RAMS for electricians

Rewires, consumer unit changes, EV chargers and commercial fit-outs all need RAMS before a main contractor or a landlord will let you start. Here is what an electrician’s RAMS should cover, with a generator that fills it in for you.

Electrician preset: safe isolation, hidden services, silica dust from chasing, ladders, asbestos and occupied homes, plus a 10-step sequence of work.

Make electrical RAMS

The main hazards in electrical work

Hazard	Key controls
Electric shock and burns	Work dead. Isolate, lock off, label and prove dead with a GS38 approved voltage indicator, checked on a proving unit before and after. No live working.
Hidden cables and pipes	Scan before drilling or chasing; keep to the permitted safe zones; confirm where the gas ECV and water stopcock are.
Silica dust from chasing	Wall chaser and SDS drill with M-class extraction, FFP3 mask face-fit tested, vacuum not sweep.
Falls from ladders and steps	Podiums or towers for longer work; BS EN 131 ladders checked before use.
Asbestos	Check the survey before drilling into textured ceilings, old boards and around older consumer units. Stop work if you find something suspect.
Working in occupied homes	Agree power-off times; keep children away from the work; never leave exposed conductors or tools unattended.

Typical sequence of work for a rewire

Agree the work area, access and power-off times with the client.
Check the asbestos information before drilling or chasing.
Lay floor protection; set up barriers.
Safely isolate the circuits to be worked on and prove dead.
Scan for hidden services; mark cable routes in the safe zones.
Chase and drill with extraction; fit back boxes and containment.
Install and terminate cables, accessories and the consumer unit.
Inspect and test to BS 7671 and record the results.
Re-energise, check operation and show the client.
Clear waste, issue the certificate and notify the work where required.

Questions

Do domestic electricians need RAMS?

You must assess the risks of your work, and record them if you employ five or more people. Many domestic jobs do not legally need a written method statement, but landlords, letting agents, housing associations and main contractors usually ask for RAMS before work starts.

What competence should an electrician’s RAMS list?

The qualifications and cards relevant to the work: for example the current edition of BS 7671, inspection and testing, your competent person scheme registration, asbestos awareness and CSCS or ECS cards.

Should the RAMS cover testing?

Yes. Inspection and testing involves live tests, so say who does them, which instruments are used and how others are kept away while circuits are energised.

Checked against hse.gov.uk on 31 October 2026.