What are RAMS in construction?

A plain-English guide for UK contractors, site managers and sole traders.

What does RAMS stand for?

RAMS stands for Risk Assessment and Method Statement. In UK construction, RAMS is the combined document (or pair of documents) that explains the hazards on a job, the control measures in place, and the step-by-step safe system of work the team will follow.

Risk Assessment vs Method Statement

A risk assessment identifies hazards (working at height, dust, manual handling, electricity, etc.), who could be harmed, the likelihood and severity, and the controls applied to reduce the residual risk. A method statement describes how the work will actually be carried out — the sequence of steps, equipment, PPE, permits, supervision and emergency arrangements.

Bundling them together as RAMS gives the principal contractor, client and site team a single reference document for safe delivery of the task.

Why are RAMS required under CDM 2015?

The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015) place duties on clients, principal designers, principal contractors and contractors to plan, manage and monitor construction work so that it is carried out without risks to health and safety. RAMS are the practical evidence that those duties have been met for a specific task or package of work.

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 also require employers to assess risk and record the significant findings — RAMS satisfy that record-keeping requirement on construction sites.

When do you need RAMS?

• Before starting any non-trivial construction task on site.
• When a principal contractor or client requests them as part of pre-construction information.
• For high-risk work such as working at height, hot works, confined spaces, asbestos, demolition or excavation.
• Whenever the work, site conditions or team change significantly.

What goes into a good RAMS document?

• Project, client and site information.
• Names and roles of the assessor, supervisor and operatives.
• Hazards, who is at risk, and likelihood / severity scoring before and after controls.
• Control measures, PPE, permits and equipment required.
• Step-by-step method statement for the work.
• Emergency arrangements and nearest hospital.
• Sign-off and briefing record for everyone carrying out the work.

Create your RAMS in minutes

RAMS Builder is a UK-focused tool that turns a few project answers into a compliant, professionally formatted RAMS you can export as PDF or DOCX. Start free with up to 3 saved documents.