RAMS for Lift Installation UK
By the Riskora Editorial Team · Reviewed against our editorial standards · Last reviewed
Installing a lift? Riskora generates RAMS covering shaft preparation, heavy component lifting, electrical isolation, confined space working, and system commissioning.
UK (RAMS) example document — Two-Storey Rear Extension — 14 Birchwood Lane, Reading. Client: Mr & Mrs A. Whitfield (Private Client). Site: 14 Birchwood Lane, Reading, RG1 5JT. Scope: Construction of a two-storey rear extension (6.4m × 4.2m) to an existing semi-detached dwelling. Works comprise breaking out of existing rear elevation, trench-fill foundations to 1.0m, traditional cavity blockwork to first floor, pre-stressed concrete lintels, timber roof structure with natural slate finish, plus alterations to existing rear wall to form structural opening with rolled steel joist (RSJ 203×102 UB23). Works programmed over 9 weeks with a peak site team of 6 operatives. Hazards assessed: Manual handling — blocks, lintels, plasterboard, Working at height — independent scaffold & roof structure, Buried services strike during excavation, Collapse of excavation / trench wall, Hand-arm vibration (HAVS) — breaking out, drilling, Silica dust — cutting blocks, brick, concrete, Vehicle/pedestrian segregation — narrow domestic street.
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Is a lift shaft classed as a confined space?
It depends on the specific shaft and the work being done. The Confined Spaces Regulations 1997 apply where there is a foreseeable specified risk — most commonly oxygen deficiency in deep pit work, fume from welding, or entrapment between car and counterweight. A confined-space assessment must be made for each phase: pit work and machine-room-less (MRL) shafts almost always qualify; routine wiring at landing level often does not.
Lift Installation Is Specialist High-Risk Work
Lift installation involves working in confined shaft spaces, handling extremely heavy components (car frames, counterweights, motors), electrical installation, and working at height within the shaft. The lift shaft is a confined, vertical space with multiple hazards — falling objects, entrapment, electrical contact, and the movement of the car during testing. The RAMS must address every phase from shaft preparation through to commissioning and handover. Many contractors aren't sure what a RAMS document actually requires, which leads to submissions being rejected.
How Riskora Helps
Riskora generates lift installation RAMS with sections for shaft preparation, component delivery and handling, guide rail installation, car assembly, electrical wiring, testing, and commissioning. For more complex projects, you may also need a standalone risk assessment or method statement.
Who it's for
- Lift installers fitting passenger and goods lifts
- Lift modernisation contractors upgrading existing installations
- Principal contractors managing lift installation on new builds
- Maintenance engineers modifying or replacing lift components
Understand the Fundamentals
Before you generate your document, these guides cover the knowledge that underpins every good RAMS, risk assessment, and method statement.
What Is a RAMS Document?
Understand the two components of a RAMS and why they're required before work begins on site.
How to Write a RAMS Document
A step-by-step guide to structuring your RAMS from project details through to sign-off.
UK Legal Requirements for Risk Assessments
What the law requires under MHSWR 1999 and CDM 2015, and what 'suitable and sufficient' means.
Who Needs a RAMS?
Find out whether your work requires a RAMS and who is responsible for producing one.
How to Write a RAMS (UK Guide)
A practical walkthrough of writing RAMS from scratch, covering structure, common mistakes, and what reviewers look for.
RAMS vs Risk Assessment — Key Differences
When you need a full RAMS versus a standalone risk assessment, and how the two documents work together.
Key Risks and Considerations
- •Falls within shaft — working at height in vertical confined space
- •Crushing — entrapment between car, counterweight, and shaft structure
- •Falling objects — tools and components falling down the shaft
- •Electrical contact — working on lift motor rooms and wiring
- •Heavy lifting — guide rails, car frames, and machine components
- •Confined space — limited access and egress within the shaft
What UK Law Actually Says
Direct quotes from the named regulations, with plain-English explanations of what each one means in practice.
Regulation 8, Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998
“Every employer shall ensure that every lifting operation involving lifting equipment is properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised, and carried out in a safe manner.”
Each heavy lift in a shaft — guide rails, machine, car sling — needs an appointed-person lift plan, not a generic 'team lift' note. The plan names the lifting accessory (chain block SWL, beam clamp, eye bolt), the rigging method and the person supervising.
Read the source on legislation.gov.uk →Regulation 4, Confined Spaces Regulations 1997
“No person at work shall enter a confined space to carry out work for any purpose unless it is not reasonably practicable to achieve that purpose without such entry.”
Pit work, MRL machine spaces and shafts during sealing must be treated as confined spaces with a written safe system of work, top-man, gas test where fumes are foreseeable, and a documented emergency rescue plan — calling 999 is not a rescue plan.
Read the source on legislation.gov.uk →The Numbers Behind the Risk
Why this matters — the most recent published figures from the Health and Safety Executive and ONS.
Around 30 reported lift-related dangerous occurrences each year
RIDDOR submissions show ongoing reports of lift collapse, uncontrolled car movement and entrapment during installation and modernisation. Most involve lifting failures or inadequate isolation rather than equipment defects.
Source: HSE Safety Bulletins — Lifting and lifts →26% of construction fatalities involve falls from height
Falls into open lift shafts during construction phases — typically before final landing doors are fitted — are a recurring cause. The RAMS must specify rigid shaft barriers, not tape and bunting.
