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Suspended ceiling RAMS example

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Suspended ceiling RAMS example

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.

See the method statement on its ownDownload PDFDownload Word

What to change

  • Company, people, site and dates
  • Which tile and grid it is: the fit-out file, or stop
  • Whether a main tee or hanger is damaged: that is a different job
  • What is in the void and who isolates it
  • Mask class for the dust you will raise
  • Whether cutting tiles needs the alarm zone isolated
  • Who is in the building
  • Emergency arrangements

Sources

Checked

  1. ComplyOnSitecomplyonsite.comWORKED EXAMPLE: RISK ASSESSMENT AND METHOD STATEMENTReplacing damaged ceiling tiles and grid in anoccupied office, out of hoursHollins & Reed Interiors Ltd · 25 November 2026 (one evening) · In charge: Dan HollinsWorked example. Change it to fit your job before you use it.Job detailsCompanyHollins & Reed Interiors LtdSite and work areaThird floor, Bridge Court, 2 Wellington Road, StockportPlanned dates25 November 2026 (one evening)CustomerThornley Vale Estates LtdIn charge on siteDan HollinsTeamTwo people: Dan Hollins works from the podium; Priya Shah stays at theside of the podium, clear of the open grid, keeps the bay clear, andtakes each tile from him there. The building’s electrician comes for thestart and the finish.WorkReplacing damaged ceiling tiles and grid in an occupied office, out ofhoursPrepared byDan HollinsSignatureDateWork and boundariesSwap six stained tiles and two bent cross tees, hangers untouched. Areas: One bay of theopen-plan office, about 6 m², and the floor below itWorking arrangementAccess: a podium.Working height: grid at about 2.7 m; podium platform at about 0.9 m.Ground or floor: level carpeted raised floor.The work area will be kept clear of other people.Worked example. Change it to fit your job before you use it.Page 1 of 4
  2. Example: Replacing damaged ceiling tiles and grid in an occupied office, out of ho…ComplyOnSiteThe office is empty from 18:00, when we start; we finish by 21:00. A roof leak, since mended,stained six tiles and bent two cross tees in one bay. The building and its ceiling date from 2006,and the fit-out file names the tile and the grid, so the new ones match. The tiles are mineral fibre,15 mm thick and 600 mm square, about 1.6 kg each at the maker’s 4.5 kg/m². A wet one weighsmore, so it comes down in two hands. We use a podium, not steps, because lifting a tile out takesboth hands. The only powered tool is the vacuum, for a few minutes, and nothing is drilled, sothere is no noise above the lower action value of 80 dB. The mask is FFP3, a fit-tested disposablewith an APF of 20, the general level HSE gives for construction dust, though whole tiles with nocutting or sanding raise little. Nothing is cut or sanded, so the fire alarm stays live throughout. Oldtiles and tees go out in bags, down the goods lift, to our van.Emergency arrangementsFire: the building’s alarm stays live. Leave the podium, go down the east stair and report to thesecurity officer at the front desk at the Wellington Road assembly point. Anyone hurt, including a fallfrom the podium: Priya Shah rings 999, or Dan Hollins if she is the one hurt, and stays with thecasualty. Dan Hollins is the first aider; our kit is on the trolley in the bay. The security officer at thefront desk is told by phone, opens the front doors and brings the crew up in the east lift.Planned method1Set up the work areaConfirm the work area and scope before starting. Keep other people outside the active workarea. Keep entrances and escape routes clear.2Inspect the void before you startCheck the grid and hangers in the bay from below, and check the as-built drawings and fit-outfile cover the void, before a tile comes out. Stop if they do not.3Find and isolate what you will touchFind what is above the bay before you disturb anything: the as-built drawings and the fit-outfile. Mark what you find. Have the building’s electrician isolate the light panel beside the benttee, prove it dead and take it out. They put it back when the grid is done. Do not touch a cable,and cut nothing you do not own.4Stop things falling on people belowKeep people out of the area below the work so nobody walks under the materials and tools.Keep toe boards and guards in place on any platform, and lanyard tools where you can.5Set up the podiumSet the podium up as its manual says: full footprint on the floor, locks, gate, toe boards andstabilisers fitted, and checked before anyone climbs. Stand on the platform only, inside theguardrails, with no more than the load the manual allows. Come down before it moves. Nobodyrides it. Keep the area below the work controlled.6Carry the materials and equipment safelyPlan the route, clear it, and get help with anything long or heavy. Store materials close to thework so nobody carries further than they need to.Worked example. Change it to fit your job before you use it.Page 2 of 4
