What is RAMS?
By the Riskora Editorial Team · Written to our editorial standards
RAMS = Risk Assessment and Method Statement. One document, two halves: the hazards and how you control them, then the step-by-step safe method. This is the plain-English version — what the acronym means, what UK law says, and how contractors can produce one without burning a day on it.
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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Why the term gets confusing
There's no single piece of UK legislation that says 'thou shalt produce a RAMS'. The term is industry shorthand. What the law does require is a suitable and sufficient risk assessment (Regulation 3, MHSWR 1999) and, on construction work, evidence that the job has been planned and managed safely (CDM 2015). A RAMS is the practical document that does both. Principal contractors ask for one before allowing work to start because their own duty under CDM hinges on it.
How Riskora Helps
A good RAMS has two sides that fit together. The risk assessment lists each hazard for the task, scores it using a matrix (typically 5×5 — likelihood × severity), then sets out controls following the hierarchy: eliminate, substitute, engineer, administer, PPE. The method statement then describes the work as a numbered sequence of steps, with the relevant controls baked into each step rather than buried in a separate list. Add project details, plant and materials, emergency arrangements, briefing and sign-off — that's a RAMS.
Who it's for
- Subcontractors submitting RAMS to a principal contractor before site access
- Sole traders providing a RAMS to a domestic or commercial client
- Site managers producing task-specific RAMS for each phase of work
- Safety advisors reviewing trade RAMS for adequacy and site-specificity
Key Risks and Considerations
- •Copying a previous job's RAMS without adapting it to the new site — the single biggest rejection reason on UK sites
- •Listing PPE as the only control measure (PPE is last in the hierarchy, not first)
- •Scoring hazards without re-scoring after controls — inspectors look for the residual risk
- •Generic method-statement steps like 'work safely' — every step must say what is done, how, by whom
- •Missing emergency arrangements specific to the work (rescue from height, confined-space retrieval, fire watch after hot works)
- •Forgetting to brief and sign on workers before the task starts
Key Features
- Risk Assessment — hazards, 5×5 scoring, controls in the hierarchy order
- Method Statement — numbered safe sequence of work with embedded controls
- Project information — site, client, dates, supervisors, named operatives
- Plant, equipment, materials and COSHH references
- PPE schedule by activity
- Emergency arrangements (first aid, fire, rescue from height, near-miss)
- Briefing and sign-on record + competent-person approval
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, 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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Related Pages
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.