Source: HSE Construction Statistics 2023/24 →Common Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)
1. Single generic RAMS covering 'lift installation'
Why it fails: Shaft preparation, mechanical install, wiring and commissioning have different hazards, different competent persons and different controls. A single document cannot supervise all four phases.
Fix: Split the document into phases (or write a parent RAMS plus phase-specific safe systems of work) and require a phase-start briefing for each.
2. No lock-off / permit-to-work for car movement
Why it fails: Once the car can move under power, every other trade in the shaft is at risk of crush or fall. Many incidents trace back to a 'quick test' done without isolating other workers.
Fix: Document a lift-movement permit-to-work, signed by the appointed engineer, requiring the shaft to be cleared and locked before the car is energised.
3. Treating shaft barriers as a builder's responsibility
Why it fails: If the lift contractor relies on the principal contractor's barriers and they're removed for another trade, the open shaft becomes the lift contractor's hazard.
Fix: Specify in the RAMS that the lift team owns the barrier inspection at the start and end of each shift and records it on the daily briefing sheet.
Key Features
- Lift-specific hazard presets
- Shaft working procedures
- Heavy lifting sections
- Electrical isolation controls
- Testing and commissioning steps
- Download to PDF
Example Structure (UK Standard)
- Project Details and Lift Specification
- Risk Assessment — Falls, Crushing, Electrical, Lifting
- Method Statement — Shaft Prep, Installation Sequence, Wiring
- Lifting and Handling Procedures
- Electrical Isolation and Lock-Off
- Testing and Commissioning
- PPE Requirements
- Emergency Procedures
- Sign-Off
Common Questions Before Getting Started
Will this take long?
Under 5 minutes. Select your trade, pick hazards, download.
Is it complicated?
No training needed. The guided builder walks you through every step.
Do I need experience?
If you know what work you're doing, you can use Riskora.
Is it free to try?
Yes. The Free plan needs no card — generate, review and download one free PDF. Upgrade any time for branding, DOCX, sign-off and higher limits.
Create your RAMS in under 5 minutes
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All documents generated by Riskora should be reviewed by a competent person before use on site. Riskora provides structured templates — professional judgement is always required.
What your RAMS actually contains
Riskora builds a structured, client-facing document — not a generic AI paragraph. Every section is shaped around your job, your site and your team.
Hazards
Task-specific hazards for the job, captured row by row — not a generic list pulled from an old RAMS.
Controls
Control measures mapped to each hazard with residual risk scoring after controls are applied.
PPE
PPE requirements tied to the activity and site, ready to brief to the team.
Method steps
Step-by-step method statement structured around how the work is actually sequenced on site.
Emergency arrangements
First aid, rescue plan, emergency contacts and site-specific escalation routes.
COSHH prompts
Substance prompts when the work involves chemicals, dusts, fumes or sealants — flagged early, not missed at review.
Sign-off
Operative sign-off captured against the document — names, dates and acknowledgement of the brief.
Version history
Every change tracked so you can show what was issued, when, and which version the team signed.
Approval status
Clear approval state on every document — draft, in review, approved, issued — visible across the team.
Audit trail
Who created it, who reviewed it, who signed it. A complete trail you can hand to a principal contractor or auditor.
From copied-and-pasted to site-specific
The reason RAMS get rejected is rarely the format — it's that the document is obviously generic. Riskora rebuilds it around this job, this site and this task.
Generic template copied from an old job.
- • Hazards and controls that don't match this site or task.
- • Method steps written for a different sequence of work.
- • No emergency arrangements specific to the location.
- • Client flags it as generic and asks for a rewrite.
Site-specific document structured around this job, site and task.
- • Hazards captured from the actual scope you pasted in.
- • Method steps sequenced for how the work runs on site.
- • Emergency arrangements and rescue plan tied to the location.
- • Approved internally, briefed to the team, signed off and stored.
From job details to signed-off document
A four-step workflow used by contractors, consultants and safety teams to turn informal job details into client-ready safety paperwork.
- 1Paste job details
Drop in a client email, a WhatsApp from the site manager, a scope of works or a tender note. Anything that describes the job.
- 2Riskora structures the document
Riskora turns your brief into hazards, controls, method steps, PPE, emergency arrangements and COSHH prompts.
- 3Review, edit and download
You stay in control of every section. Tweak anything, then download a clean PDF or share a link.
- 4Brief the team and record sign-off
Brief operatives, capture their sign-off and keep a full audit trail of who signed which version.
Built by people who've written this paperwork on real sites
Riskora is built by a founder with hands-on site and document experience — designed for contractors, consultants and safety teams who need to issue, brief and prove safety paperwork without losing a day to admin.
- Built for contractors, consultants and teams
Solo trades, principal contractors and in-house safety teams all run on the same workflow. - Supports multiple countries
UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, US and Canada — wording and document types match the local standard. - Not just documents
Sign-off, approvals, version history and an audit trail — the management workflow around the paperwork.
Frequently Asked Questions
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No training. No complex setup. Just select your trade and go.
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References & Further Reading
Primary UK sources covering the legal and practical framework behind RAMS, risk assessments and method statements.
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Final RAMS must be reviewed and approved by a competent person before use.
Riskora is an assistive document preparation tool. All documents generated must be reviewed, verified, and approved by a competent person before use on site. Riskora does not replace professional safety judgment, and no output should be treated as a legal compliance guarantee.