Concrete Works RAMS Guide for UK Contractors
Concrete works RAMS — covering formwork, reinforcement, concrete pumping, and pours — addresses a different and more complex set of hazards than the Concrete Cutting RAMS Guide (which covers sawing, drilling, and breaking hardened concrete). The critical risks in concrete works are formwork collapse under the hydrostatic pressure of wet concrete, plant-person conflict around the pump and delivery vehicles, and wet concrete COSHH. This guide explains what a Risk Assessment and Method Statement for concrete works contractors must contain.
Key Topics in a Concrete Works RAMS
- Formwork and temporary works design and inspection
- Formwork — the temporary structure that holds wet concrete while it cures — is a temporary works structure that must be designed, checked, and inspected before any concrete is placed. Collapses of inadequately designed or overloaded formwork under the hydrostatic pressure of wet concrete have caused fatal and serious injuries. The RAMS must describe: the formwork system (proprietary or traditional timber); the temporary works designer and whether a BS 5975 Temporary Works Coordinator (TWC) and Temporary Works Supervisor (TWS) have been appointed; the pre-pour inspection checklist and sign-off process; the controlled pour rate and lift height linked to the formwork design pressure capacity; visual monitoring of the formwork during the pour for deflection or movement; and the striking procedure (minimum concrete strength before formwork is removed, confirmed by cube test or time-temperature record).
- Plant and person segregation during the concrete pour
- A concrete pour typically involves multiple items of plant operating simultaneously in a restricted site area: ready-mix delivery trucks reversing and discharging; a concrete pump truck with outriggers extended and a boom arm swinging over the pour zone; operative personnel with poker vibrators, rakes, and screeds. The RAMS must describe: a banksman for all vehicle reversing movements during the pour; an exclusion zone under the pump boom arm; confirmation that pump outriggers are on solid ground with pad plates; a clear communication plan between the pump operator, drivers, and the pour gang (typically radios or pre-agreed hand signals); and a stop-pour procedure that any operative can trigger if a formwork or structural concern is identified. Non-essential personnel must be excluded from the pour zone during the pour.
- Wet concrete COSHH and reinforcement handling
- Wet cement and concrete are strongly alkaline (pH 12–13) and cause chemical burns on prolonged skin contact. Concrete admixtures (accelerators, retarders, plasticisers) and formwork release agents must also be assessed under COSHH. The RAMS must require cement-resistant gloves and waterproof overalls during all wet concrete work, and eye protection during pumping operations. For reinforcement: anti-impalement caps must be fitted on all exposed vertical rebar ends above knee height — falls onto unprotected rebar ends are a risk of serious injury; team lifts are required for heavy rebar bundles; and mechanical handling (crane or fork lift) is required for large prefabricated cages.
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