What Should a RAMS Include? A Practical Guide for UK Contractors
If you've been asked to submit a RAMS before starting a job, you might be wondering exactly what needs to go in it. The term gets used loosely on site, so it's worth being precise: a RAMS is two separate but linked documents — a Risk Assessment and a Method Statement — usually combined into one submission.
Each part has a distinct purpose, and understanding the difference helps you produce something that's actually useful rather than a box-ticking exercise.
The Two Parts of a RAMS
Risk Assessment is a legal requirement under Regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. It requires you to identify hazards, assess who might be harmed and how, and put in place reasonable controls. Employers (and the self-employed) must do this for any work activity — not just high-risk tasks.
Method Statement is not a standalone legal duty in the same way, but it is the practical document that explains how you will carry out the work safely. It translates the risk assessment into a step-by-step sequence that operatives can actually follow. Together, they give a client or principal contractor confidence that you've thought the job through.
What the Risk Assessment Section Must Cover
A risk assessment isn't a form to fill — it's a thinking process. The written record should include:
- The activity and location — what work is being done, on which site or premises
- Hazards identified — anything with potential to cause harm (e.g. working at height, manual handling, hazardous substances, electricity, moving plant)
- Who might be harmed — your own workers, other trades, members of the public, vulnerable people nearby
- Existing controls already in place — what's already reducing the risk before you add anything new
- Additional controls required — applied in the correct hierarchy: eliminate the hazard first, then substitute, then engineering controls (guarding, LEV, edge protection), then administrative measures (permits, training, supervision), and PPE only as a last resort or supplement
- Residual risk rating — a realistic assessment of likelihood and severity after controls are applied
- Review triggers — when the assessment will be revisited (change of scope, incident, significant time elapsed)
If your work involves hazardous substances, the risk assessment must also meet the requirements of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH). That means referring to Safety Data Sheets, considering inhalation, skin contact and ingestion routes, and specifying suitable controls such as ventilation or respiratory protective equipment.
What the Method Statement Section Must Cover
The method statement describes the sequence of work. It should be written clearly enough that someone unfamiliar with the specific task can follow it safely. Key sections include:
- Scope of work — a plain-English description of the task
- Personnel and competencies — who will carry out the work and what qualifications, training or experience are required (e.g. IPAF licence, asbestos awareness, first aid)
- Plant, equipment and materials — tools, machinery, substances and PPE required, with any inspection or certification requirements noted
- Step-by-step work sequence — broken down logically, with safety measures embedded at each stage (not just listed at the end)
- Emergency arrangements — nearest first aid, what to do in the event of an accident, fire evacuation procedure for that site, who to contact
- Welfare provisions — particularly relevant for longer duration or remote work
- Supervision arrangements — who is responsible for overseeing the work
A Simple Structure to Follow
| Section | Document Part | Key Question Answered |
|---|---|---|
| Activity description | Both | What are we doing and where? |
| Hazard identification | Risk Assessment | What could go wrong? |
| Control measures | Risk Assessment | How do we reduce the risk? |
| Residual risk | Risk Assessment | What risk remains? |
| Work sequence | Method Statement | How do we do the work, step by step? |
| Competencies & equipment | Method Statement | Who does it and with what? |
| Emergency procedures | Method Statement | What if something goes wrong? |
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Generic content is the most frequent problem. A RAMS copied from a previous job with only the date changed gives no assurance that anyone has actually assessed the specific risks of this task on this site. Clients and principal contractors are entitled to reject it — and often do.
Burying controls in the method statement is another issue. Controls should appear in the risk assessment with a clear link to the hazard they address, then be reflected in the work sequence.
Confusing a RAMS with a Fire Risk Assessment is also surprisingly common. A Fire Risk Assessment is a separate legal requirement under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and follows a different structure — it does not include a method statement.
Who Signs Off a RAMS?
The risk assessment must be completed by a competent person — someone with sufficient knowledge, training and experience to identify hazards and evaluate risks in that type of work. The method statement should be reviewed by whoever is responsible for supervising the activity.
Both documents should be communicated to the workers carrying out the task before work begins, not handed to them on the morning and signed without being read. That communication — often called a toolbox talk or pre-start briefing — is where the RAMS becomes a practical safety tool rather than paperwork.