Do I Need a RAMS to Get on Site? What UK Contractors Should Know
If you've been asked for a RAMS before you're allowed on site, you're not alone. It's one of the most common questions tradespeople and subcontractors ask. The short answer is: probably yes — but the legal picture is more nuanced than a blanket rule, and it's worth understanding exactly what's being asked of you and why.
What Is a RAMS?
RAMS stands for Risk Assessment + Method Statement. It combines two documents:
- A risk assessment — a structured look at what could cause harm in your work, who is at risk, and what controls you'll put in place. This is a legal duty under Regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 for any employer or self-employed person.
- A method statement — a step-by-step description of how the work will be carried out safely. This is not in itself a standalone legal requirement, but it is the standard way of demonstrating your controls in practice.
Together they show a principal contractor, client, or site manager that you've thought through the hazards before work starts.
Is a RAMS Legally Required?
The legal requirement is for a suitable and sufficient risk assessment — that duty applies to virtually every employer and self-employed person under the 1999 Management Regulations, regardless of site size. There is no specific legislation that says "you must produce a document called a RAMS."
However, several layers of law and contract make RAMS effectively unavoidable on most sites:
- CDM 2015 (Construction Design and Management Regulations) places duties on principal contractors to plan, manage, and coordinate health and safety, which includes obtaining and reviewing subcontractors' arrangements before they start work.
- The principal contractor's own legal duty to ensure safe working means they are entitled — and in practice obliged — to check your risk assessment before letting you on site.
- Contract conditions on most commercial and public sector sites make a RAMS a condition of entry. Refusing to provide one isn't just a health and safety issue; it's a contractual one.
So while the law doesn't use the word "RAMS," the combination of legal duties and commercial practice means the answer to "do I need a RAMS to get on site?" is almost always yes.
When Is a RAMS Most Commonly Required?
Expect to be asked for a RAMS for virtually any of the following:
| Scenario | Why RAMS is Expected |
|---|---|
| Working on a commercial construction site | CDM 2015 principal contractor duties |
| Working at height (roofing, scaffolding, MEWP work) | Work at Height Regulations 2005 |
| Working with hazardous substances | COSHH 2002 risk assessment duty |
| Hot works, confined spaces, excavations | High-risk activities, permit-to-work systems |
| Maintenance on an occupied premises | Employer's duty of care to others on site |
Even for smaller or domestic jobs, if you're working alongside other trades or the public, a risk assessment is still a legal duty — a RAMS is simply the written evidence of it.
What Should a Good RAMS Contain?
A RAMS is only useful if it's specific to the actual job. Generic, copy-and-paste documents that don't reflect the real work, location, or hazards will be rejected by any competent site manager — and rightly so.
A solid RAMS should cover:
- The specific task — what you're doing, where, and when
- Hazards identified — falls, manual handling, dust, electrical, plant, public interface, etc.
- Who is at risk — your workers, other trades, members of the public
- Controls in the correct hierarchy — eliminate the risk first; substitute materials or methods; use engineering controls (guarding, LEV); then administrative controls (permits, training, supervision); and PPE only as a last resort or supplement
- Emergency arrangements — first aid, evacuation
- Competencies and supervision — who is responsible on site
A Note on Fire Risk Assessments
It's worth being clear: a Fire Risk Assessment is a completely separate document governed by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which is a Home Office instrument, not an HSE one. A fire risk assessment does not have a method statement attached to it. If a client asks for your fire risk assessment, that's a different document from your RAMS.
What If You're Self-Employed?
Self-employed tradespeople are not exempt. If your work could affect others — and on any shared site it will — you have the same duty to assess risk under the 1999 Management Regulations. Being a sole trader does not remove the obligation.
Practical Tips Before You Arrive on Site
- Read the site-specific information — many principal contractors provide a pre-start pack or hazard register. Your RAMS should reflect it.
- Write it for the actual job — include the site address, task dates, and specific materials or equipment you'll use.
- Review it if the job changes — a RAMS written for one set of conditions doesn't automatically cover a change in scope, location, or method.
- Keep a signed copy — workers should have read and understood the method statement before starting, and you should be able to evidence this.
Getting this right isn't just about clearing the site gate. A well-written RAMS protects your workers, demonstrates professionalism, and is the written record that you took your legal duties seriously.