Method Statement for Roof Covering — UK
A free, NFRC-aligned method statement for UK roof covering — single-ply membrane, built-up felt and standing-seam metal — covering edge protection, hot works permits, COSHH for adhesives, and the wind-uplift checks that protect the building after handover.
UK (RAMS) example document — Two-Storey Rear Extension — 14 Birchwood Lane, Reading. Client: Mr & Mrs A. Whitfield (Private Client). Site: 14 Birchwood Lane, Reading, RG1 5JT. Scope: Construction of a two-storey rear extension (6.4m × 4.2m) to an existing semi-detached dwelling. Works comprise breaking out of existing rear elevation, trench-fill foundations to 1.0m, traditional cavity blockwork to first floor, pre-stressed concrete lintels, timber roof structure with natural slate finish, plus alterations to existing rear wall to form structural opening with rolled steel joist (RSJ 203×102 UB23). Works programmed over 9 weeks with a peak site team of 6 operatives. Hazards assessed: Manual handling — blocks, lintels, plasterboard, Working at height — independent scaffold & roof structure, Buried services strike during excavation, Collapse of excavation / trench wall, Hand-arm vibration (HAVS) — breaking out, drilling, Silica dust — cutting blocks, brick, concrete, Vehicle/pedestrian segregation — narrow domestic street.
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- Site-specific draft
- Roof Covering hazards baked in
- Ready for competent-person review
Built around recognised UK method statement structure — hazards, controls, sequence, PPE and sign-off. Ready for competent-person review.
Roof covering is a distinct trade from structural roofing — it is the membrane, felt or metal-sheet layer that keeps water out, and it has its own NFRC accreditation, its own competence standards (CITB Roofing Occupations) and its own hazard profile. The HSE's annual construction fatalities review keeps the same top entry: falls from roofs (38% of construction fatalities in 2023/24). And the wind-uplift failures in storms Eunice (2022) and Babet (2023) made it clear that the post-installation fixing schedule matters as much as the worker safety controls. This page sets out what a defensible UK roof covering MS looks like in 2026 — fall protection, hot works, COSHH, fixing pattern and wind-uplift — with a free editable template.
When is it required?
Roof covering on any UK site under CDM 2015 needs a written MS before the membrane arrives, demanded by the principal contractor alongside the NFRC competent-roofer card (or equivalent CITB Roofing Occupations card), the hot works permit template, the manufacturer's wind-uplift calculation for the specific roof zone (corner, edge, field), the COSHH assessments for adhesives, primers and cleaners, and the lift plan for any membrane roll above 30 kg. For commercial single-ply systems the manufacturer's installer accreditation (e.g. Sika-Trocal, Sarnafil, Resitrix) is mandatory for the warranty.
What a good one looks like
A defensible roof covering MS runs to 8–12 pages and names every specific. It identifies the system (e.g. 'Sarnafil S327-15EL 1.5mm single-ply mechanically fastened'), the fixing schedule by roof zone (e.g. '3.0 fixings/m² field, 6.0/m² edge, 9.0/m² corner per FM Global RoofNav and the wind-uplift calc'), the edge protection (scaffold to NASC SG4:22 or proprietary edge-protection system), the hot works regime (where applicable for felt or hot-air welded laps), and the warranty sign-off chain. It cross-references the NFRC accreditation, the manufacturer install guide and the wind-uplift report. It is signed by the NFRC competent roofer who will be on the roof.
