Rams

Demolition RAMS template: a blank plan for competent project review

Direct answer. A demolition risk assessment and method statement (RAMS) must fit the particular structure, surroundings, engineering sequence and people exposed. Use the blank worksheet below to collect those facts and link the approved demolition plan to the risk controls. It is deliberately not a preapproved demolition method. A competent person must write the method; a competent demolition engineer should review the scheme before work starts. Missing structural, asbestos or services information is a stop point, not a field to guess. HSE demolition guidance.

Copy this page into your organisation’s controlled document system, complete it with site evidence, and remove prompts that do not apply. It is useful for planning a small dismantling operation as well as a larger demolition project, but the level of engineering, planning and supervision must match the real risk. The generic Complys RAMS template covers the common document structure. This page deals specifically with the demolition information and approval gates that a generic form cannot safely prefill.

Why demolition needs its own plan

Demolition changes a structure as the work proceeds. Taking out one element can change load paths, stability, access and the reach of falling debris. A method that looked workable at tender stage can become unsafe after an unknown alteration, hidden void or deteriorated connection is found. HSE says the method must be written by a competent person, take account of hazards associated with the structure and site, and control them correctly. It should be documented and communicated to the contract team. The client and project team must supply available pre-construction information, including asbestos, structural history and services. HSE demolition guidance.

Under CDM 2015, demolition is construction work. Principal designers coordinate health and safety in the pre-construction phase of a multi-contractor project; principal contractors plan and manage the construction phase. The demolition contractor still has duties for its own work, workers and subcontractors. These roles need naming for the actual job. A signature on a form cannot transfer away a duty or replace engineering review. HSE CDM responsibilities.

HSE’s general construction guidance explains that a method statement is not universally mandatory as a separate document, but demolition and structural alteration require written arrangements. Avoid the claim that all construction jobs legally require a document called “RAMS”; the relevant obligation here is to plan, record and carry out this particular work safely. HSE administration guidance.

Copyable demolition RAMS worksheet

The entries in square brackets are instructions to the preparer, not controls already in place. Attach referenced surveys, drawings, plans and permits with revision numbers. A project should not move to the next stage simply because a row has been ticked.

A. Job and approval record

Field	Enter project-specific information
Site, address and structure	`[identify building/element and boundaries]`
Purpose and extent of demolition	`[what remains; what is removed; interfaces with retained fabric]`
Client and principal designer	`[names and contacts, if applicable]`
Principal contractor and demolition contractor	`[names, contacts and scope split]`
Competent demolition method author	`[name, role and evidence of competence]`
Competent engineer and review reference	`[name, design/review reference and date]`
Site manager/supervisor	`[name and available shifts]`
Document owner, version and issue date	`[insert; identify superseded version]`
Planned work stages and dates	`[insert; include separate phases if stability changes]`
Local-authority/building-control contact	`[insert applicable notice and conditions, or reason not applicable]`
Related project documents	`[construction phase plan, temporary-works design, asbestos survey, service drawings, waste and traffic plans, permits]`

The author and engineer fields are not interchangeable with a generic “approved by manager” signature. If no person can establish the stability and method basis, the work is not ready to start. HSE advises clients to seek competent demolition-engineering advice before awarding work and competent review of the contractor’s scheme before work starts. HSE demolition guidance.

B. Information and pre-start evidence

Evidence needed	Reference and finding	Gap, owner and resolution date
Structural survey and known alterations	`[document and relevant findings]`	`[insert]`
Stability of adjoining/retained structures	`[document and monitoring/design requirements]`	`[insert]`
Refurbishment or demolition asbestos survey	`[scope, inaccessible areas and outcome]`	`[insert]`
Live, isolated and unknown services	`[utility records, checks, isolation certificates]`	`[insert]`
Ground, basement, void and buried-structure information	`[insert]`	`[insert]`
Hazardous materials and contamination	`[insert]`	`[insert]`
Public, neighbour and occupier interfaces	`[roads, footways, adjoining business, party-wall matters]`	`[insert]`
Traffic, waste and delivery routes	`[drawings and approvals]`	`[insert]`
Local-authority notices and permits	`[notice/permit number and conditions]`	`[insert]`

Hold point 1 — information adequate? Record who decides that surveys and designs cover the proposed scope. A management asbestos survey is not automatically enough for destructive work. HSE says a competent surveyor should carry out a refurbishment or demolition survey before work that may disturb hidden asbestos-containing materials. If areas could not be accessed, resolve that uncertainty before disturbing them. HSE asbestos survey guidance. Do not use this form as an asbestos-removal method; specialist asbestos controls belong in a separate approved plan.

