Guide
Toolbox talks
These toolbox talks are written from hazards already in the library. Read the controls as they are. Do not add a duty that is not there, and do not skip one because the talk would run long.
Fourteen talks, one hazard each
A useful talk lasts as long as it takes to agree who is doing the control. The opening line is a question for this morning. The hazard, who is harmed, and the controls are the library text. Every entry is still draft – awaiting competent review.
No law requires a document called a RAMS. The duty is to assess risk under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, regulation 3, and to plan the work safely.
Every hazard below is from the RAMSPack library and is marked draft – awaiting competent review. Change it for the site. It is not HSE approved.
Proving a circuit dead
Ask who is isolating this board today, and where the proving unit is. Read the controls. Do not agree a shortcut because the client is waiting.
Electric shock or burns from live conductors
From the electrician library, task: Consumer unit replacement. Who might be harmed: Operatives doing the work, other workers, occupiers and visitors
Before controls: 20 High. After controls: 5 Low. These scores are a prompt. Score the job yourself.
- Treat the installation as live until it is proved dead.
- Isolate, lock off, and prove dead. Prove the voltage indicator before and after the test.
- Do not work live. Live work is permitted under the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 only where it can be justified and suitable precautions are in place. This task is planned as dead work.
- Use insulated tools and keep the work area dry.
- If the supply cannot be isolated, stop and reassess. Do not improvise.
Regulations that fit this hazard: Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974; Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999; Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015; Electricity at Work Regulations 1989; Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (as amended 2022); Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981.
Asbestos in an old consumer unit
Ask what the board and the cupboard are made of, and what the crew will do if they are not sure. Read the controls before anyone takes a cover off.
Disturbing asbestos in an older consumer unit, flash guards, or the fabric of the building
From the electrician library, task: Consumer unit replacement. Who might be harmed: Operatives doing the work, other workers, occupiers and visitors
Before controls: 15 High. After controls: 5 Low. These scores are a prompt. Score the job yourself.
- Ask for any existing asbestos information before intrusive work. In a pre-2000 building, assume asbestos is possible until there is evidence otherwise.
- Do not drill, scrape, or break suspect materials. Stop and leave the area if asbestos is found or suspected.
- Only people with the right category of asbestos training and, where required, a licence may work on asbestos-containing materials.
Regulations that fit this hazard: Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974; Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999; Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015; Electricity at Work Regulations 1989; Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (as amended 2022); Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981; Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.
The roof edge and fragile rooflights
Stand where you can see the roof, not on it. Ask how people will get up, and what stops a fall through a rooflight. Then read the controls.
Fall from the roof edge, through a fragile rooflight, or from a ladder
From the roofer library, task: Pitched roof tile replacement. Who might be harmed: Operatives and people below
Before controls: 20 High. After controls: 10 Medium. These scores are a prompt. Score the job yourself.
- Follow the hierarchy in the Work at Height Regulations 2005: avoid the work at height if a repair from a safe platform is reasonably practicable, otherwise prevent a fall, otherwise mitigate it.
- Provide edge protection or a properly designed scaffold. A roof ladder is secured over the ridge and used with edge protection or another justified system.
- Cover or barrier fragile rooflights. Do not step on them.
- Stop in high wind, ice, or heavy rain. Wet moss is not a walking surface.
Regulations that fit this hazard: Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974; Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999; Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015; Work at Height Regulations 2005; Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998; Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (as amended 2022); Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992; Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981.
A ladder along the eaves
Ask whether today's gutter run is being done from a platform or from a ladder used as the place of work. Read the controls before the van is unloaded.
Fall from a ladder used as a place of work along the eaves
From the roofer library, task: Gutter and downpipe replacement. Who might be harmed: Operatives
Before controls: 16 High. After controls: 4 Low. These scores are a prompt. Score the job yourself.
- Use a scaffold or podium so both hands are free and the operative is prevented from falling.
- If a ladder is used only to reach the platform, it is footed or tied and extends far enough above the step-off.
Regulations that fit this hazard: Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974; Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999; Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015; Work at Height Regulations 2005; Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998; Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (as amended 2022); Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981.
Erecting a scaffold before the guard rails exist
Ask which erection method protects the erector on the next lift, and what happens to a harness if there is no rescue plan. Read the controls.
Fall of a scaffolder during erection, before guard rails exist
From the scaffolder library, task: Independent scaffold erection. Who might be harmed: Scaffolders
Before controls: 20 High. After controls: 10 Medium. These scores are a prompt. Score the job yourself.
- Use a recognised erection method that protects the erector, such as an advanced guard rail system where the equipment provides it.
- Follow the Work at Height Regulations 2005 hierarchy. A harness is a last resort and only with anchors and rescue.
- Stop in high winds or ice.
Regulations that fit this hazard: Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974; Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999; Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015; Work at Height Regulations 2005; Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998; Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (as amended 2022); Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981.
Painting a whole elevation
Point at the elevation. Ask where the platform is, and why a ladder leaned along the wall is not the plan. Read the controls.
Fall from a ladder used to paint a whole elevation
From the painter and decorator library, task: Exterior painting. Who might be harmed: Operatives
Before controls: 16 High. After controls: 4 Low. These scores are a prompt. Score the job yourself.
- Paint elevations from a scaffold or podium, not from a ladder leaned along the wall.