  3. Example: Replacing damaged ceiling tiles and grid in an occupied office, out of ho…ComplyOnSite7Keep tile dust downWear a fit-tested FFP3 mask, gloves and eye protection while old tiles come out. Lift tiles outwhole and lay them flat. Do not break, shake or sweep them. Vacuum the bay when the oldtiles are out. No dry brushing.8Take out the damaged tiles and teesLift each damaged tile up off the grid and bring it down flat. With the first one out, look throughthe opening with a torch for anything the drawings missed. Unclip each damaged cross tee.Leave the main tees and every hanger as they are. Stop if a main tee or hanger is damaged:that is a different job.9Fit the new tees and tilesClip new cross tees from the same system into the same slots, and check the grid is square.Lift each new tile through the opening and lower it into place. Full tiles only: nothing is cut.10Keep loads off the gridKeep lights, fittings and other loads on their own supports unless the approved system saysotherwise. Keep people out below while overhead work is under way.11Clear and hand back the areaRemove tools, waste and unused materials. Check the area is clean and ready to use. Tell thecustomer or whoever runs the site when the work is complete.Risk assessmentHazardWho might beharmed and howControls in placePeople entering thework area or trippingover materialsStep 1Workers,occupants andvisitorsMark or barrier the active work area. Store tools and materialsaway from access routes.Contact with hiddenservices orasbestos-containingmaterial in a crowdedceiling voidStep 2Ceiling installersand people belowUse the as-built drawings and fit-out file before opening thevoid. Stop and refer anything unknown before disturbing it.Hitting a live cable orgas pipe causesshock, fire or gasescapeStep 3The person doingthe work andeveryone nearbyCheck again wherever the work moves. If you hit something,stop, keep clear and report it.Materials and toolsfalling onto peoplebelowStep 4People belowBring waste down by hand or in bags. Never throw it. Keep theexclusion zone up until the last item is down.Worked example. Change it to fit your job before you use it.Page 3 of 4
  4. Example: Replacing damaged ceiling tiles and grid in an occupied office, out of ho…ComplyOnSiteHazardWho might beharmed and howControls in placeFalling from theaccess equipment;tools or materialsfalling from theplatformStep 5The person on theplatform, if it is setup on anunsuitable surfaceand shifts underthem. Anyonepassing or workingunderneath.Place access equipment on a firm, level surface. Keep toolsand materials secure while working above ground.Back and shoulderinjury from carryingheavy or long itemsStep 6Everyone handlingmaterialsUse a trolley or sack truck on the flat where the load suits one.Where the work is up a level, hand items up or hoist them.Never carry them up a ladder.Mineral fibre dustirritates skin, eyesand airwaysStep 7Ceiling installersand people belowBag old tiles at the podium as they come out. Wash beforeeating or drinking.A wet tile or loose teefalls onto someonebelowStep 8Ceiling installersand people belowKeep the area below the work clear. Do not lean on the grid orhang anything from it.A loose tee or tilefalls onto someonebelowStep 9Ceiling installersand people belowKeep the area below the work clear. Check every tee haslocked before a tile goes on it.Grid failure or afalling fitting causedby an unapprovedloadStep 10Everyone belowthe ceilingCheck the system and fitting support detail before loading thegrid. Create an exclusion area below overhead work.Debris, tools orunfinished work leftin the areaStep 11Workers,occupants andvisitorsRemove waste by the agreed route. Record and protect anyunfinished work.Worked example. Change it to fit your job before you use it.Page 4 of 4

Method statement and risk assessment, side by side

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.

Use an example, then make it yours

HSE says not to just copy an example and put your company name on it: that would not satisfy the law or protect your people.

The builder asks about your site and rewrites the hazards and steps.

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.