinking or smoking. Change contaminated clothing where the assessment requires it. 14 Clean up without raising dust Use a suitable vacuum for settled dust and collect wet waste safely. Do not dry sweep or blow dust into the room. 15 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. Unknown paint hazards causing skin, eye or breathing exposure Step 3 Decorators and people nearby Use the product-specific controls. Stop if the label or safety data is missing or unclear. Worked example. Change it to fit your job before you use it. Page 3 of 5 Page 3 of 5
Example: Repainting occupied offices ComplyOnSite Hazard Who might be harmed and how Controls in place Chemical exposure from a cleaner, filler or stripper Step 4 Decorators and people nearby Use product-specific controls. Stop if the product or its data is unknown. Disturbing an unknown coating or causing damage beyond local preparation Step 5 Decorators and occupants Keep the affected area isolated. Ask the site to review a changed condition. Breathing asbestos fibres from old boards, sheets, sealants or insulation Step 6 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. Falling from the access equipment; tools or materials falling from the platform Step 7 The person on the platform, if it is set up on an unsuitable surface and shifts under them. Anyone passing or working underneath. Place access equipment on a firm, level surface. Keep tools and materials secure while working above ground. Paint or solvent vapour building up in the room Step 8 Decorators and occupants Keep non-essential people out while vapour remains. Do not paint in a room that cannot be ventilated. Unnecessary vapour, spills and fire load from open containers Step 9 Decorators and people nearby Keep products in labelled, suitable containers. Keep ignition sources away from flammable products. Breathing dust from old coatings, filler or the substrate Step 10 Decorators and people nearby Keep others out of the dusty area. Check extraction before sanding. Splashes, drips and strain from repeated or overhead painting Step 11 Decorators and occupants Use the product gloves and eye protection. Do not overreach from access equipment. People contact wet paint or slip on drips Step 12 Decorators, occupants and visitors Keep signs and barriers up while paint is wet. Clean drips and spills promptly. Worked example. Change it to fit your job before you use it. Page 4 of 5 Page 4 of 5
Example: Repainting occupied offices ComplyOnSite Hazard Who might be harmed and how Controls in place Paint or solvent being swallowed from contaminated hands or clothing Step 13 Decorators Provide washing facilities. Do not use solvent to clean paint from skin. Dust becoming airborne during clean-up Step 14 Decorators and people nearby Keep the area closed while cleaning. Empty the vacuum using the agreed method. Debris, tools or unfinished work left in the area Step 15 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 5 of 5 Page 5 of 5
Method statement and risk assessment, side by side Method statement The work in order, step by step.Example: Repainting occupied offices ComplyOnSite asbestos survey covers the textured ceilings: none found. A detector head goes off only with the building manager’s agreement: the second decorator checks that area while it is off, and it is back on before we leave. Emergency arrangements Fire bell: stop, close the tins and leave by Stair B. Do not use the lifts. Muster at Car Park C and report to the floor marshal. Fall from the podium: stop, do not move someone with a back or neck injury unless they are in danger. Spill or anyone unwell from the paint: open up, move staff away, stop using the product and bring the data sheet; tell the building manager at once. First aid: Reception, ext 200. Priya Shah rings 999; Reception meets the crew at the Mill Street door. 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 Check the paint information Read each label and safety data sheet before opening or mixing paint. Keep the product names with the RAMS. 4 Check preparation products Read labels and safety data sheets for cleaners, fillers and strippers. Set skin, eye and ventilation controls before use. 5 Check the surface as you go Compare the surface with the agreed description before scraping, filling or stripping. Stop if the material, coating or damage is different. 6 Check for asbestos before you disturb anything Check the asbestos survey covers exactly what you will disturb, to the full depth. Register only, or nothing: get a refurbishment survey or a sample first. Read what it says about old paint, textured coatings, boards and walls. No survey, or a material you do not recognise: stop and get it checked. 7 Set up access equipment Use access equipment suited to the task and work area. Check the equipment before use. Keep the area below the work controlled. 8 Set fresh air before painting Open doors and windows where the site allows it. Use the ventilation named by the product assessment. Worked example. Change it to fit your job before you use it. Page 2 of 5 Risk assessment Each hazard, who could be harmed, the controls in place and any further action.Example: Repainting occupied offices ComplyOnSite 9 Keep paint tins closed Close tins and containers when they are not being used. Clean spills with the agreed waste method. 10 Control sanding dust Use the sanding dust method named in this document, and stop if it fails. Wear an APF 20 mask (FFP3 or P3) for dusty sanding: fit tested and clean-shaven. 11 Apply the specified paint Use the specified brush or roller and follow the product order and drying instructions. 12 Keep people away from wet paint Mark or barrier wet areas and protect floors and fittings. Only hand the area back when the product allows it. 13 Wash before leaving the job Wash hands after painting and before eating, drinking or smoking. Change contaminated clothing where the assessment requires it. 14 Clean up without raising dust Use a suitable vacuum for settled dust and collect wet waste safely. Do not dry sweep or blow dust into the room. 15 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. Unknown paint hazards causing skin, eye or breathing exposure Step 3 Decorators and people nearby Use the product-specific controls. Stop if the label or safety data is missing or unclear. Worked example. Change it to fit your job before you use it. Page 3 of 5
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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