Do I Need a RAMS for Working at Height?
Working at height remains one of the leading causes of fatal and serious injuries in the UK construction and trades sector. If you're a contractor or tradesperson asking whether you need a RAMS before starting work at height, the short answer is: almost certainly yes — but understanding why helps you produce something that actually works, rather than paperwork for its own sake.
What the Law Actually Requires
Two sets of regulations are directly relevant here.
The Work at Height Regulations 2005 require every employer (and self-employed person) to ensure that work at height is properly planned, appropriately supervised, and carried out in a way that is, so far as is reasonably practicable, safe. Regulation 4 specifically requires that all work at height is planned to include the management of emergencies and rescue.
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, Regulation 3 requires employers and the self-employed to carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment of any activity that presents a risk to workers or others. Working at height clearly meets that threshold.
So while neither piece of legislation uses the words "RAMS" or "method statement" verbatim, the combination of a risk assessment (required under the 1999 Regulations) and a method statement (required by sound planning under the 2005 Regulations, and often mandated by principal contractors under CDM 2015) is the established way to demonstrate compliance for work at height.
What Is a RAMS, Exactly?
A RAMS is a combined Risk Assessment and Method Statement. They are two distinct documents that are almost always produced together for higher-risk work:
- Risk Assessment — identifies the hazards, who is at risk, the likelihood and severity of harm, and what controls reduce the risk to an acceptable level.
- Method Statement — describes, step by step, how the work will actually be carried out safely, using the controls identified in the risk assessment.
A RAMS is not the same as a Fire Risk Assessment, which is a standalone document under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and does not require a method statement.
When Is a RAMS for Working at Height Needed?
You should produce a RAMS whenever:
- Work is being carried out at any height where a fall could cause injury — the Work at Height Regulations 2005 do not set a minimum height threshold; even work from a low platform can require planning.
- A principal contractor or client has requested one (standard practice on most commercial and construction sites under CDM 2015).
- The task involves mobile elevated work platforms (MEWPs), scaffolding, ladders for anything beyond short-duration work, fragile surfaces, or roof work.
- You are working near or over others, where a falling object or a fall itself could injure third parties.
For very low-risk, short-duration tasks — such as using a stepladder for two minutes to change a light fitting in a domestic property — a brief, proportionate written record may suffice. But if the task is anything more complex, a full RAMS is the professional and legal standard.
What Your RAMS Must Cover for Work at Height
A good RAMS for working at height should address the following in the risk assessment element:
| Area | What to Consider |
|---|---|
| Fall from height | Height involved, edge protection, fragile surfaces |
| Falling objects | Tools, materials, exclusion zones below |
| Equipment failure | Inspection status of ladders, towers, MEWPs |
| Weather | Wind, rain, ice affecting stability and grip |
| Rescue | What happens if someone becomes stranded or injured at height |
The method statement should then detail:
- The specific equipment to be used and its inspection/test status
- Erection and dismantling procedures (for scaffolds or towers)
- Exclusion zones to protect people below
- Supervision arrangements and who is competent to oversee the work
- Emergency and rescue procedure — this is a specific requirement under the 2005 Regulations and is frequently omitted
The Hierarchy of Controls — Apply It in Order
The Work at Height Regulations 2005 set out a clear hierarchy. Your RAMS must show you have followed it:
- Avoid work at height entirely if it is reasonably practicable to do so
- Prevent falls using collective measures — scaffolding, edge protection, guard rails
- Minimise the consequences of a fall — nets, airbags, personal fall arrest systems
- PPE (harnesses, lanyards) — only as a last resort, or in combination with the above
Jumping straight to "operatives will wear a harness" without considering whether a working platform is feasible is not an acceptable approach and will not satisfy an HSE inspector.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Copying a generic template without tailoring it to the specific site and task
- Omitting the emergency rescue plan
- Listing PPE before exhausting collective protection options
- Failing to name the competent person responsible for supervising the work
- Not reviewing the RAMS if conditions change (weather, site layout, personnel)
Keeping It Proportionate
The HSE expects your RAMS to be suitable and sufficient, not necessarily lengthy. A straightforward roofing task on a well-defined site can be covered in two or three clear pages. A complex multi-trade scaffold operation on a live site will need considerably more detail. The test is whether someone unfamiliar with the job could read it and carry out the work safely.
Producing a RAMS for working at height is not a bureaucratic exercise — it is the mechanism by which you think the job through before someone gets hurt.