- Stop if the platform is incomplete or the weather makes the surface slippery.
Regulations that fit this hazard: Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974; Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999; Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015; Work at Height Regulations 2005; Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002; Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998; Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (as amended 2022); Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981.
Carrying a boiler on the stairs
Walk the route from the van to the boiler position before anyone lifts. Ask who the second person is. Read the controls.
Manual handling of the boiler on stairs
From the plumber library, task: Boiler replacement. Who might be harmed: Operatives
Before controls: 12 Medium. After controls: 6 Low. These scores are a prompt. Score the job yourself.
- Use two people or a suitable stair-handling method. Know the boiler weight before the lift.
- Rest on landings. Do not rush the stairs.
Regulations that fit this hazard: Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974; Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999; Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015; Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998; Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992; Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (as amended 2022); Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981.
Cutting paving and silica dust
Ask whether the saw will be wet or dry, and who is standing in the dust. Read the controls before the first cut.
Silica dust from cutting paving and blocks
From the landscaper library, task: Patio laying. Who might be harmed: Operatives and people nearby
Before controls: 16 High. After controls: 8 Medium. These scores are a prompt. Score the job yourself.
- Water suppression on the saw, or extraction. Stop if the water supply fails.
- Keep other people out of the dust. RPE is in addition to suppression, not a substitute for it.
Regulations that fit this hazard: Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974; Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999; Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015; Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002; Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998; Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (as amended 2022); Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981.
Buried services in a post hole
Ask what was scanned, and what the stop rule is if the scan is unclear. Read the controls before the auger starts.
Striking a buried service in a post hole
From the landscaper library, task: Fence erection. Who might be harmed: Operatives, other workers, occupiers and the public
Before controls: 10 Medium. After controls: 5 Low. These scores are a prompt. Score the job yourself.
- Scan the post line. Hand-dig if a service is possible.
- Stop if you hit an unknown object. Do not drill on through it.
Regulations that fit this hazard: Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974; Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999; Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015; Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998; Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (as amended 2022); Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981.
Lone working after the building closes
Ask who the cleaner checks in with, and how they leave if someone else is in the building. Read the controls. There is no separate lone-working regulation to quote.
Lone working in a closed building
From the cleaning library, task: Commercial office clean. Who might be harmed: Cleaners
Before controls: 8 Medium. After controls: 4 Low. These scores are a prompt. Score the job yourself.
- There is no lone-working regulation. Assess it under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
- Agree a check-in with a supervisor. Know how to leave the building.
- Do not work at height alone. Report anyone who should not be in the building.
Regulations that fit this hazard: Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974; Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999; Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (as amended 2022); Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992; Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981.
Mixing cleaning products
Put the bottles on the table. Ask which two must never be mixed on this job. Read the controls.
Chemical burns or fumes from cleaners, including mixing incompatible products
From the cleaning library, task: Commercial office clean. Who might be harmed: Cleaners and office users
Before controls: 9 Medium. After controls: 3 Low. These scores are a prompt. Score the job yourself.
- Do not mix products. Bleach and acids together can release toxic gas.
- Wear the gloves the safety data sheet names. Wash splashes off skin.
- Store products locked if the client requires it, and away from food.
Regulations that fit this hazard: Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974; Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999; Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002; Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (as amended 2022); Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992; Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981.
Wet cement on skin
Ask where the wash is, and how long cement has already been on someone's hands today. Read the controls before the mixer starts.
Cement burns and dermatitis
From the general builder library, task: Brickwork and blockwork. Who might be harmed: Bricklayers and labourers
Before controls: 12 Medium. After controls: 4 Low. These scores are a prompt. Score the job yourself.
- Keep mortar off skin. Change soaked gloves.
- Provide washing water on the site, as CDM 2015 Schedule 2 requires welfare on construction work.
Regulations that fit this hazard: Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974; Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999; Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015; Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002; Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (as amended 2022); Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981.
An unfinished stage edge
Walk the deck as it is now, not as it will be at doors. Ask what stops a fall from the open edge during the build. Read the controls.
Fall from the deck during build or from an unfinished edge
From the event crew library, task: Temporary stage build. Who might be harmed: Crew and later users
Before controls: 12 Medium. After controls: 4 Low. These scores are a prompt. Score the job yourself.
- Fit handrails before the deck is used as a place of work at height, where the Work at Height Regulations 2005 require fall protection.
- Do not work with your back to an open edge. Keep the public out until handover.
Regulations that fit this hazard: Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974; Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999; Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015; Work at Height Regulations 2005; Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (as amended 2022); Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981.
Temporary power in a wet venue
Ask which distro is in use, what the RCD is, and what happens if a lead is lying in water. Read the controls before the first lamp is flown.
Electric shock from a damaged lead, a wet connection, or an overloaded distro
From the event crew library, task: Temporary power and lighting. Who might be harmed: Crew, performers and the public
Before controls: 15 High. After controls: 5 Low. These scores are a prompt. Score the job yourself.
- A competent person tests the temporary system before it is put into use.
- Do not use a lead with a taped joint as a repair. Keep connectors off wet ground.
- Do not add loads that the distro was not planned for.
Regulations that fit this hazard: Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974; Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999; Electricity at Work Regulations 1989; Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (as amended 2022); Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981.
Create a RAMS for the job you will talk about