RAMS for Tiling Work (UK)
By the Riskora Editorial Team · Reviewed against our editorial standards · Last reviewed
Tiling work generates respirable crystalline silica from wet and dry cutting, exposes operatives to adhesive and grout sensitisers, and creates serious manual-handling and slip hazards. Riskora generates a structured tiling RAMS that addresses these risks specifically — not as generic construction line items.
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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What should a tiling RAMS cover?
A tiling RAMS must cover silica dust control during cutting (water suppression or LEV), COSHH controls for adhesives and grouts (skin sensitisers, isocyanates in some products), manual handling of tile boxes and large-format tiles, kneeling and stooped working postures, slip hazards from wet adhesives and floor preparation, electrical safety for wet cutting, and disposal of cementitious waste. It should reference HSG258 for dust and the COSHH Regulations 2002 for chemical exposures.
Tiling Hazards Are Routinely Underestimated
Tiling looks low-risk compared to working at height or excavation, but it accounts for a steady stream of long-latency health claims in the UK construction sector. Dry-cutting porcelain or natural stone with an angle grinder generates respirable silica well above the workplace exposure limit. Cement-based grouts and adhesives cause irritant and allergic dermatitis. Sustained kneeling damages knees and lower back. And wet floors during preparation and grouting are a leading cause of same-level slip injuries. A generic construction RAMS will not address any of these in the detail a principal contractor expects. UK risk-assessment law requires controls to be specific to the actual hazards present.
HSE's HSG258 makes clear that dry-cutting tiles without water suppression or LEV will exceed the silica workplace exposure limit within minutes. Tiling RAMS must specify the cutting method and the dust control.
How Riskora Helps
Riskora's tiling preset loads silica-dust controls (wet cutting, on-tool extraction, FFP3 RPE), COSHH lines for cement-based and epoxy adhesives, manual-handling controls for large-format tiles, kneeling-pad and rotation requirements, and slip-management procedures for wet phases. You confirm the site specifics — adhesive product, cutting method, area type — and download a document a competent person would recognise as fit for purpose. For the standalone risk-assessment portion you can also use our risk assessment builder.
Who it's for
- Tiling subcontractors submitting RAMS for new-build apartment fit-outs
- Bathroom and wet-room installers documenting waterproofing and tiling phases
- Commercial fit-out contractors tiling kitchens, washrooms and back-of-house areas
- Natural stone specialists handling large-format porcelain and stone slabs
Understand the Fundamentals
Before you generate your document, these guides cover the knowledge that underpins every good RAMS, risk assessment, and method statement.
What Is a RAMS Document?
Understand the two components of a RAMS and why they're required before tiling work begins on site.
How to Write a RAMS Document
Step-by-step guide to structuring your RAMS from project details through to sign-off.
UK Legal Requirements for Risk Assessments
What MHSWR 1999, COSHH 2002 and CDM 2015 require, and what 'suitable and sufficient' means in practice.
Construction Safety Documents Explained
How RAMS sit alongside CPP, COSHH assessments, and other documents on a UK site.
Key Risks and Considerations
- •Respirable crystalline silica from cutting porcelain, ceramic and stone
- •Allergic and irritant dermatitis from cement-based adhesives and grouts
- •Isocyanate exposure from some two-part epoxy grouts
- •Manual-handling injury from large-format tiles (commonly 1.2m × 0.6m and above)
- •Knee and lower-back MSDs from sustained kneeling
- •Slips on wet adhesive, SLC and grout-haze water
- •Electric shock from wet cutters used near mains supplies
Key Features
- Silica dust controls (wet cutting, on-tool extraction, FFP3 RPE)
- COSHH lines for cement-based, ready-mix and epoxy products
- Large-format tile manual-handling controls
- Kneeling and stooped-posture MSD controls
- Wet-phase slip and electrical-safety procedures
- PDF download accepted by principal contractors
Example Structure (UK Standard)
- Project Details and Tiling Scope (areas, tile type, adhesive product)
- Risk Assessment — Dust, COSHH, Manual Handling, Slips, Electrical
- Method Statement — Substrate Preparation, Setting Out, Cutting, Fixing, Grouting, Sealing
- COSHH Sheets for Adhesive and Grout Products
- PPE Schedule (FFP3 RPE for cutting, gloves, kneepads, eye protection)
- Waste and Site-Cleaning Procedure
- Sign-Off Sheet
Common Questions Before Getting Started
Will this take long?
