Cladding Installation RAMS Guide for UK Contractors

Key Topics in a Cladding Installation RAMS

Fire safety — post-Grenfell legislative requirements

The Building Safety Act 2022 and amended Approved Document B impose strict requirements on cladding materials for buildings over 11 m in height. The RAMS must confirm that all cladding materials — panels, fixings, insulation, membranes, and cavity barriers — are selected and installed in accordance with the approved fire strategy, that product conformity documentation (DoPs, test evidence) is on file, and that the installation is being managed by a principal designer and principal contractor aware of their higher-risk building duties where applicable.

Cavity barriers and fire stopping

Rainscreen cladding systems require cavity barriers at all floor levels, around all openings, and at the perimeter of the system to prevent vertical and horizontal fire spread through the ventilated facade cavity. The RAMS must identify all cavity barrier locations, confirm the approved product, and describe the installation sequence and inspection regime. Cavity barriers must be installed before adjacent panels are fixed and inspected and photographically recorded before being hidden.

Working at height — facade access

Cladding installation at height requires scaffold, MEWP, or mast climber access. The RAMS must specify the access method, confirm scaffold is designed and handed over by a scaffolding contractor, and describe exclusion zones at ground level below the working face. Edge protection at all open floor levels adjacent to the cladding installation area is mandatory.

Panel and fixings installation

Cladding panels must be fixed in strict accordance with the engineered fixing design — fixing pattern, fixing type, and anchorage into the structural frame. The RAMS must reference the fixing design, identify who the installing engineer is, and describe the inspection process for fixings before panels are closed out.