C. Method selection and engineered sequence

Stage/element	Condition and design basis	Plant, crew and sequence	Stability and debris controls	Review/inspection hold point
`[make safe and isolate]`	`[service and structural information]`	`[who performs, in what order]`	`[record evidence of isolation]`	`[authorised release]`
`[establish exclusion and access]`	`[fall/debris reach basis]`	`[barriers, routes and supervision]`	`[protected public and work zones]`	`[zone inspection]`
`[remove non-structural elements]`	`[confirm elements and loading]`	`[method and lifting/handling]`	`[stability remains as designed]`	`[engineer/supervisor check]`
`[demolish structural elements by phase]`	`[drawing and phase reference]`	`[precise order, plant position, loading and crew]`	`[supports, separation and debris management]`	`[written phase release]`
`[clear, test and hand over]`	`[remaining stability and services]`	`[waste, inspection, reinstatement]`	`[remaining hazards secured]`	`[handover approval]`

This table must point to an actual engineered method, not say “demolish top down” as a universal instruction. HSE notes that top-down methods often help control stability and debris in constrained settings, but method choice depends on the structure, load paths, condition, adjacent buildings and available space. The competent team must justify the technique selected. Debris accumulation can overload a partly demolished floor. A scaffold does not, by itself, reduce a necessary exclusion zone or act as structural support. HSE demolition guidance.

Where temporary works are involved, include design references, installation inspection and removal sequence. Do not leave “temporary supports as required” as the final method. If the structure differs from the survey or a planned element cannot be removed in sequence, stop and obtain an amended design and briefing.

D. Task risk assessment

Work step	Who may be harmed and how	Preventive control and evidence	Responsible person	Stop/change trigger
`[survey and access]`	`[falls, fragile material, unknown asbestos, others]`	`[survey scope, access and isolation]`	`[name]`	`[unidentified material/void]`
`[plant movements]`	`[collision, overturning, public interface]`	`[segregated route, ground capacity, banksman duties if needed]`	`[name]`	`[route or ground changes]`
`[structural removal]`	`[collapse, falling debris, unsupported load]`	`[engineered sequence, exclusion and hold-point release]`	`[name]`	`[movement/cracking/deviation]`
`[dust, silica and nuisance]`	`[inhalation and spread off site]`	`[task-specific suppression, containment and monitoring]`	`[name]`	`[controls ineffective]`
`[noise and vibration]`	`[workers and neighbours]`	`[equipment/sequence and exposure controls]`	`[name]`	`[limit or monitoring trigger]`
`[waste and handover]`	`[sharp material, contamination, unstable remnant]`	`[segregation and inspection records]`	`[name]`	`[unknown waste/unstable remnant]`

Add rows for work at height, hot work, lifting, hazardous substances, underground services or confined spaces if they genuinely occur. Link a specialist plan rather than hide the topic under “PPE”. A risk rating is only an organisation’s decision aid; it does not prove a support, exclusion zone or isolation is effective. Name the evidence and the person who checks it. HSE identifies collapse, falls, plant, dust, noise and vibration as recurring demolition risks. HSE demolition guidance.

E. Site layout and protection of others

Attach a drawing showing the structure, retained elements, neighbouring property, public routes, haul roads, plant positions, temporary works, safe work areas, exclusion/debris zones, emergency access and welfare. Write who can alter the barriers and how a change is communicated. HSE says zone size depends on the method and the distance debris may fall; it may need changing as the project advances. Design the method so that an accidental or planned collapse is contained. If that cannot be shown within the site, revise the method and consult the relevant authorities about traffic or road controls. HSE demolition guidance.

