What Insurance Do You Need for a RAMS on Site?

If you've been asked to produce a RAMS before starting work on site, you may also have been asked to provide proof of insurance at the same time. It's a common combination — but the two documents do completely different jobs. Understanding what each one covers (and what it doesn't) will help you avoid gaps that could leave you exposed.

What Is a RAMS, and What Does It Actually Do?

A RAMS is a Risk Assessment and Method Statement. Together, these documents:

• Identify the hazards in your task and the likelihood and severity of harm (the risk assessment element, required under Regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999)
• Describe step-by-step how the work will be carried out safely (the method statement)

A RAMS is a health and safety planning document. It is not a financial protection document. It tells the principal contractor or client how you intend to work safely — it does not compensate anyone if something goes wrong.

What Insurance Do You Actually Need on Site?

Insurance is the financial safety net that sits alongside your safe working practices. The specific policies you need will depend on your work, but for most trades working on a commercial or construction site, the following apply:

Employers' Liability Insurance (EL)

If you employ anyone — including labour-only subcontractors in some circumstances — Employers' Liability insurance is a legal requirement under the Employers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969. The minimum level of cover required by law is £5 million, though most policies offer £10 million as standard. You must display your certificate of insurance or make it available to employees electronically.

Sole traders working entirely alone are generally exempt from this requirement, but check your specific circumstances with an insurer or broker.

Public Liability Insurance (PL)

Public Liability is not a statutory requirement, but most principal contractors and clients will make it a contractual condition of coming on site. It covers claims made by third parties — members of the public, other contractors, or the client — for injury or property damage caused by your work. A common minimum asked for on site is £2 million, though £5 million or £10 million is frequently specified in larger contracts. Check your contract documents carefully.

Professional Indemnity Insurance (PI)

If you provide design input, surveying, consulting, or any technical advice as part of your service, Professional Indemnity insurance covers claims arising from errors or omissions in that advice. This is increasingly relevant under CDM 2015 for those acting as designers, where duties apply to any person who prepares or modifies a design.

Contract Works / Plant Insurance

These cover damage to the works themselves or to plant and equipment on site. Not always mandatory, but often expected on larger projects.

Why Do Clients Ask for Insurance Alongside a RAMS?

When a principal contractor or client asks for your RAMS and insurance certificates together, they are carrying out pre-qualification checks. Under CDM 2015, principal contractors must take reasonable steps to ensure that those they appoint have the skills, knowledge, experience, and organisational capability to carry out the work safely. Insurance is part of demonstrating organisational capability and financial responsibility — it does not replace safe working, and a RAMS does not replace insurance.

The two documents answer two different questions:

• RAMS: How will you keep people safe?
• Insurance: What happens financially if something goes wrong despite that?

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Assuming your RAMS provides cover. It doesn't. A well-written RAMS may help demonstrate you took reasonable precautions, which can be relevant in legal proceedings, but it is not an insurance policy.

Letting your certificates lapse. Many policies renew annually. Keep a record of expiry dates and make sure certificates are current before you go on site — an expired certificate is as bad as none at all.

Underestimating the cover level required. Always check the contract or site rules. Turning up with £1 million PL when the contract specifies £5 million will hold up your start on site.

Not reading policy exclusions. Some standard policies exclude certain activities — working at height above a specified level, hot works, or work on certain structure types. Check with your broker that your policy covers the actual scope of your work.

A Practical Checklist Before Going on Site

The Bottom Line

A RAMS and site insurance are not alternatives — they are complementary. Your RAMS shows you have thought through the risks and planned safe working. Your insurance certificates show you have the financial backing if the unexpected still occurs. Get both right before work starts, and check what levels of cover your contract actually specifies.