Roofing RAMS: Risk Assessments & Method Statements for UK Contractors
Build roofing risk assessments and roofing method statements in one place. Graftly helps UK roofing contractors document hazards, controls, residual risk, PDF exports and workforce sign-off from a phone, tablet or desktop — without starting from a blank template.
- Built for UK roof work
- Mobile-first
- PDF exports
- Workforce sign-off
Job
Pitched roof — tile replacement
14 Oak Street · Working at height
Working at height
Access and fall protection to confirm
Fragile surfaces
Roof condition and access to assess
Falling objects
Exclusion arrangements to define
Roof work moves fast. Your paperwork needs to keep up.
Roofing jobs often involve working at height, changing weather, access equipment, fragile surfaces, falling objects and subcontracted labour. Whether you are repairing a flat roof, replacing tiles, installing a new roof or carrying out maintenance, clients and main contractors often expect clear RAMS, risk assessments and method statements before work starts.
Graftly gives roofing teams a faster way to create, save, export and organise site safety documents, with records kept together by job and site. To brief your team before going up, use our working at height toolbox talk.
What should a roofing risk assessment and method statement include?
Roofing RAMS normally combines two documents: the risk assessment, which sets out what could go wrong, and the method statement, which sets out how the work will be done safely.
Roofing risk assessment
- The hazards involved in the roof work
- Who may be harmed, including other trades and the public
- Suitable control measures for the job
- Residual risk once those controls are in place
Roofing method statement
- Access arrangements to and from the work area
- The sequence of work, step by step
- Equipment and material handling
- Supervision, and the controls if conditions change
See our method statement template for a step-by-step structure.
Common roofing hazards Graftly helps you document.
Start from the risks that show up again and again on roof work, then adapt the controls to the job in front of you.
Working at height
Record how work at height will be avoided where possible, how falls will be prevented, and what further protection is needed for the specific task. Suitable collective protection should take priority over relying solely on personal protection.
Ladder work
Assess whether ladders are suitable for the particular low-risk, short-duration task and document how they will be inspected, positioned, secured and used.
Fragile roof surfaces
Identify potentially fragile roofing materials, rooflights and other areas that may not safely support a person's weight. Record the assessment, access restrictions and arrangements for preventing falls through the roof.
Falling objects
Plan controls for tools, materials, exclusion zones and people working below.
Manual handling
Record safe lifting, material movement, team handling and equipment use.
Adverse weather
Capture wind, rain, visibility and weather-related controls before and during roof work.
Access and egress
Keep clear records of how workers get to and from the work area safely.
Public or occupied areas
Document controls where work happens near clients, tenants, pedestrians or other trades.
Hot works and hazardous materials
Where applicable, assess fire risks from hot works and potential exposure to hazardous substances or materials, including those encountered on older roofs. Record the specialist assessments, permissions and controls required.
Roofing RAMS example: replacing damaged roof tiles
Here's an illustrative example of how a roofing risk assessment and method statement might be structured for replacing damaged tiles on a two-storey residential pitched roof.
It shows the information a contractor needs to consider, the types of hazards to assess and how the planned sequence of work should relate to the chosen controls.
This is a fictional example, not a completed assessment or ready-to-use method statement. The actual controls must be selected and reviewed by a competent person for the specific job.
What to check before work starts
- Roof condition: Roof type, pitch, condition, structural integrity, rooflights, openings and potentially fragile areas.
- Safe access: The proposed access equipment, fall-prevention measures and arrangements for inspecting them.
- People at risk: Roofers, other contractors, occupants, visitors and members of the public below.
- Materials and equipment: How tiles, tools and waste will be moved, stored and handled.
- Site conditions: Weather, ground conditions, access restrictions and activities taking place nearby.
- Supervision and emergencies: Worker competence, briefing arrangements, supervision, emergency procedures and any necessary rescue arrangements.
Example roofing hazards and control considerations
Hazard
Falls from roof edges or access equipment
Who could be harmed
Roofers and other workers.
Controls and arrangements to assess
Select suitable access and collective fall-prevention arrangements, check equipment condition and inspection requirements, and document the agreed system of work.
Hazard
Fragile roof areas, rooflights and openings
Who could be harmed
Roofers and anyone accessing the work area.
Controls and arrangements to assess
Identify potentially fragile areas, confirm the roof's condition through competent assessment, and plan how access and falls through the surface will be prevented.
Hazard
Falling tiles, tools and debris
Who could be harmed
Workers, occupants and members of the public below.
Controls and arrangements to assess
Define safe material-handling arrangements, appropriate segregation of the work area and measures to prevent falling objects.
Hazard
Manual handling of tiles and materials
Who could be harmed
Roofing operatives.
Controls and arrangements to assess
Assess loads, lifting routes, working positions and whether suitable handling or lifting equipment is needed.
Hazard
Changing weather or unsafe surface conditions
Who could be harmed
Roofing operatives.
Controls and arrangements to assess
Assess the impact of wind, rain, visibility and surface conditions. Record when work must stop and when the arrangements require reassessment.
These are illustrative considerations, not automatically sufficient controls. A generic example is not an approved or completed risk assessment.
Example roofing method statement sequence
- Review the job and roof conditions. Confirm the scope of work, assess the roof and surrounding area, identify significant hazards and agree the working method.
- Establish safe access and fall protection. Put the site-specific access and protection arrangements in place and confirm the required checks have been completed.
