RAMS for Signage Installers: A Practical Guide for UK Contractors
If you install signs for a living — whether that's shopfronts, wayfinding systems, illuminated fascias or large-format building graphics — you'll almost certainly be asked to produce RAMS before you're allowed on site. A RAMS is a Risk Assessment combined with a Method Statement, and for signage contractors it's not just a box-ticking exercise. Done properly, it protects your workers, satisfies your client's principal contractor, and demonstrates that you've actually thought about how the job will be done safely.
Here's what good RAMS for signage installers actually looks like.
What a RAMS Is (and Isn't)
A Risk Assessment identifies the hazards on your job, who could be harmed, and what controls you're putting in place. This duty comes from Regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
A Method Statement describes how you'll carry out the work — the sequence of tasks, the plant and equipment you'll use, the people involved, and the emergency arrangements.
Together they form a RAMS. They are two distinct documents, often presented as one. Don't confuse a RAMS with a Fire Risk Assessment, which is a separate legal document under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and requires no method statement.
The Hazards Signage Installers Actually Face
Signage work spans a surprisingly wide range of risk. A single job might involve all of the following:
- Work at height — using ladders, podium steps, MEWPs (cherry pickers, scissor lifts) or roof access to fix high-level signs
- Manual handling — large ACM panels, built-up lettering trays and steel structures are often heavy and awkward
- Power tools — drills, grinders, jigsaws and impact drivers create noise, vibration and projectile risks
- Electrical work — connecting illuminated signs to mains supplies (must be carried out by a competent person)
- Adhesives and solvents — bonding agents, vinyl primers and cleaning fluids are frequently hazardous substances
- Fragile surfaces — rooftop installations may involve fragile roofing materials
- Public and third-party exposure — much signage work happens on live retail and commercial premises with members of the public nearby
- Structural fixings — drilling into masonry, steel or unknown substrates can disturb asbestos-containing materials
Work at Height: The Critical Element
The Work at Height Regulations 2005 require you to avoid working at height where reasonably practicable, and where it cannot be avoided, to use the most appropriate equipment in a planned, supervised and competent manner.
For signage installers, the practical hierarchy looks like this:
- Eliminate — can the sign be assembled and pre-wired at ground level to minimise time at height?
- Collective protection — a scaffold platform or MEWP is preferable to a ladder for any task that takes more than a few minutes or requires two hands
- Ladder use — only suitable for short-duration, light-duty tasks where a better option genuinely isn't practicable; must be tied or footed
- PPE — harnesses are a last resort for fall arrest, not a substitute for proper access equipment
Your method statement must specify the access equipment to be used, the rescue plan if someone becomes suspended in a harness, and the inspection regime for your equipment (LOLER applies to MEWPs; PUWER applies to ladders and podium steps).
COSHH Assessments Within Your RAMS
Many signage installers use adhesive primers, two-part bonding agents, spray paints or solvent-based cleaners. These trigger the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH). You must assess the health risks and put controls in place before work starts.
Check the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for every product. Your COSHH section should note:
- The substance and form it's used in (liquid, aerosol, vapour)
- The exposure route (inhalation, skin absorption)
- Workplace Exposure Limits where applicable
- Controls: ventilation first, RPE (respiratory protective equipment) as a last resort
Never simply list "wear a mask" without specifying the correct mask type — P3 for particulates, A2 for organic vapour, or a combined filter if the SDS requires it.
Asbestos Awareness
Older buildings (pre-2000) may have asbestos-containing materials in soffits, ceiling tiles, panels or render — exactly the surfaces signage is often fixed to. Before drilling, check whether an asbestos survey exists and is available. This is a specific duty under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. If in doubt, stop and seek the survey. Your method statement should include a statement on how this has been checked.
Writing the Method Statement: Key Sections
A method statement for signage installation work should cover:
| Section | What to Include |
|---|---|
| Scope of works | Exact sign types, locations, dimensions |
| Sequence of operations | Step-by-step from site arrival to completion |
| Access equipment | Type, LOLER/PUWER compliance, operator competency |
| Fixing method | Substrate, drill sizes, anchor type, torque values where relevant |
| Electrical connections | Competent person, isolation procedure |
| Exclusion zones | How public and third parties are kept clear |
| Emergency arrangements | First aid, rescue plan, nearest hospital |
| PPE schedule | Task-specific, not just a generic list |
Who Signs Off the RAMS?
Your RAMS should be written by someone competent — ideally the person running the job who understands the actual risks. It must be reviewed before work starts, briefed to every operative on site (a toolbox talk counts), and signed to confirm they've understood it. Keep a copy on site and retain records.
If you're working under a principal contractor under CDM 2015, submit your RAMS before mobilisation — they have a duty to check it and you have a duty to cooperate.
Keeping It Relevant
Generic RAMS get rejected by experienced site managers for good reason — they don't reflect the actual job. A RAMS written for a ground-floor window vinyl should look nothing like one written for a rooftop illuminated halo-lit fascia. Tailor it every time. That's what makes it genuinely useful rather than just paperwork.