Electrical RAMS in the UK are governed by the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 (EAWR), CDM 2015 and — for the technical specification of the installation itself — BS 7671 (the IET Wiring Regulations, currently 18th Edition Amendment 2). The hazard profile is dominated by a small number of high-consequence events: electric shock from live working, arc flash, and mistaken energisation during isolation. Every RAMS for electrical work has to demonstrate that the contractor has planned isolation, lock-off, proving dead and re-energisation as deliberate steps — not as an afterthought.
Under CDM 2015 (SI 2015/51), the principal contractor must obtain a method statement and risk assessment from every contractor working on a notifiable site. For non-notifiable work, the duty still falls on the client to verify the contractor is competent and has assessed the risks — which in practice means producing the same document. The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 add a parallel duty: regulation 14 prohibits live working unless three conditions are all met (it is unreasonable for the work to be done dead, it is reasonable to do live, and suitable precautions are in place). Any RAMS that allows live working has to justify that test in writing.
In occupied buildings, NICEIC and NAPIT contractor rules also require evidence that the contractor has carried out a pre-start risk assessment that covers the occupier interface — particularly for vulnerable groups (care homes, schools, hospitals).
Safe isolation is the single most-tested element of any electrical RAMS during principal contractor review. The HSE's free guide GS38 (Electrical test equipment for use on low voltage electrical systems) defines the equipment and method that competent persons are expected to use, and the IET's Electrical Safety, Roles and Responsibilities guidance fills in the procedural detail. A compliant isolation procedure has six explicit steps: identify the circuit, secure the means of isolation, lock off with a unique padlock and warning notice, test the proving unit, test for absence of voltage on all conductors, retest the proving unit. RAMS that abbreviate this to 'isolate and test' are routinely rejected.
Lock-off devices must be unique to the operative and recorded on a permit if more than one trade is working on the same isolation. For temporary supplies on site, BS 7671 Section 704 applies — the RAMS should reference the relevant RCD type, the maximum disconnection time, and how the contractor will verify these before energisation.
Live working under HSR 14 is exceptional, not routine. The most common legitimate cases are diagnostic testing on a circuit that cannot reasonably be de-energised (a fault on a critical supply to a data centre or medical facility), and energising verification after re-installation. The RAMS must name the operative, name the supervising competent person, specify the PPE category (insulating gloves to EN 60903, arc-rated clothing to IEC 61482 where arc flash is foreseeable), and specify the work area boundary.
For any work near energised equipment above 50V AC or 120V DC, the contractor should also reference HSG85 (Electricity at work: safe working practices) — the HSE's primary technical guidance on the topic. Citing HSG85 in the RAMS is a signal of competence to most principal contractors.
Electrical work rarely happens in isolation on a UK construction site. The RAMS needs to address two specific interface risks. First, ceiling-void and floor-void work where ductwork, sprinkler pipes and other services share the same envelope — the risk of a cable strike on a hidden water pipe or vice-versa is real and routine. Second, the sequence with plasterers, decorators and fit-out trades; first-fix cables left exposed must be terminated and made safe before other operatives are allowed in the area.
A strong RAMS will name the holding agreements (e.g. 'no plastering over an unfixed back box without sign-off from the first-fix electrician') rather than leave them to site-rule documents.
Each hazard paired with the UK regulation or HSE guidance document that applies.
Electric shock from live conductors
EAWR 1989 reg 4 + HSG85
Arc flash during switching or fault clearance
HSG85, IEC 61482
Mistaken re-energisation during isolation
GS38 + Permit-to-Work
Falls from height during fixings and containment
WAH Regulations 2005
Manual handling of cable drums, switchgear and consumer units
Manual Handling Operations Regs 1992
Confined-space entry in service voids and risers
Confined Spaces Regs 1997 + L101
Hand-arm vibration from extensive chasing or coring
Control of Vibration at Work Regs 2005
Patterns we see when principal contractors send electrical installation RAMS back for re-work.
The legal framework a electrical installation RAMS operates inside — all links point to the official source.
SI 1989/635
The primary UK law on electrical work — defines duties on persons in control and the live-working test (reg 14).
HSG85 (4th ed)
HSE's technical guidance on safe systems for electrical work. Cite this in the RAMS by reference.
GS38 (4th ed)
Specifies test probes, proving units and the safe isolation procedure expected of competent persons.
BS 7671:2018+A2:2022
The technical standard for electrical installation in the UK. RAMS must state the amendment number worked to.
SI 2015/51
Triggers the requirement for contractors to provide method statements and risk assessments on notifiable sites.
Not necessarily. CDM 2015 requires a method statement and risk assessment that covers the work as planned — for repeat work in similar conditions (e.g. a rolling programme of consumer unit replacements for a housing association), a single RAMS with a per-job site-specific addendum is acceptable. The HSE's L153 (Managing health and safety in construction) confirms this proportionality principle. A unique, separate document is normally only required for one-off work or where conditions vary materially.
Yes, but only where all three tests in EAWR reg 14 are met: it is unreasonable for the work to be done dead, it is reasonable to do it live, and suitable precautions are in place. In practice this covers diagnostic fault-finding on critical supplies and final verification after installation. The RAMS must name the justification, the competent person, the PPE category and the work boundary.
As of 2026, the current version is BS 7671:2018 incorporating Amendment 2 (A2:2022). RAMS that still cite Amendment 1 are routinely flagged as out of date by principal contractors. Amendment 3 (A3) is in development at the IET — once published, RAMS should be updated to reference the latest applicable amendment.
Not as a matter of law — competence is what EAWR requires, and competence can be demonstrated other ways. In practice, principal contractors on most commercial sites require ECS / JIB gold cards and either NICEIC, NAPIT or STROMA registration for the firm, because that is how they discharge their own duty to verify competence under CDM 2015 reg 8. RAMS should name the card grade of the operative and the firm's registration number.
There is no statutory expiry date in UK regulations. The HSE expects the document to be reviewed when the work changes, when the team changes, after any incident or near-miss, and at a sensible periodic interval — annual review is the de-facto industry standard for ongoing maintenance contracts. Many principal contractors will reject a RAMS dated more than 12 months ago on a fresh project.
They serve different purposes. The RAMS plans the work in advance and stays valid across the job. A permit-to-work is a single-use authorisation issued at the point of work that confirms the isolation has been done, the conditions in the RAMS are met right now, and names the operative authorised to start. Most high-risk electrical work (HV, live work, work in confined spaces) requires both. The RAMS should describe the permit interface.
City-specific local context — council, HSE office and local building stock notes — for electrical installation contractors.
Riskora prompts for the council permits, building stock and access constraints that apply wherever the job is — these are the electrical installation details principal contractors check first in each city.
Generate a preview first. Sign up only when you want to save, edit or export.
Final RAMS must be reviewed and approved by a competent person before use.