- Prepare and brief the work area. Establish appropriate exclusion arrangements, confirm equipment and materials, communicate the method to the workforce and review emergency procedures.
- Confirm conditions before starting. Check that the planned controls remain suitable and that the work area matches the assessed conditions.
- Remove damaged tiles. Carry out the removal using the agreed working method, with appropriate controls for tools, materials and waste.
- Install replacement tiles and inspect the work. Continue according to the agreed method, stopping to reassess if the weather, roof condition, work scope or other site circumstances change.
- Clear the area and hand over. Remove waste and equipment safely, complete final checks and record any necessary updates or sign-off.
Important: This example is for illustration only. Roofing work must be properly planned, assessed and carried out by competent people using controls appropriate to the actual site. A generic example should never be used as a substitute for a job-specific risk assessment and safe system of work.
For official guidance, see the HSE's roof work guidance.
Need the full document structure? See our RAMS template for UK trades.
From hazards to controls, without starting from scratch.
Graftly helps turn job details into a structured RAMS workflow. Add the site, choose the type of work, select relevant hazards, apply controls and review the document before export. Roofing contractors producing RAMS across several jobs may find a digital RAMS workflow easier to manage than repeatedly copying and editing old files, or you can start from the general RAMS template.
- 01
Add the job details
Record site name, location, work type, date and scope of work.
- 02
Select hazards and controls
Choose from practical roof-work hazards and adapt controls to the job.
- 03
Review, export and sign off
Check the document, export a PDF and request workforce sign-off where needed.
Method statements that explain how the work will be done.
A roofing method statement should explain the safe sequence of work: how access will be set up, what equipment will be used, how materials will be handled, how the work area will be controlled and what happens if conditions change.
- Describe the planned sequence of roof work
- Record equipment, access and supervision arrangements
- Connect the method back to the hazards and controls
- Export a clean PDF when a client or main contractor asks
See our method statement template for a step-by-step structure you can adapt to roof work.
Clean PDFs and records you can find later.
A RAMS document is only useful if you can share it, find it and show which version was used. Graftly keeps documents organised by site, lets you export PDFs and helps maintain a clearer record of what has been created, reviewed and signed off.
PDF exports
Create tidy PDFs for clients, contractors or your own records.
Document history
Keep track of documents by site, status and version.
Sign-off records
Ask workers or subcontractors to confirm they have read and understood the document.
Site logs
Keep incident, visitor and PPE records alongside your site documents.
Built for roofers who don’t have time for paperwork.
Graftly is designed for small teams and trades that need site paperwork to be quick, clear and practical. It works on phone, tablet and desktop, so you can start a document on site, finish it in the van and find it later when someone asks.
- Mobile-first workflows
- Built around UK site safety documentation
- Shaped with input from construction consultants with 40+ years on the tools
- Simple Solo and Team plans
- Reporting across your documents, incidents and site logs
Simple plans for different ways of working.
Graftly has straightforward Solo and Team monthly plans. Payments are securely processed by Stripe, with card, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Onelink available where supported.
Roofing RAMS FAQs
What should a roofing risk assessment and method statement include?
The risk assessment part should set out the hazards involved in the roof work, who may be affected, the control measures you will use and the residual risk once those controls are in place. The method statement part should describe access arrangements, the equipment being used, the sequence of work, supervision and what happens if conditions change. Both parts should reflect the actual job, site and people involved.
What are common hazards to include in roofing RAMS?
Typical roofing hazards include working at height, fragile roof surfaces, falling tools and materials, ladder and access equipment, manual handling of tiles and materials, adverse weather such as wind and rain, and work near the public, tenants or other trades. Include the hazards that actually apply to the job in front of you rather than a generic list.
Do roofing contractors need RAMS?
Roofing work often involves higher-risk activities such as working at height, access equipment, fragile surfaces and falling objects. Clients, main contractors and insurers may ask for RAMS or risk assessments before work starts. Graftly helps you create and organise those documents, but you should always make sure they reflect the actual job and site conditions.
Can Graftly create a roofing risk assessment?
Yes. Graftly lets you create risk assessments from a mobile-first workflow, select relevant hazards and controls, review the output and export a PDF.
Can I create a roofing method statement in Graftly?
Yes. Graftly supports method statements and RAMS workflows, helping you describe the planned sequence of work and the controls needed for the job.
Can workers sign off RAMS in Graftly?
Yes. Graftly supports workforce sign-off, so workers or subcontractors can confirm they have read and understood the relevant document.
Can I reuse the same roofing RAMS for different jobs?
You can use an existing RAMS as a starting point, but it must be reviewed and adapted for each job. Different roofs, access arrangements, workers, weather conditions and surrounding activities can introduce different risks. A document copied unchanged from another site may not reflect the work being carried out.
When should roofing RAMS be reviewed?
Review the RAMS before work begins and whenever something significant changes. This might include different access equipment, deteriorating weather, unexpected fragile areas, new contractors working nearby or a change in the planned scope. Workers should be briefed on relevant changes before continuing.
Is Graftly free?
Graftly has paid Solo and Team monthly plans. Payments are securely processed by Stripe, with debit and credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Onelink available where supported.
Create roofing RAMS without starting from a blank template.
Create your Graftly account and start creating practical RAMS, risk assessments, method statements and sign-off records from your phone, tablet or desktop.