Scaffolding RAMS example Worked examples for common jobs, written with our builder. Read, download, adapt.
Build your own Choose a job Search jobs All Electrical Plumbing and ventilation Painting Roofing Groundworks and landscaping Carpentry and glazing Interiors Brickwork Access and lifting Demolition and strip out Welding Cleaning
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 Scaffolding RAMS example 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.
What to change Company, people, site and dates Lifts, height and what the users will load on it Wall construction and ties Pavement or road: licence and public protection Overhead lines Rescue plan and kit Emergency arrangements Sources Checked 2 November 2026
ComplyOnSite complyonsite.com WORKED EXAMPLE: RISK ASSESSMENT AND METHOD STATEMENT Erecting an independent tied scaffold on a two-storey house Hollins & Reed Scaffolding Ltd · 12 to 13 October 2026 · In charge: Dan Hollins Worked example. Change it to fit your job before you use it. Job details Company Hollins & Reed Scaffolding Ltd Site and work area 7 Orchard Close, Stockport Planned dates 12 to 13 October 2026 Customer Mr and Mrs Barlow In charge on site Dan Hollins Team Three scaffolders: Dan Hollins leads and checks the scaffold before handover; Tom Ellis and Priya Shah work with him. Work Erecting an independent tied scaffold on a two-storey house Prepared by Dan Hollins Signature Date Work and boundaries Erecting. Areas: Front and gable elevations, ground to eaves, two lifts; Pavement outside No. 7, kept behind barriers Working arrangement Erection fall protection: Advance guardrail system. Other people will be using the area. Independent tied scaffold to a TG20 compliance sheet: two lifts, general purpose 2 kN/m², no sheeting. The family stays at home; the front door stays clear as their way out. The exclusion zone and public protection go up before anything comes off the wagon. The highway licence for the pavement is held. Overhead lines were checked on the survey. The first-lift ladder comes off out of hours. Worked example. Change it to fit your job before you use it. Page 1 of 6 Page 1 of 6
Example: Erecting an independent tied scaffold on a two-storey house ComplyOnSite Emergency arrangements Fall into a harness: Tom Ellis and Priya Shah recover the person from the lift above, using the rescue kit on the wagon. 999 comes second: do not wait for them to do the rescue. Anyone hurt on the path or road: stop work, keep people away, close the bay. Scaffold touching an overhead line: stay clear, nobody touches the tube, ring the line owner. Scaffold moving or collapsing: everyone off and keep people away. Fire in the house: the family leaves by the front door. First aider: Tom Ellis, kit on the wagon. Dan Hollins rings 999, gives 7 Orchard Close, and meets the crew at the main road junction. 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 sheet or design first Keep the TG20 sheet, maker instructions or design on site. Brief the gang on the build order and how they will stay protected. 4 Set the boundary before work starts Fence off the base and the area below the work. Protect any public route, traffic route or overhead line beside it. 5 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 boards, soffits, sealants or insulation where ties and fixings go. No survey, or a material you do not recognise: stop and get it checked. 6 Find and isolate hidden services Find cables and pipes before you disturb anything: drawings, then a detector. Mark what you find. Not sure what is there? Turn the supply off, or do not start. Have cables and gas isolated by the right person and prove them dead before you start. 7 Check the weather before you start Do not lift or fix scaffold and loose materials in strong wind. Stop in heavy rain, ice or lightning. 8 Stop things falling on people below Keep people out of the area below the work so nobody walks under the tubes, boards, fittings and tools. Keep toe boards and guards in place on any platform, and lanyard tools where you can. Worked example. Change it to fit your job before you use it. Page 2 of 6 Page 2 of 6
Example: Erecting an independent tied scaffold on a two-storey house ComplyOnSite 9 Unload and stack on the agreed area Take nothing off the wagon until the boundary is up. Stack it on the agreed area and protect the pavement. 10 Set a firm, level base Put sole boards and base plates under every standard where the ground needs support. Check the ground or supporting structure before building up. 11 Build the base lift with fall protection Nobody steps onto a new lift until the fall method in this document is in place. Board the lift and fit guardrails and toe boards before it is used. Anyone within 1 m of an unprotected edge clips on. 12 Use advance guardrails Fit the advance guardrail from the lift below before anyone steps onto the new lift. Keep it in place until the lift is boarded and its own guardrails are in. 13 Tie and brace the base lift Install the planned ties and bracing in the order shown on the sheet or design. Keep every tie within its stated safe working load. 14 Fit the access ladder and secure it Fit it once the base lift is tied, before anyone works from that lift. It goes 1 m above the landing, at 65 to 75 degrees, and is tied. Out of hours, remove the bottom ladder or board it off. 15 Use the hoist Check the hoist's thorough examination report is in date and it can take the weight. Keep people out from underneath while a load is up. 16 Repeat for each lift For every lift, raise the materials by the agreed route, fit the fall protection, board it, then tie and brace it. Take the ladder up with the build, so nobody climbs the frame. 17 Block off what is not finished Mark any part that is not finished and physically block the way onto it. Do this before leaving site, as well as during the work. 18 Inspect before handing it over Check the finished scaffold, access, boards, guardrails, ties, toe boards and loading arrangements. Record the inspection and hand it over with the current tag or record visible. 19 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. Worked example. Change it to fit your job before you use it. Page 3 of 6 Page 3 of 6
