Electrical RAMS (UK) — A Worked Example for Contractors

Electrical RAMS get rejected more often than almost any other trade — usually because the document treats electrical work as if it's just another construction activity, when in fact it carries a distinct regulatory stack: the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 (EAW), BS 7671:2018+A2:2022 (the IET Wiring Regulations), and HSG85 (Electricity at work — safe working practices). A principal contractor review of an electrical RAMS will check whether all three are reflected in the document. Here's a worked example that does.

Scope: first-fix wiring to a 12-unit residential refurbishment

The example below covers a routine job: first-fix domestic wiring to a 12-unit refurbishment block, with the supply already isolated at the intake but a live cut-out feeding adjacent occupied units. This is the scope where most electrical RAMS get the hazard analysis wrong — operatives assume "supply isolated" means "safe", but the adjacent live cable and the eventual energisation are the bits the PC will check for.

Project: First-fix domestic wiring, Units 1–12, Riverbank Mews refurbishment, Bristol BS3 0XX
Principal Contractor: Hartfield Construction Ltd
Sub-contractor (this RAMS): Riskora Example Electrical Ltd
Programme: 1 September – 14 October 2026
Site supervisor: A. Iqbal — JIB Approved Electrician, Gold ECS card no. 67890, NICEIC Qualified Supervisor
Document reference: RAMS-EL-2026-0114 · Version 1 · Issued 26 August 2026 · Review by 25 August 2027

Hazard identification — the eight rows that matter on electrical work

Format: Hazard · Who's at risk · Existing controls · Residual risk (L × S) · Further action. Site-specific to this job:

1. Contact with the live cut-out and supplier service cable in the intake cupboard · Electricians · The supply has been isolated at the consumer unit by the DNO (Western Power) — see disconnection notice ref WP-2026-7712. The cut-out and supplier service cable upstream of the isolation remain live and are accessible in the intake cupboard. Cupboard kept locked, key controlled by site supervisor only, "Danger Live" labelling on the cupboard door per BS 7671 Reg 514.11 · 1 × 5 = 5 · No further action.
2. Cable strikes during first-fix chasing into existing walls · Electricians · CAT scan and metal detector survey carried out before any wall chasing, existing 2.5 mm² ring circuit identified and marked on each wall, safe zones (within 150 mm of ceilings/floors and vertically/horizontally from accessories) confirmed per BS 7671 Reg 522.6 before chasing · 1 × 5 = 5 · No further action.
3. Use of 110 V site transformers and Class II tools · Electricians · 230 V hand tools prohibited on site per CDM 2015 / HSG141 — all site supplies via 110 V CTE transformer with 32 A protection, PAT records in date (last test 12 August 2026), Class II battery tools preferred · 2 × 3 = 6 · No further action.
4. Working at height during high-level cable runs (joists, ceiling voids) · Electricians · Mobile alloy tower (PASMA-card operatives only, IPAF not required at this height) for runs above 2 m, no step-ladder use above 2 m, tower inspected before each shift and after any move · 2 × 4 = 8 · No further action.
5. Energisation at handover — risk of electric shock during initial testing · Electricians, follow-on trades · Initial verification per BS 7671 Part 6 carried out before energisation by the supervisor (NICEIC QS, City & Guilds 2391 in date). Energisation test sequence: insulation resistance, polarity, continuity, RCD function. Lock-off applied during dead-testing; lock-off removed only by the QS before live testing. All operatives cleared from the unit before energisation · 1 × 5 = 5 · No further action.
6. Asbestos in existing fabric — original 1972 build · Electricians · Pre-construction R&D survey provided by client (ref Acme-ASB-2025-991) — known ACM in artex ceilings to communal landings only. No electrical work in landings is in this scope. Asbestos register reviewed on induction, no chasing or drilling in any artex area; if ACM is suspected anywhere else, stop work and report to PC per CAR 2012 · 1 × 5 = 5 · No further action.
7. Manual handling — cable drums, consumer units, accessory boxes · Electricians · Two-person lift on drums > 25 kg, sack-truck for consumer-unit relocations, MAC tool assessment for repetitive accessory installation logged · 3 × 2 = 6 · No further action.
8. Fire risk during temporary lighting and during energisation testing · All trades, building occupants of adjacent units · Temporary lighting on a separate 110 V supply with overload protection, no extension reels under load > 80% rating, hot-works permit obtained for any soldering work, smoke detection in adjacent occupied units verified before any energisation test · 1 × 4 = 4 · No further action.

