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RAMS Template
A free RAMS template for UK construction, with a worked mobile tower example, the risk matrix explained, and the mistakes that get RAMS rejected by principal contractors.
What is a RAMS Template?
RAMS stands for Risk Assessment and Method Statement. It is one document that does two jobs: it identifies the hazards in a task and scores the risk, then it sets out the safe system of work step by step.
In UK construction it is the single most requested health and safety document. Most principal contractors will not let a subcontractor through the gate without an accepted RAMS for the work package.
The legal thread runs through the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, which require a suitable and sufficient risk assessment, and CDM 2015, which puts the principal contractor in charge of planning, managing and monitoring the construction phase. RAMS are how that duty gets discharged on the ground.
You will see the same idea under other names abroad. SWMS in Australia, JSA in the US. In the UK it is RAMS, and everyone from the gateman to the client's CDM adviser calls it that.
One thing worth being straight about: a RAMS is not a form to be filled in. It is a record of thinking that someone competent has actually done. The template gives you the shape. The thinking is still yours.
Key Sections to Include
A complete RAMS document should include:
1. Document Control - Reference number, revision, date, author, and approval signatures.
2. Project and Task Description - What project, what location, and what specific activity this RAMS covers.
3. Hazard Identification - Systematic identification of all hazards associated with the activity. Common construction hazards include: working at height, manual handling, moving plant, electricity, hazardous substances, noise, dust, falling objects, and ground conditions.
4. Risk Assessment Matrix - For each hazard: likelihood rating (1-5), severity rating (1-5), risk score (L x S), and resulting risk level (low/medium/high/very high).
5. Control Measures - For each identified risk: the hierarchy of controls applied (eliminate, substitute, engineering controls, administrative controls, PPE).
6. Residual Risk Rating - The risk score AFTER control measures are applied. This should demonstrate that risks have been reduced to as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP).
7. Method Statement - The step-by-step safe system of work (see Method Statement Template for detailed guidance on this section).
8. Emergency Procedures - What to do if something goes wrong. Specific to the hazards identified.
9. Training and Competency Requirements - What qualifications, training, or experience operatives must have.
10. Monitoring and Review - How compliance will be monitored and when the RAMS will be reviewed.
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RISK ASSESSMENT AND METHOD STATEMENT (RAMS) Document Ref: [RAMS-XXX-001] Revision: [A] Date: [DD/MM/YYYY] PROJECT: [Project Name] LOCATION: [Site Address] ACTIVITY: [Description of Work Activity] CONTRACTOR: [Company Name] PART A: RISK ASSESSMENT HAZARD IDENTIFICATION AND RISK SCORING | # | Hazard | Who at Risk | Existing Controls | L | S | Risk | Additional Controls | L | S | Residual Risk | |---|--------|-------------|-------------------|---|---|------|--------------------:|---|---|---------------| | 1 | [Hazard] | [Persons] | [Controls] | [1-5] | [1-5] | [L x S] | [Additional] | [1-5] | [1-5] | [L x S] | | 2 | [Hazard] | [Persons] | [Controls] | [1-5] | [1-5] | [L x S] | [Additional] | [1-5] | [1-5] | [L x S] | | 3 | [Hazard] | [Persons] | [Controls] | [1-5] | [1-5] | [L x S] | [Additional] | [1-5] | [1-5] | [L x S] | RISK MATRIX KEY: Likelihood: 1=Very Unlikely, 2=Unlikely, 3=Possible, 4=Likely, 5=Very Likely Severity: 1=Insignificant, 2=Minor, 3=Moderate, 4=Major, 5=Fatal/Catastrophic Risk Level: 1-4=Low (Green), 5-9=Medium (Amber), 10-15=High (Orange), 16-25=Very High (Red) PART B: METHOD STATEMENT 1. PERSONNEL Supervisor: [Name, CSCS No.] Operatives: [Names, CSCS Nos.] 2. PLANT AND EQUIPMENT [List all plant, tools, and equipment] 3. SEQUENCE OF OPERATIONS Step 1: [Activity description and safety controls] Step 2: [Activity description and safety controls] Step 3: [Activity description and safety controls] 4. PPE REQUIREMENTS [List all required PPE with standards] 5. