What is a RAMS Document? Complete UK Guide 2025
Everything UK tradespeople need to know about risk assessment method statements
Picture this: You've just landed a major contract on a commercial site. Everything's sorted—tools, materials, team. Then the site manager asks for your RAMS document. You freeze. You don't have one.
Within minutes, you're off the job. The contract goes to someone else. This scenario plays out daily across UK construction sites.
A RAMS document (Risk Assessment and Method Statement) is a legal document that outlines the hazards involved in your work and the safe methods you'll use to complete it. In 2025, it's not optional—it's essential for any tradesperson working on commercial sites, local authority projects, or larger residential jobs.
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A RAMS document combines two critical health and safety components into a single document that demonstrates how you'll carry out work safely and legally.
The Two Components:
1. Risk Assessment (RA)
The risk assessment identifies potential hazards in your work environment and evaluates the likelihood and severity of harm. It covers everything from working at height to electrical hazards, manual handling risks, and environmental dangers.
Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, UK employers and self-employed tradespeople must conduct risk assessments for their work activities.
2. Method Statement (MS)
The method statement is your step-by-step plan for completing the work safely. It details the specific procedures, equipment, and control measures you'll implement to eliminate or reduce the risks identified in your risk assessment.
Think of it as your safety playbook—it tells everyone on site exactly how the job will be done, from start to finish, in the safest way possible.
Together, these create a risk assessment method statement that satisfies UK legal requirements under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015) and demonstrates your commitment to safe working practices.
When contractors or site managers ask for "RAMS," they're requesting proof that you've thought through the risks and have a solid plan to work safely. It's become standard practice across the UK construction industry.
Why Do You Need a RAMS Document?
In 2025, a RAMS document isn't just paperwork—it's a business necessity. Here's why every UK tradesperson needs one:
Legal Requirements
Legal Alert
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) can issue improvement or prohibition notices if you fail to provide adequate risk assessments. Serious breaches can result in prosecution, with fines reaching £20,000 or more, and in severe cases, imprisonment.
Under CDM 2015, principal contractors must ensure that all workers have suitable risk assessment method statements before work begins. If you're self-employed or run a small trade business, you're legally responsible for creating these documents.
Contract Requirements
- ✓Commercial sites: Nearly 100% of commercial construction projects require RAMS before you set foot on site
- ✓Local authority work: Council contracts always require compliant RAMS UK documentation
- ✓Large residential projects: Developers and property management companies increasingly demand RAMS
- ✓Insurance work: Many insurance-backed jobs require proper health and safety documentation
Protecting Your Business
Beyond legal compliance, a proper RAMS document protects you in multiple ways:
- •Insurance claims: If an accident occurs, your insurer will ask for your RAMS. Without one, claims may be rejected
- •Professional reputation: Having RAMS ready shows you're professional and safety-conscious
- •Competitive advantage: Win more contracts by having documentation ready immediately
- •Legal protection: Demonstrates due diligence if incidents occur
Real Consequences
Without a RAMS document, you risk:
- Being turned away from sites (losing day rates of £200-500+)
- Contract termination and loss of future work
- HSE enforcement action and fines
- Invalidated insurance coverage
- Criminal prosecution if accidents occur
- Damage to your professional reputation
The bottom line: In 2025, operating without proper RAMS UK documentation is a business risk you can't afford to take.
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A comprehensive RAMS document follows a structured format that meets UK legal requirements. Here's what every proper risk assessment method statement should contain:
Risk Assessment Section
1. Project Information
- • Project name and location
- • Your company details
- • Date of assessment
- • Review date (typically 12 months)
- • Names of persons at risk
2. Hazard Identification
Comprehensive list of potential hazards specific to your trade:
Electricians:
- • Electric shock and burns
- • Arc flash incidents
- • Working at height (ceiling work)
- • Manual handling of equipment
- • Confined spaces
Plumbers:
- • Hot water and steam burns
- • Working in confined spaces
- • Legionella exposure
- • Manual handling (boilers, etc.)
- • Use of power tools
Builders/Roofers:
- • Falls from height
- • Falling objects
- • Manual handling injuries
- • Dust and fume exposure
- • Vehicle movements on site
General Tradespeople:
- • Slips, trips, and falls
- • Noise exposure
- • Vibration from tools
- • Asbestos exposure (older buildings)
- • Public interaction risks
3. Risk Evaluation
Each hazard is assessed using a risk matrix:
- • Likelihood: How probable is the hazard? (Rare, Unlikely, Possible, Likely, Almost Certain)
- • Severity: What's the potential harm? (Insignificant, Minor, Moderate, Major, Catastrophic)
- • Risk Rating: Combined score determining priority (Low, Medium, High, Very High)
4. Control Measures
Specific actions to eliminate or reduce each risk, following the hierarchy of controls:
- • Elimination: Remove the hazard entirely
- • Substitution: Replace with something safer
- • Engineering controls: Barriers, guards, ventilation
- • Administrative controls: Training, procedures, signage
- • PPE: Personal protective equipment as last resort
Method Statement Section
1. Scope of Work
Clear description of the work to be undertaken, including:
- • Detailed task breakdown
- • Work location specifics
- • Duration and timeline
- • Number of workers involved
2. Step-by-Step Method
Sequential breakdown of how work will be completed safely:
Example: Electrical Installation Method
- 1. Conduct site survey and identify isolation points
- 2. Isolate electrical supply and verify isolation
- 3. Erect barriers and warning signage
- 4. Set up safe working platform if required
- 5. Install cable routes and containment
- 6. Pull cables and make terminations
- 7. Test and commission installations
- 8. Remove barriers and clean work area
3. Equipment and Resources
- • Tools and plant required
- • Materials list
- • PPE requirements (hard hat, gloves, safety boots, hi-vis, etc.)