Isolation, lock-off and the safe system of work

This is the section principal contractors specifically read on electrical RAMS. EAW 1989 Regulation 14 prohibits live working unless it is unreasonable to make the conductor dead — the RAMS has to demonstrate that isolation is the default, not an afterthought.

The lock-off and isolation procedure for this job:

1. Confirm scope of isolation — only the unit being worked on, plus the rising main feeding it where alterations affect the feed.
2. Identify the isolation point — the unit's consumer unit main switch (already disconnected by DNO; we maintain isolation through our lock-off only).
3. Switch off and lock off — multi-padlock hasp on the consumer unit main switch, each operative in the unit fits a personal padlock, supervisor holds the master.
4. Apply tag — "Do Not Energise — work in progress — A. Iqbal, contact 07xxx" attached to the lock-off.
5. Prove dead — approved voltage indicator (Martindale VI13800), proven on a known source before and after, on every conductor at every point of work.
6. Re-energise only after every personal lock has been removed by the operative who applied it. Supervisor performs the final removal and energisation, after written confirmation that all operatives are clear.

Competence, certification and supervision

• All operatives hold ECS Gold cards (JIB Approved Electrician grade or above). Card numbers listed in Appendix A.
• Supervisor holds City & Guilds 2391 (in-service inspection and testing), NICEIC Qualified Supervisor status, and Gold ECS.
• Apprentices on this job: 1 × JIB Improver — supervised at all times, no live testing, no isolation responsibility.
• Supervision ratio: 1 supervisor per 4 operatives.

Emergency arrangements specific to electrical work

• Electric shock response. Do not touch the casualty until the supply is proven isolated. Call 999. Site first-aider (FAW, in date) to maintain monitoring and prepare to perform CPR. Defibrillator located in PC welfare cabin (AED-21).
• Fire from electrical source. Stop work. Isolate the affected circuit at the consumer unit. CO₂ extinguisher in the unit (PAT-tested October 2025). Evacuate, sound the alarm, account for all operatives at the muster point.
• DNO contact. Western Power emergency number 0800 6783 105, supply MPAN recorded on the disconnection notice.

Sign-off and review

• Prepared by: A. Iqbal — NICEIC QS, City & Guilds 2391, ECS Gold · 26 August 2026.
• Approved by: R. Begum — Contracts Manager, NEBOSH General Certificate · 26 August 2026.
• Illustrative principal-contractor review: M. O'Sullivan — fictional example · 28 August 2026.
• Briefed to operatives: Sign-on sheet retained — 4 signatures, ECS card numbers recorded.
• Review trigger: Annually, on scope change, on any change to the isolation arrangement, or after any near-miss involving live work or cable strike.

What gets electrical RAMS rejected at first review

• "Supply is isolated" stated without naming the isolation point, the device used, or who controls the keys.
• No proving-dead procedure. Reviewers expect an approved voltage indicator, proven on a known source, named in the RAMS.
• Live working assumed without justification. EAW Regulation 14 requires the document to show why live working is unavoidable. "Easier this way" is not an answer.
• Cable strike controls missing. CAT scan and the BS 7671 522.6 safe-zone rule should both appear in the controls column for any chasing or drilling work.
• Energisation step missing entirely. The riskiest part of most electrical jobs is the moment power is re-applied — it has to appear as a discrete step with a discrete control plan.
• Pre-construction asbestos register not referenced. On any refurbishment job pre-2000, the R&D survey reference and the safe-areas list must appear in the RAMS.

How to use this electrical RAMS example

Copy the format — the eight-row hazard table, the isolation/lock-off section, the competence list and the energisation step — and rewrite every cell against your actual scope. Naming the actual cut-out, consumer unit, test instruments and competence records gives the reviewer evidence to assess; it does not guarantee acceptance.

If you'd rather not start from a blank template, Riskora's free RAMS generator renders this same structure automatically — pick the electrical preset, confirm the hazards from a pre-loaded library that already covers isolation, cable strikes and energisation, and export PDF. Free tier, no card needed.

If you're evaluating platforms before committing, see our best risk assessment software UK comparison — independent review of RAMS tools, pricing, and which platform handles electrical contractor workflows best.

Related reading

• Best Risk Assessment Software UK — independent comparison of RAMS platforms for contractors
• Worked example of a construction RAMS — full eight-section walk-through (scaffolding)
• RAMS for asbestos work for electricians — the refurbishment-specific risks
• How to write a RAMS document in the UK — structure principal contractors expect
• Why principal contractors reject RAMS — the patterns this example avoids