RAMS Construction Company: What RAMS Means & Who Must Produce Them

RAMS stands for Risk Assessments and Method Statements — two companion documents that together define the hazards in a construction task and the safe sequence of work for controlling them. No single UK regulation names a document called a "RAMS", but the legal duties that make RAMS a practical necessity apply to every contractor, subcontractor, and relevant self-employed worker on a UK construction site.

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What is a "RAMS Construction Company"? Separating the Acronym from the Company Name

If you searched for "RAMS construction company", you may be looking for one of two very different things: a specific business whose trading name includes the word RAMS, or an explanation of what RAMS documentation means within the UK construction industry and which companies are obliged to produce it.

This page is for the second group. It grounds every duty in the specific CDM 2015 regulation that creates it, maps each duty-holder to their obligation, and shows — through a worked commercial fit-out scenario — exactly who produces what and when.

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What RAMS Stands For: Risk Assessments and Method Statements Defined

Risk Assessment (RA): A structured examination of the hazards present in a work activity, who might be harmed by them, and what controls are needed. The duty to carry one out sits in regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. Every employer and relevant self-employed person must make "a suitable and sufficient assessment" of risks to their employees and to others affected by their work. (Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, regulation 3)

Method Statement (MS): The written sequence of work that puts those controls into practice — describing the task step-by-step, the plant and equipment to be used, the sequence of operations, and the competencies required of the workforce. There is no single statutory instrument that names a "method statement", but the duty under CDM 2015 regulation 15 for every contractor to plan, manage and monitor work "so far as is reasonably practicable" without risks to health and safety makes a written method statement the standard means of demonstrating that planning has been done. (CDM 2015, regulation 15)

Why they travel together: A risk assessment identifies what can go wrong; a method statement describes how the work will be done safely. Bundled into a single RAMS document, they give a principal contractor everything needed to verify that a subcontractor has thought through hazards and has a workable safe system of work — making them the primary supply-chain vetting tool at the pre-mobilisation stage.

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The Legal Framework: Which Regulations Actually Require RAMS on UK Construction Sites

No UK regulation uses the word "RAMS" as a named document. The legal duties that make RAMS an industry-wide standard are distributed across two instruments:

Legal instrument	Provision	What it requires
Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999	Regulation 3	Every employer and relevant self-employed person must carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment — the "RA" half of RAMS
Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015	Regulation 15	Every contractor must plan, manage and monitor construction work so that, so far as is reasonably practicable, it is carried out without risks to health and safety — the practical driver for a written method statement
CDM 2015	Regulation 13	The principal contractor must plan, manage and monitor the entire construction phase, coordinating all contractors' health and safety — which requires receiving and reviewing RAMS from those contractors
CDM 2015	Regulation 12	Before the construction phase begins, a construction phase plan must be drawn up — a document that is informed by, and cross-references, individual RAMS

Callout — the general principles of prevention: CDM 2015 requires designers, principal designers, principal contractors and contractors to take account of the general principles of prevention — to avoid risks where possible, evaluate those that cannot be avoided, and put in place proportionate measures that control them at source — in carrying out their duties. (HSE L153) RAMS are the documented evidence that these principles have been applied.

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Who Produces RAMS? The CDM 2015 Duty-Holder Responsibility Matrix

This matrix — not found on competitor pages — maps every CDM 2015 duty-holder to their specific RAMS-related obligation, its statutory basis, timing, and who reviews the output.

CDM 2015 Role	Statutory basis	RAMS obligation	Timing	Who reviews
Client	CDM 2015 generally; L153 para 7 (anyone appointing designers or contractors — which includes the client)	No duty to produce RAMS; must ensure those appointed have the skills, knowledge and experience to carry out work safely before appointment is made	Pre-appointment	Client (or their advisers)
Principal Designer	CDM 2015 reg 12(3)	Assists the PC in preparing the construction phase plan by providing pre-construction information; no direct duty to produce operational RAMS but must ensure design-stage risks are communicated	Pre-construction phase	Principal Contractor
Principal Contractor	CDM 2015 regs 12, 13	Must draw up the construction phase plan before the construction phase begins; must plan, manage, monitor and coordinate the entire construction phase including reviewing all sub-contractor RAMS for consistency with the CPP	Before construction phase begins; ongoing	Client (for CPP); PC reviews sub-contractor RAMS
Contractor (trade / specialist)	CDM 2015 reg 15; Management Regs reg 3	Must carry out a risk assessment; must plan, manage and monitor their own work without risks to health and safety; must produce task-level RAMS covering every significant activity; must comply with the CPP and PC directions	Before mobilisation to site; updated when conditions change	Principal Contractor
Self-employed contractor	CDM 2015 reg 15; Management Regs reg 3	Same planning and monitoring duty as a contractor; must carry out a risk assessment covering risks to themselves and others; task RAMS required for significant activities	Before work starts	Principal Contractor (or sole contractor where applicable)

Statutory hook — CDM 2015 regulation 15: "A contractor must plan, manage and monitor construction work carried out either by the contractor or by workers under the contractor's control, to ensure that, so far as is reasonably practicable, it is carried out without risks to health and safety." Where there is more than one contractor, each must comply with any directions given by the principal contractor and the parts of the construction phase plan relevant to their work. (CDM 2015, regulation 15) A written RAMS is the standard method of demonstrating that this planning duty has been discharged.

