If you work in UK construction, RAMS is one of those terms you hear constantly — from principal contractors, site managers, and clients — often without a clear explanation of what a RAMS document actually needs to contain, who needs to produce one, or what makes one compliant.
This guide answers all of it. What RAMS stands for, when you need one, what it must include under CDM 2015, how principal contractors assess them, and where to get templates you can use on site today.
What does RAMS stand for?
RAMS stands for Risk Assessment and Method Statement. It is a combined document — or sometimes two separate documents submitted together — that sets out:
- The hazards involved in a specific task and how they will be controlled (the risk assessment)
- The sequence of work and the safe methods that will be used to carry out the task (the method statement)
Together, they demonstrate to a principal contractor, client, or HSE inspector that you have properly planned your work, identified what can go wrong, and put proportionate controls in place before you start.
Who needs to produce a RAMS?
If you are a contractor or subcontractor carrying out work on a UK construction site, you will almost certainly be asked for RAMS at some point — usually before you are permitted on site.
You need a RAMS if you are:
- A subcontractor appointed by a principal contractor to carry out specific work
- A self-employed tradesperson or specialist contractor working within a managed site
- Any contractor whose scope of work involves significant hazards — working at height, live electrical systems, confined spaces, hot work, excavation, or any task requiring a permit to work
The request typically comes from the principal contractor as part of their pre-commencement documentation process. In most cases, you will need task-specific RAMS — one document per distinct activity — not a generic document that attempts to cover everything.
RAMS and CDM 2015
The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 — CDM 2015 — provide the legal framework within which RAMS sit.
Under CDM 2015, principal contractors have a duty to plan, manage, monitor, and coordinate the construction phase of a project to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that it is carried out without risks to health and safety. A core part of discharging that duty is ensuring that every contractor working on the site has assessed the risks of their scope of work and has a documented method for carrying it out safely.
For subcontractors, the corresponding duty is to plan and manage their own work safely and to cooperate with the principal contractor's arrangements. Producing compliant RAMS is the primary mechanism through which subcontractors demonstrate that cooperation.
There is no specified format for RAMS under CDM 2015. What the regulations require is that the assessment is suitable and sufficient — meaning it must be proportionate to the actual risks involved, specific to the task and site, and carried out by a competent person.
What must a RAMS document include?
A compliant RAMS for UK construction should contain the following:
Risk assessment section
1. Task description
A clear description of the specific work activity — not a generic label like "electrical work" but a precise description such as "installation of new distribution board in plant room, first floor, Building B."
2. Site and location details
The project name, site address, and the specific location within the site where the work will be carried out.
3. Hazard identification
A full list of the hazards associated with the task. This should be drawn from your direct knowledge of the work, the site conditions, and any information provided by the principal contractor or designer. Do not rely on a generic list — hazards must reflect the actual conditions on this site.
4. Who is at risk
Everyone who could be harmed, including your own operatives, other trades working in adjacent areas, site visitors, and members of the public where relevant.
5. Existing controls
The control measures already in place — site rules, permanent barriers, existing safe systems of work, PPE requirements.
6. Additional controls required
Any further actions needed before the task can be carried out safely — permits to work, specific PPE, isolation procedures, exclusion zones, third-party inspections.
7. Residual risk rating
A risk rating — typically using a likelihood × severity matrix — after all controls are applied. This demonstrates that residual risk has been reduced to as low as reasonably practicable.
8. Assessor details
Name, position, and signature of the competent person who carried out the assessment, plus a review date.
Method statement section
9. Sequence of operations
A step-by-step description of how the work will be carried out, in the order it will happen. This is the practical core of the document — it should be specific enough that someone unfamiliar with the task could follow it.
10. Plant, tools, and equipment
What equipment will be used, including access equipment, power tools, lifting gear, and any specialist plant. Reference any relevant inspection records or LOLER/PUWER requirements.
11. Competency and training
The qualifications, certifications, and experience required to carry out the work — CSCS cards, IPAF, PASMA, CPCS, gas safe registration, or equivalent.
12. Emergency arrangements
What to do if something goes wrong — first aid provision, emergency contacts, site evacuation procedure, nearest hospital.
13. Environmental controls
Measures to prevent harm to the environment — dust suppression, containment of liquids, waste segregation, noise mitigation.
RAMS vs method statement — what is the difference?
A method statement is one component of a RAMS document. On its own, a method statement describes how work will be carried out but does not formally assess the hazards involved. A risk assessment identifies and evaluates the hazards but does not necessarily describe the work sequence.
A RAMS combines both. Principal contractors almost always ask for RAMS — the combined document — rather than either component in isolation.
If you are asked for a method statement only, a RAMS will always satisfy that requirement. If you are asked for a risk assessment only, it is still good practice to include the method statement so that your safe system of work is fully documented.
How principal contractors assess RAMS
When a principal contractor receives your RAMS, they are looking for the following:
Specificity — Does the document describe this task on this site, or is it clearly a generic template that has not been tailored? Generic RAMS are routinely rejected.
Proportionality — Are the controls proportionate to the risks identified? A RAMS that identifies significant hazards but lists only basic PPE as the control measure will not pass scrutiny.
Competency — Is the person who signed off the assessment demonstrably competent to do so? For high-risk tasks, this may require a named qualified person.
Completeness — Does the document cover all the tasks within the scope? A RAMS for "working at height" that does not address fragile surfaces, falling objects, or weather conditions is incomplete.
Some principal contractors use a formal RAMS review checklist. Many use a sub-contractor RAMS review form to document their assessment and any required amendments before approval. If your RAMS is rejected, you will typically be given the opportunity to revise and resubmit — but this takes time and can delay your start on site.
Free RAMS template — download now
SafetyPod provides professionally drafted, CDM 2015-compliant RAMS templates covering the most common tasks in UK construction — working at height, electrical work, excavation, confined space entry, hot work, and more.
All templates are fully editable in Word. Add your company details, site information, and task-specific content, and they are ready to submit to your principal contractor.
→ Browse the RAMS & Permits collection
If you receive RAMS from subcontractors that you need to review and approve, we also have a sub-contractor RAMS review form to standardise your assessment process:
→ Sub-Contractor RAMS Review Form
Written by the SafetyPod team — NEBOSH-qualified H&S professionals with hands-on experience across UK construction, civil engineering, and facilities management. All content is written to current HSE guidance and CDM 2015 compliance.
Last reviewed: June 2026