Does it cover working at height?

Yes. Scaffold or other collective edge protection is the primary control, and falls from height is in the risk assessment with the matching controls.

Does it cover hot works for flashings?

Yes, where the job description includes them: a hot-works permit and fire watch are named in the method.

Do I need a method statement for roof work?

The law requires roof work to be planned so it is done safely. HSE describes a method statement as the usual way to set out that plan, and most principal contractors ask for one before work starts.

Is this a roofing method statement template?

It is more than a template. You describe the roof and the job, and the method statement and risk assessment are written for that site. You can read the full roofing sample first.

Will it be accepted on site?

It uses the HSE five steps and the CDM 2015 framing principal contractors expect. A competent person still has to review and sign it off before use.

Your first document is free. After that, £15 each, three for £35, or ten for £89. No subscription. You can read a full sample before you decide.

Roofing Method Statement Template and Risk Assessment (UK)

What it covers

The safe sequence of work from an erected scaffold or other edge protection: strip-off, felt and batten, tiling, and flashing work, in order. It records the working-at-height controls in place (scaffold, roof ladders, edge protection) and the exclusion zone for anyone below.

Roofing method statement steps

A strip and re-tile from scaffold usually follows these steps. The roofing sample sets out each one in full.

Check the asbestos survey. Confirm the survey covers the roof, loft, eaves and soffits before anything is stripped.
Check the scaffold. Check the handover certificate and inspection record, with guardrails, toe boards and brick guards in place.
Set the exclusion zone. Barrier the ground below, including the chute and skip, and keep a safe route for the public.
Check the weather. Do not start stripping if rain, strong wind or ice is forecast.
Strip in small sections. Work down the slope from roof ladders, and strip only what can be re-covered the same day.
Felt, batten and tile. Work from the eaves upward, spread tile loads across rafters and cut tiles with dust suppression.
Flashings under a permit. Use the gas torch only under a signed hot works permit, with a fire watch after the last flame.
Make safe each day. Leave the roof weathertight, secure loose materials and roof ladders, and close the chute.

Working at height on a roof

HSE says almost one in five deaths in construction work involve roof work. The Work at Height Regulations 2005 set the order of controls: avoid work at height where you can, then prevent falls with scaffold or edge protection, then minimise the distance and consequences of any fall. HSE advises treating every roof as fragile until a competent person confirms it is not. Where people must work on or near a fragile surface, regulation 9 requires platforms, coverings or guard rails, and warning notices at the approach.

Sources: HSE, Roof work; Work at Height Regulations 2005, regulation 6; Work at Height Regulations 2005, regulation 9

Hazards and controls

Falls from height are the main hazard, controlled by scaffold or other collective edge protection ahead of any personal fall-arrest equipment. Falling objects onto an occupied property or the public below, controlled by a debris chute and an exclusion zone. Hot works for flashings (a gas torch), controlled by a hot-works permit and a fire watch. Manual handling of tiles, battens and felt.

Roofing method statement for subcontractors

A main contractor or principal contractor will usually ask for your roofing RAMS before you start. Under CDM 2015, every contractor must plan, manage and monitor its own work. Your RAMS should match the site rules in the construction phase plan, including the scaffold handover, access routes, permits and welfare. Name the supervisor and the training each operative holds, so the site manager can check it at a glance.

Source: CDM 2015, regulation 15

Permits and site conditions

Hot works for flashings normally need a permit, and an occupied or public-facing site needs the exclusion zone and access controls named. The method statement records both, so the document matches how the job is actually being run.

FAQ

Does it cover working at height?: Yes. Scaffold or other collective edge protection is the primary control, and falls from height is in the risk assessment with the matching controls.
Does it cover hot works for flashings?: Yes, where the job description includes them: a hot-works permit and fire watch are named in the method.
Do I need a method statement for roof work?: The law requires roof work to be planned so it is done safely. HSE describes a method statement as the usual way to set out that plan, and most principal contractors ask for one before work starts.
Is this a roofing method statement template?: It is more than a template. You describe the roof and the job, and the method statement and risk assessment are written for that site. You can read the full roofing sample first.
Will it be accepted on site?: It uses the HSE five steps and the CDM 2015 framing principal contractors expect. A competent person still has to review and sign it off before use.
What does it cost?: Your first document is free. After that, £15 each, three for £35, or ten for £89. No subscription. You can read a full sample before you decide.

A roofing method statement and risk assessment, built around the job.