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Worked Scenario: Commercial Office Fit-Out with Two Trade Contractors

Project: Two-storey commercial office fit-out. Client: a property management company. Duration: 10 weeks. Two specialist contractors engaged: Contractor A (first-fix electrical) and Contractor B (suspended ceiling and partitioning). The project involves more than one contractor, so CDM 2015 requires a Principal Contractor and a Principal Designer to be appointed.

Pre-construction phase: The Principal Designer collects pre-construction information from the client — including a recent asbestos survey confirming no ACMs in the work area — and passes this to the Principal Contractor to inform the construction phase plan (CPP). (CDM 2015, regulation 12)

Before mobilisation: The Principal Contractor draws up the CPP, setting out site rules, welfare arrangements, the induction process, and emergency procedures. The CPP identifies the two high-risk activity categories: work at height (ceiling installation) and live electrical infrastructure in adjacent areas.

The PC issues a pre-mobilisation RAMS request to both trade contractors, specifying that RAMS must reference the CPP site rules and address the specific interfaces between trades.

Contractor A (electrical) produces a RAMS covering: isolation and lock-off procedures, working in proximity to other trades, manual handling of cable containment, and tool safety. The risk assessment is conducted under Management Regs regulation 3. The method statement sequences the work to avoid live-working conflicts with Contractor B's installation programme.

Contractor B (ceilings/partitioning) produces a RAMS covering: working at height from mobile elevated work platforms, manual handling of board materials, dust control, and demarcation from Contractor A's electrical runs.

Review and approval: The PC reviews both RAMS against the CPP before either contractor sets foot on site. The PC checks: (a) are the identified hazards consistent with what the CPP already flags? (b) do the control measures meet the general principles of prevention? (c) are the two RAMS compatible — do they create any interface risk between trades? One iteration is returned to Contractor B requesting clarification on MEAP inspection frequency. Revised RAMS accepted. Both contractors sign the RAMS and the PC retains signed copies on the project file.

During construction: Contractor B's scope changes — an additional partition run requires work adjacent to an area where ceiling tiles have been disturbed, raising a potential dust exposure concern. Contractor B updates their RAMS to reflect the new control measures. The PC reviews and countersigns the revision before that phase of work begins.

Key outcome: The CPP and the two RAMS form a coherent, cross-referenced document set. The PC can demonstrate to any visiting inspector that every contractor has planned their work, that interface risks between trades have been considered, and that each contractor is complying with the construction phase plan — satisfying CDM 2015 regulation 15(3).

Note on HSE notification: This project involves two contractors but its duration (10 weeks, two trade contractors) does not reach the threshold of 500 person days or 30 working days with more than 20 simultaneous workers, so HSE notification is not triggered. (HSE CIS80) A construction phase plan is still required, regardless of notification status.

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When RAMS Must Be Produced: A Project-Stage Timeline

Project stage	Who acts	Action
Pre-tender	Client / PC candidate	Gather site H&S information; factor hazards into tender price and programme (HSG150)
Pre-construction	Principal Designer	Compile pre-construction information; feed into CPP
Before construction phase begins	Principal Contractor	Draw up CPP; issue RAMS requirements to supply chain (CDM 2015, reg 12)
Before mobilisation	Each trade / specialist contractor	Produce task RAMS; submit to PC for review
PC review	Principal Contractor	Review RAMS for CPP alignment; request revisions where necessary
Throughout construction	All contractors	Update RAMS when scope, conditions, or methods change
Project close	Principal Contractor / Principal Designer	Consolidate H&S file; retain RAMS as project records

CDM 2015 and the construction phase plan: A construction phase plan is required for every construction project — including small domestic jobs such as kitchen or bathroom installation, structural alterations, roofing work, and extensions. For straightforward projects, a simple plan before work starts is usually sufficient to demonstrate that health and safety has been considered. If the job will last longer than 500 person days or 30 working days with more than 20 people working simultaneously, HSE notification is also required. (HSE CIS80) RAMS produced by trade contractors feed directly into that plan.

