RAMS Template (Ireland) — HSA-Aligned for PSCS & Subcontractors
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A Risk Assessment and Method Statement template written for Irish construction projects. Aligned with the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, the General Application Regulations 2007, and the Construction Regulations S.I. 291 of 2013. Built for PSCS, PSDP and subcontractor submissions — not a UK CDM template with the labels swapped.
Designed for: Irish PSCS, PSDP, contractors, subcontractors and self-employed trades working under the Construction Regulations (S.I. 291/2013)
Ireland (RAMS) example document — Single-Storey Side Extension — 18 Glasnevin Avenue, Dublin. Client: Mr & Mrs Kavanagh (Private Client). Site: 18 Glasnevin Avenue, Dublin 11, D11 X2K7. Scope: Construction of a 5.0 m × 3.6 m single-storey side extension: strip foundations to 900 mm, cavity blockwork superstructure, flat warm roof with single-ply membrane, rooflight and new structural opening into the existing kitchen. Works programmed over 9 weeks with a peak site team of 4 operatives.
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Complete Guide to RAMS (Ireland)
What is a RAMS?
A RAMS (Risk Assessment and Method Statement) is a combined document that identifies the hazards of a specific construction activity, assesses the risk under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, and sets out a safe system of work to control those risks. In Ireland, RAMS are the practical submission a PSCS expects from every contractor and subcontractor before they're allowed on site, and the document an HSA inspector will ask for if they call.
When is it legally required?
Section 19 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 requires every employer (and self-employed person) to identify hazards and assess risks in writing. The Construction Regulations 2013 (S.I. 291/2013) go further: the PSCS must coordinate a site Safety and Health Plan and require method statements for any work involving 'particular risks' listed in Schedule 1 — work at height over 2 metres, work in trenches over 1.25m, work with asbestos, work near live services, lifting operations, demolition and more. In practice almost every Irish construction contract requires a site-specific RAMS before mobilisation.
Who is responsible?
Every employer carrying out the work is legally responsible for its RAMS. On construction projects the PSCS (Project Supervisor Construction Stage) coordinates submissions from all contractors, and the PSDP (Project Supervisor Design Process) feeds in design-stage risk information via the Preliminary Safety and Health Plan. RAMS must be prepared by a competent person with knowledge of the specific task and reviewed before work starts. Site operatives must hold a valid Safe Pass and, where required, the relevant CSCS (Construction Skills Certification Scheme Ireland) card for their activity.
Where is it commonly used?
RAMS are used across Irish construction — from Dublin commercial fit-outs and Cork housing developments to one-off rural builds, NSAI-certified retrofits, and SEAI-grant works. Local authorities, semi-state clients (ESB Networks, Irish Water/Uisce Éireann, TII), and main contractors routinely require a RAMS as part of contractor vetting alongside the contractor's Safety Statement, tax clearance, and insurance certs.
What a Complete RAMS Includes
- Company details and Safety Statement reference (required under Section 20 of the 2005 Act)
- PSCS and PSDP contact details for the project
- Site address, scope of works and planned activities
- Hazard identification mapped to Schedule 1 'particular risks' where relevant
- Risk assessment with likelihood × severity scoring before and after controls
- Control measures following the General Principles of Prevention (Schedule 3 of the 2005 Act)
- Step-by-step method statement for the safe system of work
- PPE schedule (EN-standard references where applicable)
- Emergency arrangements — nearest A&E, site first-aider, 112/999
- Safe Pass and CSCS card register for all operatives on site
- Sign-off by a competent person before work starts
- AF1/AF2/AF3 references where the project triggers HSA notification
What's included in this template
Project & PSCS Information
Site address, client, PSCS and PSDP contacts, project programme dates.
Contractor Details
Company, Safety Statement reference, insurance, tax clearance.
Scope of Works
Activities, work phases, interfaces with other trades on site.
Hazard Identification
Mapped to Schedule 1 particular risks where applicable.
Risk Assessment Table
Likelihood × severity scoring, before and after controls.
Method Statement
Step-by-step safe system of work for the specific activity.
Control Measures
Applied through the General Principles of Prevention (Schedule 3, 2005 Act).
PPE Schedule
EN-standard PPE for each phase of work.
Safe Pass & CSCS Register
Card numbers and expiry for every operative on site.
Emergency Arrangements
Nearest A&E, on-site first-aider, 112/999, utility emergency lines.
Briefing & Sign-Off
Competent person sign-off and operative briefing record.
