RAMS for Painters and Decorators: A Practical Guide
If you're a painter or decorator working on commercial sites, housing developments, or for a principal contractor, you'll almost certainly be asked to provide RAMS before you start. RAMS stands for Risk Assessment + Method Statement — two separate documents that together show you've thought through the hazards in your work and planned how to carry it out safely.
This guide explains what good RAMS looks like for painting and decorating work, what law sits behind it, and what inspectors and principal contractors actually expect to see.
Why Painters and Decorators Need RAMS
Under Regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, every employer — and self-employed person who could affect others — must carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment. If you have five or more employees you must record it in writing; in practice, putting it in writing is good discipline regardless of team size.
On construction and refurbishment projects, CDM 2015 adds further requirements. If you're a contractor on a notifiable project, your RAMS feed into the principal contractor's construction phase plan. Even on smaller jobs, principal contractors routinely require site-specific RAMS from all sub-trades before they allow work to begin.
The Risk Assessment: Key Hazards for Painting Work
Your risk assessment must identify the real hazards in your specific work — not a generic list copied from the internet. Common significant hazards for painters and decorators include:
Work at height This is the biggest cause of serious injury in the trade. The Work at Height Regulations 2005 require you to avoid working at height where reasonably practicable, then to prevent falls, then to mitigate the consequences if a fall occurs — in that order. Specify the exact access equipment you'll use (hop-up, podium steps, tower scaffold, mobile elevating work platform) and confirm it is suitable, inspected, and erected or used in line with manufacturer guidance and, where relevant, TG20 or the PASMA code of practice.
Hazardous substances (COSHH) Many paints, primers, thinners, strippers and adhesives contain substances that can harm health — isocyanates in two-pack coatings, solvents, chromates in some primers, and sensitising biocides. Under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), you must assess the risk from each substance, apply the hierarchy of controls, and — where exposure cannot be adequately controlled by other means — provide suitable RPE. Always check the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for each product you use. COSHH assessments can sit within your RAMS or as linked documents.
Lead paint On older properties (pre-1970s particularly), assume lead paint may be present until proven otherwise. Disturbance of lead paint triggers specific COSHH controls: wet methods, HEPA-filtered LEV or RPE (minimum FFP3), and controlled waste disposal.
Manual handling — carrying heavy buckets, moving access equipment.
Slips and trips — dust sheets, trailing leads, wet floors.
Working in occupied premises — members of the public, vulnerable people, or other trades in the vicinity.
Electrical hazards — working near lighting, sockets, or unprotected wiring before first-fix is completed.
For each hazard, record: who is at risk, existing controls already in place, and any additional controls you will apply. The risk rating (likelihood × severity) before and after controls gives you a residual risk — this should be low before you proceed.
The Method Statement: How the Work Gets Done
The method statement is a plain-language, step-by-step description of how you'll carry out the job safely. It isn't a legal requirement in its own right, but it complements the risk assessment and is standard on most commercial and construction sites.
A good method statement for painting and decorating work typically covers:
- Scope of work — what surfaces, what products, what areas
- Sequence of operations — surface preparation, priming, undercoat, finish coats
- Access arrangements — which equipment, how it's erected or positioned, inspection frequency
- Substance controls — ventilation requirements, LEV or RPE for specific products
- Waste and spillage — how paint waste, solvent rags and empty containers are stored and disposed of
- Emergency arrangements — first aid provision, nearest eye-wash, what to do if a spill occurs
- Supervision and competence — who is in charge, what training or qualifications operatives hold (e.g. PASMA, IPAF, relevant NVQ or apprenticeship)
Common Mistakes to Avoid
| Mistake | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Generic, unedited templates | Won't reflect your actual job — a site manager will spot it immediately |
| Listing PPE as the only control | PPE is last in the hierarchy; show engineering and admin controls first |
| Missing COSHH for specific products | Each hazardous substance needs its own assessment |
| No reference to access equipment type | "Working at height" alone isn't sufficient — be specific |
| No signatures or dates | RAMS should be signed by the author and reviewed before each new task or significant change |
Keeping RAMS Live
RAMS are not a one-off document. Review them when the scope changes, when you move to a different floor or area, when a near-miss occurs, or when a new product is introduced. Brief your operatives on the content before work begins — a toolbox talk record shows you've done this.
Writing accurate, site-specific RAMS takes a little time, but it demonstrates professionalism, protects your workers, and gives principal contractors confidence that you're a safe pair of hands on site.