Record how neighbours and occupiers will be told about stages that affect access, dust, noise or services. A neighbour notice is not a substitute for physical protection. Make a separate plan for lorry movements and segregation of pedestrians, especially when site space is limited. Review the location of emergency assembly and rescue access after each stage; a route can become blocked by the operation itself.

F. Competence, briefing and emergency arrangements

Item	Project entry
People authorised for each operation	`[name/role/competence evidence]`
Plant and operator evidence	`[plant ID, inspection and operator authorisation]`
Supervisor and engineer availability	`[how reached during each phase]`
Workforce briefing	`[version, date, names, language/understanding check]`
Daily/phase inspection	`[responsible person, form and release record]`
First aid, fire and rescue	`[site-specific arrangements and access]`
Uncontrolled movement or collapse response	`[evacuation, cordon, emergency contacts, no re-entry rule]`
Asbestos/unknown-material discovery	`[stop, secure, competent assessment route]`

Before work, brief the people who will execute each step on the actual sequence, zones and stop signals. Ask them to explain the first hold point and what changes trigger a stop. If a different excavator, attachment or crew is used, do not assume the old method applies. Record who authorises a revision. A signed attendance list is evidence of a briefing, not evidence that the plan remained safe in the field.

Hold point 2 — release to begin. The competent author, engineer where required and site lead confirm that information, designs, notices, isolations, zones and crew are ready. Record open actions with an owner; do not mark “conditional yes” while a structural question remains unresolved.

Hold point 3 — release each structural phase. Inspect the partly demolished structure and controls before the next element is removed. Record changes, movement, weather effects, debris loading or an unexpected construction detail. An engineer decides whether a redesign is needed; the supervisor cannot merely edit a sentence to explain away a stability issue.

Hold point 4 — final handover. Confirm remaining structure stability, protected services, waste records and outstanding hazards. Give the client or principal contractor the information needed for follow-on work. Retain versions so it is possible to tell which method was in force for each stage.

What the completed document must add

A finished demolition RAMS needs a defined site and scope, reliable structural and asbestos information, an engineered method, sequence drawings, selected plant and loading assumptions, exclusion zones, service isolation evidence, temporary-works detail, environmental controls, named supervisors and workers, emergency arrangements, approvals and change-control points. Depending on the project, building-control notice, highway permission, waste controls or specialist plans may also be needed. Check their actual applicability with the appropriate authority. HSE’s demolition page describes local-authority notice and conditions; avoid treating this worksheet as a notice application. HSE demolition guidance.

The strongest document is usable in a short pre-start conversation. If the supervisor cannot explain why a wall remains stable after one bay is removed, the method is not complete simply because the form is long. The same applies if a pedestrian route runs through a debris zone or a crew does not know which service remains live. Resolve those questions with the competent team before issuing the working version.

Where Complys fits

The Complys RAMS overview and risk-assessment software page are relevant if you need a managed way to draft and revise documents. Verify the current deployed workflow and exact UK routes before making a product promise. Software can help organise information and versioned records; it cannot infer a hidden load path, certify an engineer’s design or authorise demolition from a generic template. For another activity, start with the general RAMS template and build a separate, task-specific assessment.

Source and claim register — checked 5 October 2026

Material claim	Primary source	Scope and publication note
Demolition method needs competent author, engineering review, documented sequence, site/structural information and public protection	HSE demolition	GB HSE guidance; confirm current page and project specifics at publication.
CDM 2015 dutyholder roles apply to demolition	HSE CDM responsibilities	GB; do not assume a main contractor is always principal contractor.
Refurbishment/demolition asbestos survey is required before intrusive work affecting building fabric	HSE survey guidance	Survey scope and inaccessible areas need project review.
Method statements are not universally legally required as a standalone document; demolition/structural alteration written arrangements are specific	HSE administration guidance	Avoid a universal RAMS legal mandate.

Complys helps you keep this organised and current. See Risk Assessment Software; confirm current capabilities for your use before relying on any specific feature.