Brickwork & blockwork RAMS: what contractors should include.

Brickwork and blockwork RAMS should describe how the specified wall will be built safely in its temporary and permanent states. They should cover the approved information, competence, access, scaffold loading, deliveries, handling, cutting, mortar, wall stability, openings, falling materials, inspection, weather and stop-work arrangements.

RAMS is common industry shorthand for a risk assessment and method statement. HSE states that contractors must plan, manage and monitor their work, taking account of the risks to workers and other people. A useful masonry method turns those duties into a sequence the supervisor can brief and check.

The RAMS do not replace the designer's details, scaffold information, lifting plan, COSHH assessments, temporary-works controls or the project's Construction Phase Plan. They should identify and coordinate with those documents.

What information is needed before drafting masonry RAMS?

Start with the wall that is actually being built. Obtain and confirm, where relevant:

• current architectural, structural and specialist masonry drawings and specifications;
• wall type, unit type, mortar specification, dimensions, levels and setting-out information;
• details for wall ties, restraints, movement joints, cavities, insulation and cavity barriers;
• openings, bearings, lintels, shelf angles, windposts and other supports;
• the sequence and temporary-stability requirements before floors, roofs or permanent restraints are complete;
• scaffold handover information, duty rating, loading-bay arrangements and any loading restrictions;
• material weights, pack sizes, delivery routes, unloading and mechanical-handling arrangements;
• cutting locations, tools, water suppression or extraction and respiratory-protection requirements;
• mortar mixing or silo arrangements, safety data and welfare facilities; and
• interfaces with the public, other trades, lifting operations, incomplete edges and openings.

If a drawing, wall detail or temporary-stability requirement is missing, record the gap and obtain the information before work reaches that point. RAMS should not invent wall-tie spacing, bearing lengths, support details or maximum build heights.

Write the method in the order the work will happen

A project-specific sequence may need to address:

1. checking approved drawings, setting-out information and substrate readiness;
2. accepting deliveries and storing bricks, blocks, mortar materials, lintels and accessories safely;
3. confirming scaffold handover, access, loading bays, edge protection and platform load limits;
4. moving materials to the workface using the planned mechanical aids and agreed load distribution;
5. establishing cutting and mortar-preparation areas with dust, guarding and segregation controls;
6. setting out and laying masonry in the specified bond, line, level and sequence;
7. installing ties, insulation, cavity barriers, restraints and built-in items at the specified stages;
8. forming openings and installing lintels or other supports in accordance with the approved details;
9. maintaining temporary stability and protecting incomplete work from weather, impact and unauthorised access; and
10. inspection, snagging, cleaning, waste removal and formal release of completed areas.

Use hold points where work must not continue without confirmation—for example before building above a lintel, covering cavity components, exceeding an agreed temporary height or removing a brace. State who checks the work and what record demonstrates release.

Critical controls to address in brickwork and blockwork RAMS

Temporary wall stability

Masonry may be vulnerable before its mortar has developed strength and before permanent restraints are connected. The RAMS should follow the designer's and temporary-works requirements for sequencing, returns, bracing, height, exposure and loading. Include clear stop-work arrangements for missing restraints, damaged work, impact or weather conditions outside the agreed limits.

Do not turn general site rules into an assumed engineering design. Where a calculation, proprietary system or temporary-works design is required, identify the competent designer, approval status and inspection or permit point.

Scaffolds, platforms and material loading

HSE says access scaffolds should be suitable for the loads to be carried and permit work and passage safely. It also warns that scaffolds are not usually designed for heavy loading on working platforms and that the scaffold provider must be told where loading-out is intended.

• confirm the scaffold has been handed over and is suitable for masonry work;
• use designated loading bays and observe the documented load class and restrictions;
• distribute units and mortar so access routes and edge protection remain effective;
• keep gates, brick guards, guard rails and toe boards in position; and
• do not remove ties, alter platforms or modify the scaffold without authorised competent control.

Cutting dust and respiratory protection

Bricks, blocks and mortar can contain crystalline silica. HSE explains that cutting, drilling and grinding can generate respirable crystalline silica—fine dust capable of reaching deep into the lungs. Plan the work to reduce cutting, use suitable on-tool water suppression or extraction, segregate the cutting area and select any respiratory protective equipment through the COSHH assessment.

RPE is not a substitute for effective engineering controls. Where tight-fitting RPE is selected, the arrangements should address face-fit testing, clean-shaven requirements at the seal, correct filters, inspection, storage and supervision.

Mortar and cement contact

HSE states that cement-based products such as mortar can cause dermatitis and burns. The RAMS should link to the current safety data and COSHH assessment, minimise skin contact, specify suitable gloves and protective clothing, provide washing and eyewash arrangements, and explain what to do when wet mortar gets inside gloves, boots or clothing.

Handling and mechanical aids

Blocks, packs, lintels and mortar create repeated handling risks. Apply the hierarchy in the Manual Handling Operations Regulations: avoid hazardous manual handling where reasonably practicable, assess unavoidable tasks and reduce the risk. Plan pack position, workface height, mechanical distribution, smaller loads, team handling and task rotation around the actual units and access.

Falling materials, tools and interfaces

Set exclusion zones where materials could fall, maintain brick guards and toe boards, control cutting debris and do not pass loose materials between levels. Coordinate loading, hoists and telehandlers with the principal contractor so people are not working below suspended or transferred loads.

Brief, inspect and revise the method

Before starting, brief the relevant workers on the drawings, sequence, scaffold limits, cutting controls, wall-stability arrangements, material movement, emergencies and stop-work conditions. Check understanding rather than collecting signatures alone.

Supervision and inspection should verify that the method remains practical as the wall and access arrangements change. Keep the RAMS under review and revise them when:

• the wall type, materials, design or sequence changes;
• an opening, lintel, restraint or temporary support differs from the approved information;
• the scaffold is altered, a different lift is used or loading arrangements change;
• a different saw, cutting method, mortar system or mechanical aid is introduced;
• wind, rain, frost, heat or other conditions affect stability, access or material performance;
• another trade changes the work area or removes a required restraint; or
• an incident, near miss, defect or principal contractor review identifies a gap.

Can a brickwork RAMS template be used?

A template can provide a useful document structure, but it is not automatically approved or ready for site. A competent person must assess and adapt it to the drawings, wall system, materials, access, workforce, scaffold, plant, weather and principal contractor requirements, then brief the people carrying out the work.

The IMERI H&S Partners catalogue currently lists a Brickwork & Blockwork Installation RAMS template. The verified product title establishes that activity scope; it does not mean the template covers every masonry system or project condition.

Reinforced or post-tensioned masonry, masonry façades with specialist support systems, complex temporary works, structural alterations, large precast units, chimneys, work beside railways or highways, or unusual lifting and access arrangements may require additional designs, assessments, permits and specialist documentation. Review the RAMS shop information before purchasing, and request project-specific support where the listed scope does not match the work.

When project-specific RAMS support is useful

Consultancy support can help when the design information is spread across several packages, the wall needs temporary bracing, scaffold loads are restricted, the principal contractor has raised technical comments or the contractor needs a clear sequence coordinating masonry with structure, access and other trades.

IMERI H&S Partners provides project-specific RAMS and method statement support for contractors in Watford, Hertfordshire, London and the South East. Send the current drawings, specification, work areas, materials, access and scaffold information, intended plant, programme and any principal contractor requirements for an appropriate scope and quotation.