Example: Erecting an independent tied scaffold on a two-storey house ComplyOnSite 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 scaffold built outside its design can collapse or expose the gang to falls Step 3 Scaffolders and people near the build Use a supervisor who knows the type and size of scaffold. Stop if the scaffold or site does not match the sheet or design. People or vehicles enter the scaffold work area or a tube reaches a live line Step 4 Scaffolders, other workers, the public and drivers Use barriers, signs and a banksman where the site needs them. Keep the agreed clearance from overhead lines. Breathing asbestos fibres from old boards, sheets, sealants or insulation Step 5 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. Hitting a live cable or gas pipe causes shock, fire or gas escape Step 6 The person doing the work and everyone nearby Check again wherever the work moves. If you hit something, stop, keep clear and report it. Wind catches the scaffold and loose materials or blows someone off balance at height Step 7 The team and people below Agree a wind limit for this work and check the forecast before you start. Tie down or take in loose materials before you leave. Tubes, boards, fittings and tools falling onto people below Step 8 People below Bring waste down by hand or in bags. Never throw it. Keep the exclusion zone up until the last item is down. Worked example. Change it to fit your job before you use it. Page 4 of 6 Page 4 of 6
Example: Erecting an independent tied scaffold on a two-storey house ComplyOnSite Hazard Who might be harmed and how Controls in place Tubes or boards fall on someone, or the wagon reverses into them Step 9 Scaffolders and the public Use a banksman if the wagon reverses. Nothing passes over people. Settlement or overturning from a weak, uneven or undermined base Step 10 Scaffolders and people nearby Provide extra support where the ground or structure cannot carry the scaffold and its loads. Keep the base safe from vehicles and excavations. A scaffolder falls while the next lift is being built Step 11 Scaffolders Use collective protection first. Do not free climb or step onto an unprotected lift. The fall-protection method is not used as the scaffold rises Step 12 Scaffolders Stop if this job's system is not available or suitable. Never replace collective protection with free climbing. The scaffold moves or collapses before it is stable Step 13 Scaffolders and people below Do not build beyond the last permitted tie. Keep incomplete lifts out of use. Someone climbs the scaffold out of hours, or falls using a loose ladder Step 14 Scaffolders, users and members of the public Check the ladder is removed or boarded before anyone leaves site. A load falls from the hoist onto someone below Step 15 People below the hoist Secure the scaffold materials before the lift. One person controls the lift and everyone can hear them. A fall from an unprotected lift, or from climbing the frame to reach it Step 16 The scaffolders Do not free climb. Finish one lift before starting the next. Someone walks onto an unfinished lift Step 17 Other trades and anyone on site overnight Keep incomplete lifts out of use. Other trades use an incomplete or unsuitable scaffold Step 18 Scaffold users and people below Keep it closed until the inspection is passed. Correct defects before other trades use it. Worked example. Change it to fit your job before you use it. Page 5 of 6 Page 5 of 6
Example: Erecting an independent tied scaffold on a two-storey house ComplyOnSite Hazard Who might be harmed and how Controls in place Debris, tools or unfinished work left in the area Step 19 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: Erecting an independent tied scaffold on a two-storey house ComplyOnSite Emergency arrangements Fall into a harness: Tom Ellis and Priya Shah recover the person from the lift above, using the rescue kit on the wagon. 999 comes second: do not wait for them to do the rescue. Anyone hurt on the path or road: stop work, keep people away, close the bay. Scaffold touching an overhead line: stay clear, nobody touches the tube, ring the line owner. Scaffold moving or collapsing: everyone off and keep people away. Fire in the house: the family leaves by the front door. First aider: Tom Ellis, kit on the wagon. Dan Hollins rings 999, gives 7 Orchard Close, and meets the crew at the main road junction. 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 sheet or design first Keep the TG20 sheet, maker instructions or design on site. Brief the gang on the build order and how they will stay protected. 4 Set the boundary before work starts Fence off the base and the area below the work. Protect any public route, traffic route or overhead line beside it. 5 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 boards, soffits, sealants or insulation where ties and fixings go. No survey, or a material you do not recognise: stop and get it checked. 6 Find and isolate hidden services Find cables and pipes before you disturb anything: drawings, then a detector. Mark what you find. Not sure what is there? Turn the supply off, or do not start. Have cables and gas isolated by the right person and prove them dead before you start. 7 Check the weather before you start Do not lift or fix scaffold and loose materials in strong wind. Stop in heavy rain, ice or lightning. 8 Stop things falling on people below Keep people out of the area below the work so nobody walks under the tubes, boards, fittings and tools. Keep toe boards and guards in place on any platform, and lanyard tools where you can. 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: Erecting an independent tied scaffold on a two-storey house ComplyOnSite 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 scaffold built outside its design can collapse or expose the gang to falls Step 3 Scaffolders and people near the build Use a supervisor who knows the type and size of scaffold. Stop if the scaffold or site does not match the sheet or design. People or vehicles enter the scaffold work area or a tube reaches a live line Step 4 Scaffolders, other workers, the public and drivers Use barriers, signs and a banksman where the site needs them. Keep the agreed clearance from overhead lines. Breathing asbestos fibres from old boards, sheets, sealants or insulation Step 5 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. Hitting a live cable or gas pipe causes shock, fire or gas escape Step 6 The person doing the work and everyone nearby Check again wherever the work moves. If you hit something, stop, keep clear and report it. Wind catches the scaffold and loose materials or blows someone off balance at height Step 7 The team and people below Agree a wind limit for this work and check the forecast before you start. Tie down or take in loose materials before you leave. Tubes, boards, fittings and tools falling onto people below Step 8 People below Bring waste down by hand or in bags. Never throw it. Keep the exclusion zone up until the last item is down. 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.
Template Examples Builder 