RAMS for Roofers
Generate compliant risk assessments covering falls, hot works, and fragile surfaces in under 2 minutes. WAHR 2005, HSG33, CDM 2015, and COSHH cited automatically.
Built with UK health & safety regulations in mind
Falls from roofs kill more construction workers in the UK than any other single cause. The HSE prosecutes roofing contractors every year for inadequate risk assessments, no edge protection, and failure to identify fragile roof surfaces before work begins. A roofing RAMS is not a box-ticking exercise: it is the document that demonstrates you have thought about the hazards and put controls in place before a single operative sets foot on a roof.
The complication for roofing contractors is the sheer variety of work the trade covers. A new-build tiled roof on a residential development requires different RAMS to a flat roof membrane replacement on a commercial unit, a heritage slate roof on a listed building, or a green roof installation on a multi-storey development. Add hot works permits for bitumen torch-on, COSHH requirements for roofing chemicals, and the fragile roof surface requirements of HSG33, and writing compliant RAMS manually takes time that most roofing contractors cannot spare between jobs.
swiftRMS generates a roofer RAMS in under 2 minutes. Specify the roof type, work task, access method, and site conditions. Get a compliant PDF that cites WAHR 2005, HSG33, CDM 2015, and the relevant COSHH requirements. Ready to hand to a principal contractor or building owner.
What Roofers RAMS Must Include
Compliant risk assessments for roofers work must cover these specific areas
Fragile roof surface identification and controls
HSG33 (Health and Safety in Roof Work) requires that all roof surfaces are assessed for fragility before access. Fragile materials include fibre cement (asbestos and non-asbestos), certain glass rooflights, and aged plastic sheets. RAMS must document surface type and specify the use of crawling boards, roof ladders, or platforms as appropriate.
Edge protection and collective fall prevention
WAHR 2005 Regulation 6 requires collective fall protection to be used in preference to personal fall protection where practicable. RAMS must specify the edge protection system: scaffolding, proprietary edge protection, or safety nets, and justify the choice.
Hot works procedure
Torch-on felt and bitumen-based materials require a hot works permit. RAMS must cover fire watch, extinguisher provision, clearance distances, and the minimum 60-minute post-work monitoring requirement.
COSHH assessment for roofing chemicals
Bitumen fumes, roofing adhesives, solvents in single-ply membrane systems, and moss and algae treatments are all subject to COSHH Regulations 2002. Exposure limits (WEL) must be referenced.
Fragile rooflight and roof panel controls
WAHR 2005 Schedule 2 specifically prohibits unprotected work on fragile surfaces. RAMS must detail how rooflights are identified, marked, and physically guarded.
Emergency and rescue plan
WAHR 2005 requires that a rescue plan is in place before work at height begins. For personal fall protection, this means having a rescue operative on site, not just a harness.
Common Roofers Tasks That Require RAMS
Generate RAMS for any of these tasks in minutes, not hours
Pitched roof tiling (new build and reroofing)
Working at height on sloped surfaces: WAHR 2005 applies throughout. RAMS must cover scaffolding design, eaves scaffold, roof ladders, and tile material handling (manual handling regulations apply for heavy concrete tiles).
Flat roof membrane installation (single-ply, felt, liquid)
COSHH applies to adhesives and solvents in single-ply systems. Torch-on felt requires hot works permit. RAMS must cover fire risk and adequate ventilation.
Lead flashing and chimney work
Working at height on pitched roofs near chimneys and parapets. Lead is a COSHH substance: hand-to-mouth contamination risk must be addressed. Lead fumes from soldering must be assessed.
Green roof and living roof installation
Heavy loading: RAMS must confirm structural adequacy has been checked. Substrate materials, irrigation systems, and multiple visits over a growing season each require consideration.
Roof inspection and survey
Even inspection work at height falls under WAHR 2005. RAMS must cover access method, fragile surface protocol, and lone working controls where applicable.
Industrial and commercial roof repair
Large spans, fragile surface materials, and no edge protection as found on many industrial buildings. These are the highest-risk reroofing scenarios. RAMS must be detailed and site-specific.
Solar panel installation on pitched roofs
Combination of roof work and electrical installation. WAHR 2005 applies throughout. RAMS must cover both the roofing hazards and the electrical isolation requirements during PV installation.
UK Legislation for Roofers Risk Assessments
Every RAMS automatically cites the relevant UK legislation and industry standards
Work at Height Regulations 2005 (WAHR)
The fundamental legislation for all roofing work. Regulation 6 establishes the hierarchy: avoid work at height, use collective fall prevention, then personal fall protection. RAMS must demonstrate this hierarchy has been considered.
HSG33: Health and Safety in Roof Work
The HSE's industry-specific guidance. Covers fragile roof assessment, edge protection requirements, and safe working practices for all roofing types. Not statutory but considered the benchmark for competent roofing practice.
CDM Regulations 2015
Roofing on a construction project brings CDM obligations. Even domestic re-roofing projects may be notifiable if they run for more than 30 working days or 500 person-days.
COSHH Regulations 2002
Applies to bitumen fumes, solvents, adhesives, lead, and algae/moss treatments. Workplace Exposure Limits (WELs) for bitumen fumes are specified in EH40.
Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
Requires suitable and sufficient risk assessment. Roofing employers cannot rely on a pre-written generic document.
Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992
Roof tiles, slates, and roll materials are heavy and awkward. RAMS must address manual handling at height.
How swiftRMS Generates Roofers RAMS
swiftRMS prompts you for the specific information that makes a roofing RAMS useful: the roof type (pitched, flat, industrial), the surface material (tiles, single-ply, felt, metal), the access method (scaffold, MEWP, roof ladder), and whether hot works are involved.
The output cites WAHR 2005 by regulation number, references HSG33 for fragile surface controls, and includes the relevant COSHH entries for your specified materials. If hot works are involved, a hot works procedure section is automatically included.
The PDF produced by swiftRMS is formatted to the standard expected by principal contractors and is structured around the hierarchy of control, demonstrating due diligence in how you have approached fall risk, surface hazards, and chemical exposure. Most roofers complete the process in under 2 minutes per task type.
Frequently Asked Questions
Under health and safety law, a suitable and sufficient risk assessment is required for all work activities, including domestic roofing. Even if the principal contractor does not ask for a formal RAMS document, you are legally required to have assessed the risks. swiftRMS produces a document that satisfies this requirement and can be stored as your record.
HSG33 identifies the following as fragile unless proven otherwise: fibre cement sheets (including asbestos cement), glass and plastic rooflights, liner panels in metal roof systems, and any roof surface that shows deterioration or damage. Before work begins, RAMS must document whether the surface has been tested or assumed fragile.
Yes. Wherever a naked flame is used, hot works controls are required. The RAMS must document the permit procedure: who issues it, what the clearance distances are, fire watch duration (minimum 60 minutes post-work), and what fire suppression is on hand.
Where the roof construction is identical across all plots and site conditions are consistent, a single RAMS can cover the development type. However, if site access, scaffolding design, or roof type varies between plots, separate RAMS are needed.
Generate Your First Roofers RAMS Free
No credit card required. Generate a compliant, legislation-cited RAMS in under 2 minutes and download the PDF immediately.