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES Emergency Contact: [Number] First Aider: [Name] Assembly Point: [Location] Spill Kit Location: [Location] 6. TRAINING AND COMPETENCY [List required qualifications and training] SIGN-OFF Prepared by: _________________ Date: _________ Reviewed by: _________________ Date: _________ Approved by: _________________ Date: _________ OPERATIVE BRIEFING RECORD | Name | Company | Signature | Date | |------|---------|-----------|------| | | | | | | | | | | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - WORKED EXAMPLE: MOBILE TOWER SCAFFOLD, SCHOOL HALL LIGHTING This is the same template filled in for a real sort of job. A small M&E subcontractor replacing 24 pendant light fittings in a secondary school assembly hall during the summer holidays. Ceiling height 5.2m, sprung timber floor, work from a mobile aluminium tower. Document Ref: RAMS-MEC-014 Revision: B Date: 27/07/2026 PROJECT: Redland High School, Hall Refurbishment LOCATION: Redland High School, Bristol BS6 ACTIVITY: Removal and replacement of 24 no. pendant luminaires at 5.2m AFFL from mobile tower CONTRACTOR: Mendip Electrical Contractors Ltd PART A: RISK ASSESSMENT | # | Hazard | Who at Risk | Existing Controls | L | S | Risk | Additional Controls | L | S | Residual | |---|--------|-------------|-------------------|---|---|------|---------------------|---|---|----------| | 1 | Fall from tower platform | Operatives | Tower fitted with guardrails and toeboards | 3 | 5 | 15 | PASMA-trained erector only. 3T method used. Trapdoor closed when working. Tower inspected and tagged before first use and after any alteration | 1 | 5 | 5 | | 2 | Tower overturning on sprung timber floor | Operatives, others in hall | Outriggers fitted per manufacturer instructions | 3 | 5 | 15 | Sole boards under castors to spread load. Floor loading confirmed with school estates. Tower never moved with a person or tools on the platform | 1 | 5 | 5 | | 3 | Electric shock from live circuit | Operatives | Circuit isolated at DB | 3 | 5 | 15 | Safe isolation to GS38: prove dead with approved voltage indicator, proved on a known source before and after. Lock-off with personal padlock, caution notice at DB, keys held by the operative doing the work | 1 | 5 | 5 | | 4 | Falling objects (old fitting, tools) | Others in hall | Exclusion zone below tower | 3 | 3 | 9 | Hall doors locked and signed "No Entry, Work Overhead". Tool lanyards used. Old fittings lowered in a bucket, never dropped | 1 | 3 | 3 | | 5 | Manual handling of tower components | Operatives | Two-person lift | 3 | 2 | 6 | Components passed hand to hand, not thrown. Max component weight 12kg. Breaks scheduled between bays | 2 | 2 | 4 | | 6 | Asbestos in ceiling void (pre-2000 building) | Operatives | Refurbishment and demolition survey obtained from school | 2 | 5 | 10 | Survey confirms no ACMs in the hall ceiling void. Survey extract attached at Appendix A. STOP work and report if any suspect material found | 1 | 5 | 5 | PART B: METHOD STATEMENT 1. PERSONNEL Supervisor: D. Hallett, CSCS Gold, PASMA, 18th Edition Operatives: 2 no. approved electricians, CSCS, PASMA, current safe isolation training 2. PLANT AND EQUIPMENT Boss Evolution 3T mobile tower, 5.4m platform height, with outriggers and sole boards. Approved voltage indicator and proving unit. Personal lock-off kit. Tool lanyards. Waste bucket and rope. 3. SEQUENCE OF OPERATIONS Step 1: Sign in at school reception. Confirm hall is empty and doors can be locked. Confirm with the site contact that no caretaking or cleaning is scheduled in the hall today. Step 2: Isolate the lighting circuit at DB-GF-02. Prove dead using the 3-point method. Apply personal lock-off and caution notice. Step 3: Erect tower using the 3T method, PASMA-trained operative only. Fit outriggers. Place sole boards under all four castors. Complete the tower inspection tag. Step 4: Establish exclusion zone. Lock hall doors and display "No Entry, Work Overhead" signage at both entrances. Step 5: Remove old luminaire. Lower to floor in the waste bucket. Never drop. Step 6: Install new luminaire, terminate, and record circuit details for the test sheet. Step 7: Descend. Lower outriggers, move tower to next position with no persons or tools on the platform. Reset outriggers and sole boards. Repeat from Step 5. Step 8: On completion of all 24 fittings, remove lock-off, energise, test and inspect to BS 7671, and complete the minor works certificate. Step 9: Dismantle tower. Clear all waste. Remove signage. Hand hall back to the school contact and sign out. 4. PPE REQUIREMENTS Safety helmet to EN 397 with chinstrap, safety footwear to EN ISO 20345, eye protection to EN 166, gloves, high-vis. 5. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES Emergency Contact: 999, then D. Hallett 07700 900142 First Aider: D. Hallett (on site at all times during works) Assembly Point: Staff car park, north gate Nearest A&E: Bristol Royal Infirmary, 2.1 miles Rescue from height: tower has internal ladder access. Casualty on platform to be attended by second operative, 999 called immediately, no attempt at unassisted lowering. 6. TRAINING AND COMPETENCY PASMA (in date), CSCS, 18th Edition, safe isolation, first aid at work (supervisor). SIGN-OFF Prepared by: D. Hallett, Contracts Supervisor, 27/07/2026 Reviewed by: J. Meade, SHEQ Manager, 28/07/2026 Approved by: R. Cannon, Principal Contractor Site Manager, 29/07/2026 Notice what the worked example does that a generic RAMS does not. It names the DB. It names the survey. It says what happens to the old fitting. Those specifics are what a principal contractor is actually looking for when they read it.
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When Do You Need This?
