What Is A RAMS Document? Risk Assessments and Method Statements Explained

RAMS — Risk Assessments and Method Statements — are among the most requested compliance documents in UK construction and contracting. They are also among the most poorly written. This guide explains what a RAMS document is, what it must contain, and the common mistakes that make RAMS documents useless in practice.

What Does RAMS Stand For?

RAMS is an abbreviation for Risk Assessment and Method Statement. The two are distinct documents that are commonly combined into a single document referred to as RAMS:

• A Risk Assessment identifies the hazards associated with a task, evaluates the risk each hazard presents, and specifies the control measures that will reduce that risk to an acceptable level.
• A Method Statement describes, in sequence, how a task will be carried out safely. It translates the risk assessment's controls into practical instructions for the people doing the work.

When Is A RAMS Required?

There is no single piece of legislation that requires a 'RAMS document' by name. The legal obligation to carry out and record risk assessments comes from the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, which require employers to make suitable and sufficient assessments of the risks to which their employees — and others who may be affected — are exposed.

The requirement to record the significant findings of a risk assessment applies to employers with five or more employees. However, in practice, principal contractors and clients routinely require RAMS from any contractor working on their site, regardless of size.

In construction specifically, CDM 2015 requires principal contractors to plan, manage, monitor and coordinate work so that it is carried out without risks to health and safety. RAMS submitted by contractors are a key mechanism through which this is done.

What Should A Risk Assessment Contain?

A suitable and sufficient risk assessment should include:

• The task and location — a specific description of the work to be carried out and where
• The hazards identified — specific hazards arising from the task, not generic lists copied from templates
• Who might be harmed and how — workers, other trades, visitors, members of the public
• The initial risk rating — an assessment of likelihood and severity before controls are applied
• The control measures — specific controls following the hierarchy of control (elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, PPE)
• The residual risk rating — the risk remaining after controls are applied
• The responsible person — who is responsible for ensuring the controls are implemented
• Review date — when the assessment will be reviewed (or if the task or circumstances change)

What Should A Method Statement Contain?

A method statement typically includes:

• A step-by-step sequence of the work activities
• The plant, equipment and materials to be used
• The specific control measures that will be applied at each stage
• The PPE required for the task
• Emergency procedures — what to do if something goes wrong
• The competence and qualifications required of the people doing the work
• Welfare arrangements, site rules and restrictions

The Most Common RAMS Mistakes

Generic Templates Not Tailored To The Task

The most common failure is the use of generic, heavily templated RAMS documents that bear no specific relationship to the actual task, site or circumstances. If a principal contractor sees the same RAMS for a groundworks package on a city centre site as they do for a rural agricultural installation, they are looking at a template that has not been properly adapted.

Risk assessments must be 'suitable and sufficient' — the HSE's guidance is clear that this means specific to the actual risks of the actual task, not a generic document covering broadly similar work.

Hazards Identified But Controls Not Specific

Many risk assessments correctly identify the hazards but then specify controls such as "wear appropriate PPE" or "ensure workers are adequately trained" — which provide no useful instruction. Effective controls name the specific PPE required (e.g., "Safety glasses to EN166, gloves to EN374") and specify what training is required (e.g., "IPAF 3a card required for MEWP operation").

RAMS Not Read Or Briefed To Workers

A RAMS that has been prepared by an office-based H&S manager and never read by the workers who will carry out the task is not fulfilling its purpose. Many principal contractors now require evidence of worker sign-off on RAMS before work commences — not just a document submission from the contractor.

RAMS Not Updated When Circumstances Change

A risk assessment must be reviewed and, if necessary, revised when there is reason to believe it is no longer valid or when significant changes to the work occur. This includes changes to the site, the sequence of work, the equipment being used or the people involved.

RAMS In CDM 2015

Under CDM 2015, the principal contractor must:

• Plan, manage, monitor and coordinate the work to ensure it is carried out without risk to health and safety
• Ensure that contractors comply with any site rules
• Take reasonable steps to prevent unauthorised access
• Ensure the construction phase plan is updated as work progresses

In practice, collecting, reviewing and approving RAMS from all contractors working on a construction project is a fundamental part of meeting these duties. The principal contractor should review RAMS before work commences and should not allow work to start where the RAMS submitted are inadequate.

Managing RAMS With A Compliance System

On a complex project with multiple contractors and subcontractors, manually collecting, reviewing, filing and tracking RAMS becomes a significant administrative burden. Common issues include:

• RAMS received by email but not consistently filed
• No record of whether RAMS have been reviewed and approved
• Multiple versions of the same RAMS document — no version control
• No record of which workers have been briefed on a specific RAMS
• RAMS that have been superseded still in circulation on site

SRM Genie's contractor management and document management modules provide a central system for receiving, reviewing, approving and retaining RAMS — with version control, approval workflow and briefing records. All documents are accessible immediately during an HSE inspection or client audit.