Under 5 minutes. Select your trade, pick hazards, download.
Is it complicated?
No training needed. The guided builder walks you through every step.
Do I need experience?
If you know what work you're doing, you can use Riskora.
Is it free to try?
Yes. The Free plan needs no card — generate, review and download one free PDF. Upgrade any time for branding, DOCX, sign-off and higher limits.
Create your RAMS in under 5 minutes
No onboarding or setup needed — start generating documents instantly
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All documents generated by Riskora should be reviewed by a competent person before use on site. Riskora provides structured templates — professional judgement is always required.
What your RAMS actually contains
Riskora builds a structured, client-facing document — not a generic AI paragraph. Every section is shaped around your job, your site and your team.
Hazards
Task-specific hazards for the job, captured row by row — not a generic list pulled from an old RAMS.
Controls
Control measures mapped to each hazard with residual risk scoring after controls are applied.
PPE
PPE requirements tied to the activity and site, ready to brief to the team.
Method steps
Step-by-step method statement structured around how the work is actually sequenced on site.
Emergency arrangements
First aid, rescue plan, emergency contacts and site-specific escalation routes.
COSHH prompts
Substance prompts when the work involves chemicals, dusts, fumes or sealants — flagged early, not missed at review.
Sign-off
Operative sign-off captured against the document — names, dates and acknowledgement of the brief.
Version history
Every change tracked so you can show what was issued, when, and which version the team signed.
Approval status
Clear approval state on every document — draft, in review, approved, issued — visible across the team.
Audit trail
Who created it, who reviewed it, who signed it. A complete trail you can hand to a principal contractor or auditor.
From copied-and-pasted to site-specific
The reason RAMS get rejected is rarely the format — it's that the document is obviously generic. Riskora rebuilds it around this job, this site and this task.
Generic template copied from an old job.
- • Hazards and controls that don't match this site or task.
- • Method steps written for a different sequence of work.
- • No emergency arrangements specific to the location.
- • Client flags it as generic and asks for a rewrite.
Site-specific document structured around this job, site and task.
- • Hazards captured from the actual scope you pasted in.
- • Method steps sequenced for how the work runs on site.
- • Emergency arrangements and rescue plan tied to the location.
- • Approved internally, briefed to the team, signed off and stored.
From job details to signed-off document
A four-step workflow used by contractors, consultants and safety teams to turn informal job details into client-ready safety paperwork.
- 1Paste job details
Drop in a client email, a WhatsApp from the site manager, a scope of works or a tender note. Anything that describes the job.
- 2Riskora structures the document
Riskora turns your brief into hazards, controls, method steps, PPE, emergency arrangements and COSHH prompts.
- 3Review, edit and download
You stay in control of every section. Tweak anything, then download a clean PDF or share a link.
- 4Brief the team and record sign-off
Brief operatives, capture their sign-off and keep a full audit trail of who signed which version.
Built by people who've written this paperwork on real sites
Riskora is built by a founder with hands-on site and document experience — designed for contractors, consultants and safety teams who need to issue, brief and prove safety paperwork without losing a day to admin.
- Built for contractors, consultants and teams
Solo trades, principal contractors and in-house safety teams all run on the same workflow. - Supports multiple countries
UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, US and Canada — wording and document types match the local standard. - Not just documents
Sign-off, approvals, version history and an audit trail — the management workflow around the paperwork.
Frequently Asked Questions
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References & Further Reading
Primary UK sources covering the legal and practical framework behind RAMS, risk assessments and method statements.
Create your tiling work uk RAMS free — preview before sign-up
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Final RAMS must be reviewed and approved by a competent person before use.
Riskora is an assistive document preparation tool. All documents generated must be reviewed, verified, and approved by a competent person before use on site. Riskora does not replace professional safety judgment, and no output should be treated as a legal compliance guarantee.