What are RAMS?
RAMS stands for Risk Assessment and Method Statement. It is the pair of documents a trade or subcontractor gives to the client or main contractor before starting work: the risk assessment says what could go wrong and how it is controlled, the method statement says step by step how the job will be done safely.
The two parts
| Risk assessment | Method statement |
|---|---|
| Lists the hazards (working at height, dust, live services, manual handling…) | Describes the job: scope, location, dates, people and their roles |
| Who might be harmed and how | Plant, tools and materials to be used |
| Controls in place, often with a risk score before and after | Sequence of work, step by step |
| Further action needed, by whom and when | PPE, permits, emergency and first aid arrangements |
Are RAMS a legal requirement?
The risk assessment is. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (regulation 3) require every employer and self-employed person to assess the risks of their work; with five or more employees the significant findings must be written down. A method statement is not named in law as a general requirement, but CDM 2015 requires contractors to plan and manage their work, and HSE expects a written safe system of work for higher-risk jobs. In practice, main contractors, councils, housing associations and facilities managers will not let you on site without RAMS.
Who asks for RAMS?
- Main contractors, before a subcontractor starts.
- Commercial clients and facilities managers, for work in occupied buildings.
- Councils, schools and housing associations, often as part of approval to tender.
- Domestic customers rarely ask, but under CDM 2015 you still need to plan the work safely.
What makes good RAMS
- Specific to the job and the site, not a 40-page generic file.
- Readable by the people doing the work, and briefed to them before they start.
- Signed by the operatives to show they have read it.
- Reviewed when the job, the team or the site changes.
Write RAMS in about 10 minutes. Pick your trade and the job; RAMS Maker drafts the risk assessment and the method statement for you to edit, and gives you a PDF. Pro (£12/month) saves your RAMS library and adds your logo.
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What does RAMS stand for in construction?
Risk Assessment and Method Statement.
Who writes the RAMS?
The contractor doing the work, usually the supervisor or the business owner who knows the job. A health and safety consultant can help, but the content must reflect how the work will really be done.
How long are RAMS valid?
There is no fixed expiry. They are valid for the job they describe and must be reviewed if anything significant changes.
Checked against HSE guidance and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, October 2026. Related: RAMS template · hierarchy of control.