Roof Covering hazards & controls
The site-specific hazards a roof covering MS must address, with the controls that take residual risk to an acceptable level.
| Hazard | Persons at risk | Controls | Residual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Falls from roof edge (the single largest construction-fatality cause) | Roofers, labourers, anyone below | Continuous edge protection on every leading edge — scaffold to NASC SG4:22, proprietary system (e.g. Combisafe), or netting beneath; no work within 2m of an unprotected edge; harness as last-resort backup only with engineered anchor; safety net for industrial low-slope <10° where edge protection is impractical | Medium |
| Falls through fragile roof (rooflights, fibre-cement, profile) | Roofers, follower trades | Pre-start fragility survey; every rooflight crawl-board-protected or netted; ACR Red Book identification of every panel type; walk-only on the line of the bolt heads; no traffic on lights without a permit-to-traverse signed by the supervisor | Medium |
| Fire — hot works (torch-on felt, hot-air welding, soldering of leadwork) | Roofers, building occupants | Hot works permit issued daily and signed back when work stops; CO2 + foam extinguishers within 5m of every torch; fire watch for 60 minutes after last flame; combustibles cleared within 11m; thermal imaging camera check of the deck at end of shift | Medium |
| COSHH — solvent-based adhesives, primers, cleaners (single-ply) | Roofers, follower trades | COSHH sheet on site for every product; nitrile gloves; mechanical ventilation in any enclosed bay; FFP3 RPE in any enclosed application; no smoking within 5m; spill kit on roof; ground crew briefed on vapour drift | Low |
| Manual handling — membrane rolls (15–45 kg), insulation packs | Roofers | Two-person lift on rolls >25 kg; roller dolly on the deck; powered lift (Genie or Hiab) of rolls and insulation packs to deck level — no walking up ladders with rolls; rotation between fixers and labourers | Medium |
| Manual handling and posture — fastener installation (auto-fixing guns) | Roofers | Stand-up fixing tools (e.g. SFS NV1) wherever possible — eliminates kneeling; knee pads for any kneeling work; rotation between fixing and detailing; HAVS register for any powered fixing tool >5 m/s² vibration emission | Low |
| Wind uplift during install (partial system before mechanical fix complete) | Building occupants, roofers, public | Stop-work threshold at 25 mph sustained or 38 mph gusts for membrane laying; no unfixed membrane left overnight; sandbags or temporary ballast across freshly laid sheet ahead of fixing pattern; anemometer at the deck logging hourly | Medium |
| Falling tools and materials onto people below | Other trades, public | Tool tethers above 2m; bucket-and-line for fasteners; debris netting on scaffold; perimeter exclusion zone with hard barriers and signage; banksman on the boundary of any public footway | Low |
Step-by-step sequence
- 1
1. Pre-mobilisation & briefing
NFRC card photographed; hot works permit template confirmed with principal contractor; wind-uplift report reviewed against the actual fixing pattern; manufacturer's install guide on site; toolbox talk on this MS plus the fragility survey.
- 2
2. Edge protection & access
Scaffold to NASC SG4:22 with daily handover, or proprietary edge protection (Combisafe) erected and inspected. Material hoist or Genie to deck. Tool and material lay-down area on the deck cordoned off from work zone.
- 3
3. Substrate prep
Substrate cleaned, primed where the system requires, insulation laid and mechanically fixed per the wind-uplift schedule. Vapour barrier laid first on warm-roof builds with full laps sealed.
- 4
4. Membrane lay & fix
Membrane rolled out parallel to the prevailing wind direction; lapped per manufacturer (typical 80–100mm on single-ply); mechanically fixed within 30 minutes of laying — no unfixed sheet left overnight. Fixing pattern recorded by bay.
- 5
5. Hot-air welding / hot works (single-ply / felt)
Welds run with Leister Triac AT or equivalent at the calibrated speed and temperature; test welds taken each morning for shear and peel; visual probe of every lap. For torch-on felt: hot works permit live, fire watch in place, no unattended torches.
- 6
6. Detailing — upstands, penetrations, outlets
Pre-formed corners and termination bars per the manufacturer; outlets dressed and bonded; upstand to 150mm minimum above finished surface (Approved Document C). Photographed before being closed by ballast or paving.
- 7
7. Wind-uplift sign-off & handover
Independent wind-uplift inspection where the warranty requires (Sika-Trocal, Sarnafil etc.); fixing schedule signed off by manufacturer's surveyor; manufacturer warranty issued. MS, COSHH register and warranty bundled to the O&M file.