Ireland Requirements and Best Practice
Legal expectations
- ● Hazard identification and risk assessment in writing — Section 19, Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005
- ● A current Safety Statement that the RAMS supports — Section 20 of the 2005 Act
- ● Method statements for any Schedule 1 'particular risk' activity — Construction Regulations S.I. 291/2013
- ● PSCS coordination of all contractor RAMS into the site Safety and Health Plan
- ● AF2 notification to the HSA where the project exceeds 30 working days or 500 person-days
- ● AF3 appointment notification where a PSDP or PSCS is appointed
- ● All operatives to hold a valid Safe Pass; CSCS cards where the activity is listed
What inspectors typically look for
- ● Site-specific hazards — generic BeSMART.ie outputs without site tailoring are a common HSA finding
- ● Evidence the RAMS was briefed to operatives (toolbox talk record, signatures)
- ● Named competent person who prepared and approved the document
- ● Controls that apply the General Principles of Prevention, not just 'wear PPE'
- ● Safe Pass and CSCS register matched against operatives actually on site
- ● Emergency arrangements that name the actual nearest A&E (e.g. Beaumont, CUH, UHL)
- ● Schedule 1 activities (work at height >2m, excavations >1.25m, etc.) covered with specific method statements
Common compliance mistakes
- Re-using a UK CDM 2015 RAMS template and leaving 'HSE', 'Principal Contractor', 'CDM' references in place
- Pointing the legal basis at the wrong instrument — the 2005 Act and S.I. 291/2013 govern, not the 1989 Act
- Using a BeSMART.ie generic risk assessment as the whole RAMS without adding site method statement detail
- Missing the PSCS coordination chain — the RAMS doesn't reference who it was submitted to
- No AF1/AF2/AF3 notification where the project triggers it
- Listing PPE as the primary control instead of working through the hierarchy
- No Safe Pass / CSCS register, or a register that doesn't match the operatives on site that day
BeSMART.ie vs. a UK template vs. Riskora
| What you need | BeSMART.ie | UK CDM template | Riskora (Ireland) |
|---|---|---|---|
| HSA / S.I. 291/2013 aligned | Yes (generic) | No — HSE/CDM only | Yes — site-specific |
| Site-specific method statement | No | Yes (UK roles) | Yes (PSCS/PSDP) |
| Safe Pass & CSCS register | No | No | Built in |
| Schedule 1 'particular risks' coverage | Partial | Not mapped | Mapped & prompted |
| Ready for PSCS review without project edits | No | No | No — site-specific review required |
| Time to first document | 1–2 hours | 2–3 hours editing | Under 5 minutes |
| Cost | Free | Free (then rewrite) | Free account · No card |
Example Use Cases
Dublin subcontractor submitting RAMS to a PSCS on a commercial fit-out
A mechanical subcontractor is appointed to a city-centre office fit-out. The PSCS requires a site-specific RAMS before access is granted. The RAMS covers work at height on MEWPs (Schedule 1 particular risk), hot works permits, isolation of live services, and coordination with other trades through the PSCS's permit-to-work system. The document references the project's Safety and Health Plan, the contractor's own Safety Statement under Section 20, and Safe Pass / CSCS cards for every operative.
Groundworks contractor excavating near ESB Networks cables in Cork
A groundworks firm is excavating service trenches >1.25m deep (a Schedule 1 particular risk) adjacent to live ESB Networks LV cables. The RAMS identifies underground services as the critical hazard and details CAT scan procedures, hand-dig zones inside the service corridor, Dial Before You Dig referencing, and shoring under the Construction Regulations. Emergency procedures name CUH as the nearest A&E and reference the ESB Networks 24-hour emergency line.
Self-employed plasterer working on a SEAI-grant retrofit in Galway
A self-employed plasterer needs a RAMS to work on a deep retrofit funded under an SEAI One Stop Shop. The main contractor (acting as PSCS) requires the RAMS alongside the plasterer's Safety Statement, tax clearance and insurance. The document covers manual handling of plasterboard, dust control under the General Application Regulations 2007, working alongside other trades, and the operative's Safe Pass and CSCS card details.
How to use this template
- 1
Download the template
Editable PDF — open in your preferred editor.
- 2
Add PSCS and project details
Name the PSCS, PSDP, client and site address — these tie the RAMS into the site Safety and Health Plan.
- 3
Identify Schedule 1 risks
Flag any work at height >2m, excavations >1.25m, asbestos, live services, lifting or demolition activities.
- 4
Score and control each hazard
Apply the General Principles of Prevention — elimination first, PPE last.
- 5
Write the method statement
Step-by-step safe system of work for the actual activity on the actual site.
- 6
Attach Safe Pass / CSCS register
Every operative on site needs a valid Safe Pass; CSCS card where the activity requires it.
- 7
Competent person sign-off
Reviewed and signed before mobilisation. Brief the operatives and record the briefing.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Submitting a UK CDM 2015 RAMS to an Irish PSCS — references and roles don't apply
- Treating a BeSMART.ie generic risk assessment as a complete RAMS
- Missing the Safe Pass / CSCS register
- No reference to the project Safety and Health Plan or the PSCS
- Generic hazards that ignore the actual site (no nearest A&E named, no service drawings referenced)
- AF2 notification not lodged where the project crosses 30 working days or 500 person-days
Share or Use This Template
This RAMS template is free to use and share. Feel free to reference it with your team, include it in training materials, or link to it from your own resources.
Why templates have limitations
Templates provide a solid starting point, but they require manual editing to match your specific site conditions, hazards, and work activities. This can be time-consuming and important site-specific risks may be missed if sections are left generic.
For projects where accuracy and speed matter, many contractors prefer tools that generate structured documents automatically based on real project inputs.
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Riskora creates fully structured RAMS documents in under 5 minutes. Select your trade, choose your hazards, and download — no manual editing required.
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