- • Emergency equipment (first aid, fire extinguisher)
4. Personnel and Training
- • Competent persons assigned
- • Relevant qualifications (CSCS, ECS, Gas Safe, etc.)
- • Training records
- • Supervision arrangements
5. Emergency Procedures
- • Emergency contact numbers
- • First aid provisions
- • Evacuation procedures
- • Incident reporting process
A professional RAMS document typically runs 8-15 pages and must be specific to your trade and the actual work you're doing. Generic templates that aren't customised won't satisfy site managers or HSE inspectors.
The key is making your risk assessment method statement detailed enough to be useful, but practical enough that your team can actually follow it on site.
Who Needs a RAMS Document?
If you're working in the UK construction or trades industry, chances are you need a RAMS document. Here's the breakdown:
Trades That Always Need RAMS:
Electrical Trades
- • Electricians
- • Electrical contractors
- • Data/communications installers
- • Solar panel installers
- • EV charger installers
Plumbing & Heating
- • Plumbers
- • Heating engineers
- • Gas Safe engineers
- • Bathroom fitters
- • Drainage specialists
Building & Construction
- • Builders
- • Bricklayers
- • Carpenters/joiners
- • Plasterers
- • Groundworkers
Specialist Trades
- • Roofers
- • Scaffolders
- • Decorators
- • HVAC engineers
- • Fire and security installers
When You Need a RAMS Document:
- ✓All commercial work: Offices, retail units, industrial premises, schools, hospitals—any commercial property
- ✓Local authority contracts: Council housing, public buildings, infrastructure projects
- ✓Construction sites: New builds, renovations, extensions on commercial scale
- ✓Large residential projects: Apartment buildings, housing developments, major renovations
- ✓Working for major contractors: As a subcontractor on managed sites
- ✓High-risk activities: Working at height, confined spaces, electrical work, hot works
What About Small Domestic Jobs?
While RAMS UK documentation isn't legally required for basic domestic work (like fitting a new bathroom in a private house), having one demonstrates professionalism and can:
- • Help you win higher-value domestic contracts
- • Protect you if accidents occur
- • Support insurance claims
- • Show clients you're serious about safety
The rule of thumb: If a site manager, principal contractor, or client asks for your RAMS document, you need one. Don't risk turning up to a job without it—you'll be sent home and likely won't be invited back.
How to Create a RAMS Document
You have three main options for creating a RAMS document in 2025. Let's break down the reality of each approach:
Option 1: Create From Scratch
The Traditional Method
Open Word or Excel, research HSE guidance, identify every hazard for your specific trade and job, evaluate risks, write control measures, create your method statement step by step, format everything professionally, ensure legal compliance with CDM 2015...
- Time required: 4-8 hours for your first one
- Cost: Your time (£200-400 in lost day rate)
- Pros: Completely tailored to your needs
- Cons: Extremely time-consuming, risk of missing legal requirements, requires extensive health & safety knowledge
Option 2: Use Free Templates
The Template Approach
Download a method statement template from the internet, try to adapt it to your specific trade and job, hope it covers all legal requirements...
- Time required: 2-3 hours to customise properly
- Cost: Free (but still costs you time)
- Pros: Starting structure provided, no upfront cost
- Cons: Usually generic and not trade-specific, may be outdated (pre-2015 regulations), often rejected by site managers, could miss critical hazards
Warning: Many free templates online are dangerously generic or don't comply with current RAMS UK regulations. Site managers can spot these a mile away.
Option 3: Professional RAMS Generation
The Modern Solution
Use a specialist service like FastRAMS that generates trade-specific, legally compliant risk assessment method statements in minutes.
- Time required: 5-10 minutes
- Cost: £12.99 per document
- Pros: Trade-specific content, legally compliant with CDM 2015, professionally formatted, accepted by major contractors, includes all required sections, instant download
- Cons: Small cost (but saves hours of your time)
Cost Comparison:
If your day rate is £250 and you spend 4 hours creating a RAMS from scratch, that costs you £125 in lost earnings. A £12.99 FastRAMS document saves you £112+ and gets you on site earning money instead of doing paperwork.