2,400m² single-ply re-roof, 1990s distribution warehouse, occupied during works
A Greater Manchester roofing contractor working on a 2,400m² Sarnafil S327-15EL re-roof of an occupied distribution warehouse documented a 12-page method statement that the manufacturer's technical surveyor signed off without revision. Key entries: NASC SG4:22 perimeter scaffold with daily handover, plus Combisafe edge protection for two phased sections where the scaffold couldn't be erected; wind-uplift calculation by Sarnafil giving 3.2 fixings/m² in the field, 6.4 at the edges and 9.6 at the corners; SFS NV1 stand-up fixing tools for all field fasteners (eliminated kneeling for two operatives); Leister Triac AT hot-air welders calibrated to 460°C at 4.5m/min with a test weld taken every morning for shear and peel; sandbags pre-positioned to ballast any newly laid sheet within 2 hours of layout if wind picked up. Hot works permit was raised daily for the detailing of upstands with hot-air welding (no torch-on work on this contract); CO2 + foam extinguishers within 5m of every welder and a 60-minute fire watch after last weld. 2,400m² completed in 11 days, zero RIDDOR incidents, zero call-backs, full 20-year Sarnafil warranty issued. The MS, the wind-uplift report and the manufacturer's site-inspection record were the three documents that closed the package out.
Or build a site-specific roof covering MS in 5 minutes
The free template is a blank Word document. The Riskora builder ships with the roof covering hazard library baked in — pick the preset, edit the site-specific bits, download a signed PDF.
Common mistakes that get a roof covering MS rejected
- ·Leaving unfixed membrane on the deck overnight — the single most common cause of storm-related uplift failure within 12 months of installation
- ·Treating the fixing schedule as uniform across the roof — corners need 3× the fixings of the field, and FM Global RoofNav makes that explicit
- ·Hot works without a permit, fire watch or extinguisher — a 2022 prosecution of a flat-roof contractor in Birmingham resulted in a £350,000 fine after a torch-on fire ignited combustible insulation
- ·Relying on harness-and-anchor where edge protection is reasonably practicable — the WAH Regs 2005 hierarchy requires collective protection first
- ·Walking on fragile rooflights because they 'look the same' as the cladding — every ACR Red Book panel type must be identified before access
- ·Using the wrong adhesive for the substrate temperature — solvent adhesives have a minimum application temperature (typically 5°C) below which the bond fails silently
Frequently asked questions
What's the wind-uplift fixing pattern for a single-ply roof?
It depends on the building height, location, and roof zone (field/edge/corner). The system manufacturer provides the calculation (typically against FM Global RoofNav or BS EN 1991-1-4). Corner zones typically require 2.5–3× the fixing density of field zones — getting this wrong is the single largest cause of long-term uplift failure.
Is torch-on felt still allowed on UK roofs?
Yes, but the NFRC's SafeToWork code, the principal contractor's permit-to-work regime and the building insurer's hot-works conditions all apply. A growing number of insurers now refuse cover for any torch-on flat-roof work — check before the MS is signed off.
How do I handle fragile rooflights?
Pre-start fragility survey identifies every panel using the ACR Red Book. Each rooflight is either replaced with a non-fragile alternative before access, crawl-board-covered and netted, or completely excluded from the work zone. Walking on fibre-cement or polycarbonate without crawl boards is the single largest cause of fatal falls through roofs.
What's the wind stop-work threshold?
Industry default is 25 mph sustained or 38 mph gusts (Beaufort 7+) for membrane laying — unfixed sheets become uncontrollable above this. Manufacturer instructions take precedence. An anemometer at the deck logged hourly is the defensible record.
Who issues the wind-uplift report?
The membrane manufacturer's technical department, based on building height, geographic wind speed (BS EN 1991-1-4 UK National Annex), and roof geometry. The MS must reference the report number and date — generic uplift assumptions are not acceptable on warranted systems.
Related method statements & RAMS
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