RAMS vs Risk Assessment: What's the Difference?

These two terms get thrown around interchangeably on construction sites, in emails from clients, and in contract specifications. But they're not the same thing, and knowing the difference saves you from producing the wrong document — or an incomplete one.

What is a risk assessment?

A risk assessment is a systematic process of identifying hazards, evaluating the likelihood and severity of harm, and determining what control measures are needed to reduce the risk. It answers a specific question: what could go wrong, and what are we doing about it?

Risk assessments are a legal requirement under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. Every employer and self-employed person must carry out a "suitable and sufficient" assessment of workplace risks. If you have five or more employees, you must record the significant findings.

A risk assessment typically covers: the hazards present, who might be harmed and how, the existing control measures, the risk rating (usually likelihood × severity), and any additional controls needed.

What is a RAMS document?

RAMS stands for Risk Assessment Method Statement. It's a combined document that includes both a risk assessment and a method statement. The risk assessment identifies the hazards and controls; the method statement describes the step-by-step safe system of work.

A RAMS answers two questions: what could go wrong, and how will we do the work safely?

RAMS are not a specific legal requirement by name, but they're the standard format expected across UK construction. Most principal contractors require a RAMS from every subcontractor before granting site access. The combined format makes it easy to see the relationship between the risks and the working method.

Key differences at a glance

A risk assessment focuses on identifying hazards and evaluating risks. It's about analysis. A method statement describes the safe system of work — it's about planning. A RAMS combines both into a single document, linking the hazards to the method of work.

Think of the risk assessment as the "what" and the method statement as the "how." A RAMS gives you both in one place.

When do you need a risk assessment only?

• General workplace assessments (offices, warehouses, retail)
• Activities where the method of work is straightforward and doesn't require formal documentation
• Initial evaluations of a new hazard or process before detailed planning
• Situations where the client specifically requests a standalone risk assessment

For more on the legal side, see our guide to risk assessment legal requirements in the UK.

When do you need a full RAMS?

• Almost all construction site activities
• High-risk tasks: working at height, hot works, confined spaces, excavations
• Subcontractor submissions to principal contractors
• Any work where the contract specifies RAMS
• Tasks where the sequence of work is critical to safety

If you're in construction and a client asks for "a risk assessment," they usually mean a RAMS. It's worth clarifying before you submit — sending a standalone risk assessment when they expected a method statement too will likely get your document returned.

How they work together

In a well-written RAMS, the risk assessment and method statement are linked. Each step in the method statement should relate to hazards identified in the risk assessment. The control measures listed in the risk assessment should appear as practical actions in the method steps.

For example, if the risk assessment identifies "falls from height" as a hazard with the control "scaffold with guardrails," the method statement should include a step like "erect scaffold to TG20 specification and install guardrails, toeboards, and access ladders before commencing work at height."

Common mistakes

• "Our RAMS is just a risk assessment" — if there's no method statement, it's incomplete. Add the safe system of work.
• Risk assessment and method statement aren't linked — the two sections should reference each other. Hazards in the RA should be addressed in the MS.
• Using the wrong document — submitting a risk assessment when a RAMS was requested, or vice versa. Always check what's expected.
• Treating them as separate documents — while they can exist independently, on construction sites they're most effective when combined and cross-referenced.

Producing them efficiently

Whether you need a standalone risk assessment or a full RAMS, writing from scratch every time is inefficient. A RAMS generator creates both elements in a single workflow — you select your work type, confirm relevant hazards, define method steps, and download a structured document.

For risk assessments alone, Riskora's risk assessment generator provides curated hazard libraries with pre-loaded control measures, so you're working from substance rather than a blank page. And for the method statement component, the method statement generator helps you build a clear, sequential safe system of work.

If you're working specifically in construction, our construction RAMS page covers the specific requirements and hazard profiles you'll need to address.

Summary

A risk assessment identifies hazards and evaluates risks. A method statement describes the safe system of work. A RAMS combines both. On construction sites, a full RAMS is almost always what's expected. Make sure yours includes both elements and that they're properly linked.

Need to create yours now? Create your RAMS instantly with Riskora →

Regulatory framework — which law sits behind each document

A standalone risk assessment is the document the law actually names. Regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 ("suitable and sufficient" assessment) and, for construction, CDM 2015 Regulation 8 are the operative duties. INDG163 (5 steps to risk assessment) is the HSE pocket guide most reviewers expect the assessment to follow.

The method-statement half of a RAMS doesn't have a single named regulation — it discharges the wider "safe system of work" duty in Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. That duty is operationalised through topic-specific regulations: WAHR 2005 Regulation 6 for work at height, LOLER 1998 Regulation 8 for lifting plans, COSHH 2002 Regulation 7 for hazardous substances, and PUWER 1998 for work equipment.

HSE operational guidance behind both halves includes HSG150 (construction H&S), HSG47 (buried services), HSG185 (excavations) and HSG250 (permits to work). The L23 ACOP on manual handling and the L143 ACOP on asbestos are the most frequently cited supporting documents in UK construction RAMS reviews.

Last reviewed: 1 May 2026 · Sources: HSWA 1974; MHSWR 1999; CDM 2015; WAHR 2005; LOLER 1998; PUWER 1998; COSHH 2002; HSE HSG150, HSG47, HSG185, HSG250, INDG163, L23, L143.