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What a Site-Specific RAMS Must Contain: The Elements That Prevent Rejection

A RAMS that fails the PC's review almost always fails on specificity. The following elements distinguish a site-specific RAMS from a generic template:

• Project and task identification: site address, specific work activity, dates
• Scope of works: precisely what is being done, by whom, with what plant and equipment
• Hazard identification: every significant hazard relevant to this task on this site — not a generic list
• Risk assessment: likelihood × severity reasoning for each hazard, linked to who might be harmed
• Control measures: concrete steps that control the risk at source, in hierarchy order (elimination → substitution → engineering controls → administrative controls → PPE)
• Reference to the CPP: acknowledgement of site rules, emergency procedures, and welfare arrangements set out in the construction phase plan
• Interface risks: how the task interacts with adjacent trades or public access
• Competencies and supervision: named supervisory arrangements; relevant training, tickets or licences
• Review trigger: the condition under which the RAMS will be updated (scope change, incident, changed site conditions)
• Sign-off: contractor signature and date; PC countersignature on acceptance

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RAMS as a Supply-Chain Vetting Tool

A principal contractor is appointed by the client to control the construction phase of any project involving more than one contractor, and must plan, manage, monitor and coordinate the entire construction phase, taking account of health and safety risks to everyone affected, including members of the public. (HSE — CDM 2015: principal contractors)

Anyone responsible for appointing contractors must ensure those appointed have the skills, knowledge and experience to carry out work in a way that secures health and safety, and must establish this before making the appointment. (HSE L153)

RAMS submitted at pre-mobilisation are the most practical mechanism for satisfying that duty. A PC who receives a RAMS that lists generic hazards, omits site-specific risks, or contradicts the CPP has concrete grounds to withhold site access until the deficiency is corrected — protecting both the project and the PC's own CDM 2015 obligations.

HSG150 is explicit: discussing proposed working methods with subcontractors before letting contracts, and obtaining their risk assessments and method statements, helps identify risks that subcontractor operations may create for others working at the site. (HSG150) RAMS are therefore a planning instrument, not a post-contract formality.

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Common RAMS Failures and the Hidden Cost to Construction Businesses

The most frequent reasons a PC returns a RAMS for revision:

1. Generic hazard lists copied from a template with no reference to site conditions
2. Missing interface risks — no acknowledgement of adjacent trades or public proximity
3. Inconsistency with the CPP — site rules, PPE requirements, or emergency procedures that contradict the plan
4. Undated or unsigned documents — no evidence of who produced or reviewed the document
5. Stale RAMS — a document produced for a previous project, resubmitted with only the project name changed
6. Absent competency evidence — method statements that specify certified operatives but provide no confirmation those certifications exist

Each revision cycle delays mobilisation. For the PC, each unchecked RAMS creates a gap in the documented evidence that CDM 2015 regulation 13 duties have been met.

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How RamsDocs Helps Construction Companies Produce, Issue and Control RAMS Digitally

RamsDocs is the document production platform built specifically for the UK construction RAMS workflow. It gives contractors, principal contractors, and self-employed tradespeople the tools to:

• Build site-specific RAMS from a structured, guided workflow — not a blank word processor — so hazard identification and control hierarchy are built into the process
• Version-control every document so that a revised RAMS replacing a superseded version is clearly dated, flagged, and traceable
• Issue and track RAMS submissions to principal contractors with digital audit trails showing who reviewed, who approved, and when
• Store and retrieve the full project RAMS library in one place, supporting the construction phase plan and any post-project H&S file requirement

RamsDocs does not replace the site-specific knowledge of a competent person. Every document produced using the platform must be reviewed and adapted to the specific site, task, and contractor before use.

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Frequently Asked Questions About RAMS in Construction

What does RAMS stand for in construction? RAMS stands for Risk Assessments and Method Statements. The risk assessment identifies the hazards in a task and evaluates the likelihood and severity of harm. The method statement sets out the step-by-step safe system of work that controls those hazards. They are bundled together because a risk assessment without a safe working procedure is incomplete, and a method statement without an underlying hazard analysis has no evidential basis.

Who produces RAMS — the principal contractor, subcontractor, or self-employed worker? Each duty-holder produces RAMS for their own scope of work. A trade or specialist contractor produces task-level RAMS covering the activities they are carrying out on site. A self-employed contractor carries the same planning and risk assessment obligation. The principal contractor produces the construction phase plan — which is informed by those individual RAMS — and reviews each contractor's RAMS before work begins.

Who is responsible for reviewing and approving RAMS on a UK construction site? The principal contractor reviews and accepts RAMS submitted by trade contractors and self-employed workers before they mobilise to site. The PC checks that each RAMS is consistent with the construction phase plan, addresses site-specific hazards, and that the control measures meet the general principles of prevention required by CDM 2015. The client may also review RAMS but has no statutory duty to do so.

What is the difference between a risk assessment and a method statement, and why are they bundled together? A risk assessment answers: what can go wrong, how likely is it, and how severe would the harm be? A method statement answers: how will the work be done safely, step by step? They are bundled because the method statement is the operational output of the risk assessment — together they form the documented safe system of work that CDM 2015 regulation 15 requires every contractor to plan and implement.

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Disclaimer: This page is intended as general information about RAMS documentation obligations under UK construction health and safety law. It does not constitute legal advice. Every RAMS document must be reviewed and adapted to the specific site, task, and contractor by a competent person before use. RamsDocs materials are PC review-ready by design but are not guaranteed compliant with any specific principal contractor's requirements, and no document produced using this platform removes the duty of the producing contractor to ensure it accurately reflects site conditions.