What Makes a Good RAMS Document?
Regardless of which method you choose, your RAMS document must:
- ✓Be specific to your trade (electrician, plumber, builder, etc.)
- ✓Cover the actual work you're doing
- ✓Comply with CDM 2015 and current HSE guidance
- ✓Include comprehensive hazard identification
- ✓Have realistic, practical control measures
- ✓Be professionally formatted and easy to read
- ✓Include emergency procedures
- ✓Have your actual company details
The smartest tradespeople in 2025 value their time. They know that spending hours on paperwork means losing money. That's why professional RAMS generation is becoming the industry standard.
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Common RAMS Mistakes to Avoid
Site managers and HSE inspectors have seen it all. Here are the mistakes that get RAMS documents rejected—and get you sent home from the job:
1. Using Generic Templates Unchanged
Downloading a method statement template and not customising it is obvious. If your RAMS says "insert company name here" or lists hazards irrelevant to your trade, it will be rejected immediately.
Fix: Always customise to your specific trade, company, and the actual work being performed.
2. Outdated Regulations
Many free templates online reference old regulations. The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations changed in 2015. If your RAMS document references CDM 2007, it's out of date.
Fix: Ensure your RAMS references CDM 2015 and current HSE guidance.
3. Missing Trade-Specific Hazards
A builder's RAMS shouldn't look like an electrician's. Each trade has unique hazards. If you're an electrician and your risk assessment method statement doesn't mention arc flash or isolation procedures, it's inadequate.
Fix: Use trade-specific documentation that covers your actual work hazards.
4. Vague Method Statements
Saying "work will be carried out safely" isn't a method statement. You need specific, step-by-step procedures. How exactly will you isolate electrical supplies? What's your working-at-height procedure?
Fix: Include detailed, sequential steps for how work will be completed safely.
5. Missing Legal Requirements
RAMS UK documents must include risk ratings, control measures, PPE requirements, emergency procedures, and competent person details. Missing sections = rejected document.
Fix: Use a comprehensive template or service that includes all mandatory sections.
6. Unrealistic Control Measures
Saying you'll have a full-time safety supervisor when you're a sole trader isn't credible. Your control measures must be realistic for your business size and the actual job.
Fix: Be honest and practical about controls you can actually implement.
7. Never Reviewed or Updated
A RAMS document dated 2018 suggests you haven't reviewed your safety procedures in years. RAMS should be reviewed annually or when work methods change.
Fix: Keep RAMS current with review dates within the last 12 months.
Pro Tip:
The best RAMS documents are specific, realistic, and actually useful on site. If your team can't follow it in practice, or if a site manager spots it's generic, you've wasted your time. Quality matters more than speed—unless you use a professional service that delivers both.
Frequently Asked Questions About RAMS
How long does a RAMS document last?
A RAMS document should be reviewed at least annually or whenever there are significant changes to work methods, equipment, or regulations. Most site managers expect to see a review date within the last 12 months. If your working methods haven't changed and regulations remain the same, you can continue using the same RAMS with an updated review date. However, for each new project, you should review whether the RAMS is appropriate for that specific site and work.
Do I need a new RAMS for every job?
Not necessarily. If you're doing the same type of work repeatedly (for example, domestic electrical installations), you can use the same risk assessment method statement for multiple jobs. However, you must review it for each site to ensure it's appropriate. If a new site has unique hazards (confined spaces, working at height, asbestos risk), you need to update or create a new RAMS. Major commercial contracts typically require a site-specific RAMS.
Can I use the same RAMS template for different trades?
No. This is one of the most common mistakes. A RAMS document must be trade-specific because different trades have completely different hazards. An electrician's RAMS covering electrical isolation and arc flash risks is not appropriate for a plumber dealing with hot water and legionella risks. Site managers will reject generic or wrong-trade RAMS UK documents. Always use a method statement template designed for your specific trade.
What's the penalty for not having a RAMS document?
Immediate consequences include being refused site access (losing that day's earnings) and likely being removed from the contractor's approved list. Legally, if the HSE investigates following an incident and you have no adequate risk assessment method statement, you face improvement or prohibition notices, fines up to £20,000 or more, and potential criminal prosecution. Your insurance may also refuse claims if you didn't have proper health and safety documentation. The financial and legal risks far outweigh the small cost and time of creating proper RAMS.
Get Your Professional RAMS Document Today
In 2025, a professional RAMS document isn't optional—it's essential business equipment for any UK tradesperson. Whether you're an electrician, plumber, builder, or specialist contractor, having proper risk assessment method statements ready means you can:
- ✓Access commercial sites and high-value contracts
- ✓Meet legal requirements under CDM 2015
- ✓Protect your business from HSE enforcement
- ✓Demonstrate professionalism to clients
- ✓Ensure your insurance remains valid
Don't waste hours creating RAMS from scratch or risk rejection with generic templates. FastRAMS generates professional, trade-specific, legally compliant RAMS UK documentation in just 5 minutes—for only £12.99.
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