RAMS are required:
- Before any construction work activity begins on site
- When a principal contractor requests them as a condition of starting work
- For all activities identified as having significant risk in the construction phase plan
- When working as a subcontractor on any construction project
- Before carrying out any high-risk activity (working at height, excavation, hot works, confined space entry, lifting operations, demolition)
- When site conditions change and existing RAMS no longer cover the actual working methods
- Following an incident, near-miss, or safety observation that reveals inadequate controls
RAMS should be activity-specific, not generic. A single project may require dozens of RAMS covering different work packages.
WHEN A RAMS IS NOT THE RIGHT DOCUMENT
This is the bit people get wrong, usually by writing a RAMS when something else was needed.
A RAMS is not a construction phase plan. The CPP is the principal contractor's project-wide document under CDM 2015 regulation 12, covering site rules, welfare, traffic management and the overall approach. Your RAMS sits under it and covers one activity. Do not try to make a RAMS carry the CPP's weight.
A RAMS is not a lift plan. If you are lifting, BS 7121 wants a lift plan from an appointed person. A line in your method statement saying "use the crane safely" does not cover it. Reference the lift plan and attach it.
A RAMS is not a permit. Hot works, confined space entry and live electrical work usually need a permit issued on the day by the principal contractor. The RAMS says a permit will be obtained. The permit is a separate control.
A RAMS is not a substitute for an asbestos survey. If the building predates 2000, you need the refurbishment and demolition survey before you write the RAMS, not after. Writing "assume asbestos may be present" is not a control measure, it is an admission you have not done the work.
And for very low-risk, short-duration tasks on a domestic job with no principal contractor, a full RAMS may be more paperwork than the risk warrants. A point-of-work risk assessment may be proportionate. Judge it honestly rather than either extreme.
Who Uses This Template?
RAMS are used and required by:
- Subcontractors - Must prepare RAMS for every work package before mobilising to site
- Principal Contractors - Review and approve all subcontractor RAMS before work starts
- Site Managers - Enforce RAMS compliance on site and conduct RAMS briefings
- Health and Safety Managers - Audit RAMS quality and ensure they meet legal requirements
- Project Managers - Ensure RAMS are in place as part of work package management
- CDM Coordinators / Principal Designers - Review RAMS as part of pre-construction information
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is a RAMS a legal requirement in the UK?
Not by that name. The law requires a suitable and sufficient risk assessment under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, and safe systems of work under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. RAMS is the construction industry's way of evidencing both in one document. In practice it is contractually required by almost every principal contractor, which makes the distinction academic.
Who is allowed to sign off a RAMS?
A competent person. Competence means the knowledge, training and experience to understand the hazards and judge whether the controls are adequate for that specific task. It is not a job title and it is not a certificate on its own. If you would not be comfortable defending the document to an HSE inspector, you are not the right person to approve it.
How long is a RAMS valid for?
There is no fixed expiry. It is valid while the task, the site conditions and the people doing it stay as described. Change the sequence, change the plant, hit ground you did not expect, or bring a new gang in, and it needs revising and re-briefing. Most contractors also set a review date, commonly 12 months, as a backstop. Treat that as the outside limit, not the trigger.
Why do principal contractors reject RAMS?
Most rejections come down to the same handful of things: it is generic and could describe any site, it does not match the drawings or the programme, the residual risk scores are identical to the initial ones so no control has actually been applied, or the hazards listed do not match the task described. A reviewer can spot a copy-paste job in about 30 seconds.
Can I reuse a RAMS from a previous job?
You can reuse the structure. You cannot reuse the assessment. The hazards on the last job were the last job's hazards. Reusing a RAMS unchanged is exactly what gets it rejected, and worse, it means nobody thought about this site.
Generate This with AI
AI can generate a comprehensive first draft of your RAMS in about 15 minutes:
1. Provide the AI with: the specific activity, location, height of work, access arrangements, plant being used, and any site-specific hazards
2. Ask it to generate both the risk assessment (with likelihood and severity scoring) and the method statement
3. Request that it follows the hierarchy of controls (eliminate, substitute, engineer, admin, PPE)
4. Always verify the hazard identification is complete for YOUR specific site conditions
5. Check that risk scores are realistic and that residual risks after controls are genuinely reduced
The AI output is a starting point. A competent person must always review and approve the final RAMS before it is used on site.
THREE MISTAKES THAT GET AI-DRAFTED RAMS SENT BACK
Leaving the residual risk the same as the initial risk. If a hazard scores 15 before controls and 15 after, you have written down that your controls do nothing. AI does this constantly because it does not know what your controls actually achieve. Go through every line and ask what the control genuinely changes, the likelihood or the severity, and by how much.
Accepting generic hazards and generic controls. "Ensure good housekeeping" is not a control measure. "Old fittings lowered to floor in a bucket on a rope, never dropped" is. If a line in your RAMS could be pasted into any other RAMS on any other site, cut it or make it specific.
Letting the AI invent the standards. AI will happily cite a British Standard number that is close but wrong, or quote a CDM regulation that does not say what it claims. Check every reference against the actual document. A wrong clause number in a safety document is worse than no clause number, because it looks authoritative to whoever briefs it out.
Template Details
- Cost
- Free
- Format
- Copy-paste ready
- Industry
- Construction
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