What should a RAMS include?

What a RAMS is, and where the duty comes from

RAMS is shorthand for a risk assessment and a method statement, usually issued together for one activity. The risk assessment part is a legal duty: the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, regulation 3, require every employer and self-employed person to assess the risks from their work, and employers with five or more employees must record the significant findings.

The method statement is not named in law, but it is how most contractors show they have planned the work safely. Under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015), contractors must plan, manage and monitor their own work, and principal contractors normally ask for RAMS before anyone starts on site.

A good RAMS is specific to the job, the site and the people doing it. Generic paperwork that could apply anywhere is the most common reason RAMS are sent back.

The sections a RAMS should include

1. Project and activity details

• Site name and address, principal contractor and client
• The activity covered, and what is out of scope
• Document number, revision, date, author and who approved it

2. The risk assessment

For each significant hazard, record:

• The hazard, such as work at height, moving plant, manual handling, dust, noise or buried services
• Who could be harmed and how, including other trades, visitors and the public
• The control measures, following the hierarchy: eliminate, substitute, engineering controls, safe systems of work, then PPE
• The risk rating before and after controls, if the principal contractor uses a rating system
• Who is responsible for each control

3. The method statement

• A step-by-step sequence of the work, from arriving on site to leaving it safe
• Plant, equipment and access, including inspection and any lifting equipment
• Materials and substances, with COSHH assessments where hazardous substances are used
• Permits needed, such as hot works, permit to dig, or work near live services
• Exclusion zones, segregation and traffic management
• PPE specific to the task, not just a standard list

4. People and competence

• Supervisor and team, with relevant cards and training (for example CSCS, CPCS, NPORS, IPAF or PASMA)
• Who is authorised to operate plant or sign permits
• Any young, inexperienced or vulnerable workers and the extra controls for them

5. Emergency arrangements

• First aid, nearest A&E, fire and emergency contacts
• Rescue plans where they're needed, for example work at height, confined spaces or excavations
• Spill response and environmental controls

6. Briefing, sign-off and review

The RAMS should be briefed to everyone doing the work before they start, with a signed record. It should be reviewed whenever something changes, such as the method, the location, the plant or the team, and after any incident or near miss.

Common reasons RAMS get rejected

• Wrong site name or address, or a different job's details left in
• Hazards listed with no specific controls
• A sequence that doesn't match how the work will actually be done
• Lifting covered in one line, with no lift plan
• Missing COSHH, permit or rescue arrangements
• No briefing record or signatures

How we can help

We write site-specific RAMS from £150 ex VAT for a single activity, with extra activities at £55 each. Standard issue is 1–2 working days, with priority, same-day and emergency options when you need it sooner. If the activity includes lifting, a lift plan signed by John Massey, our Appointed Person, can go with it.

See RAMS prices and order

Common questions

Is a RAMS a legal requirement?

The risk assessment is: employers and the self-employed must assess risks under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, and employers with five or more employees must record the significant findings. The method statement isn't named in law, but principal contractors almost always require one.

Can one RAMS cover several activities?

It can, if each activity has its own hazards, controls and sequence. Most principal contractors prefer one RAMS per activity, so each can be briefed and reviewed on its own.

How often should a RAMS be reviewed?

Whenever the work, site, plant or team changes, after an incident or near miss, and at any interval your principal contractor sets.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Always follow your principal contractor's requirements, the manufacturer's instructions and the HSE guidance referred to above.