When this template fits
This RAMS is for UK contractors and care & healthcare teams carrying out care home risk assessment — typically because a principal contractor or client has asked for a risk assessment and method statement before work can start. It covers the recognised site & general hazards for this task, with the controls a reviewer expects to see.
What this RAMS includes
- ✓ 8 task-specific hazards scored on a 5×5 matrix (initial → residual)
- ✓ Specific control measures for each hazard, in hierarchy-of-control order
- ✓ A 10-step method statement (sequence of works)
- ✓ PPE, plant/equipment, permits and competence requirements
- ✓ Emergency arrangements and operative briefing / sign-off section
Scope of works
Care home risk assessment — moving & handling of people, infection/COSHH, slips and residents.
Sequence of works
- 1STEP 1 — PRE-TASK RISK ASSESSMENT: Before commencing care activities, review the individual resident's care plan, moving and handling plan, falls risk assessment, and any known infection status. Confirm all required equipment (hoist, slings, PPE) is available, inspected and in good working order.
- 2STEP 2 — ENVIRONMENT CHECK: Inspect the immediate care area for slip and trip hazards, adequate lighting, sufficient space for safe manoeuvring of handling equipment, and availability of call/alarm systems. Clear obstructions and mop/dry any wet surfaces before proceeding.
- 3STEP 3 — INFECTION CONTROL PREPARATION: Perform hand hygiene using the WHO 6-step technique with soap and water or alcohol gel. Don appropriate PPE (gloves, apron, mask, eye protection) according to the task and any known infection risk before entering the resident's personal space.
- 4STEP 4 — RESIDENT COMMUNICATION AND CONSENT: Explain the planned care activity to the resident in plain language, gain their consent (or follow best-interest process where capacity is lacking), and allow them to participate to the maximum extent of their ability to reduce manual handling load.
- 5STEP 5 — MOVING AND HANDLING: Follow the individual handling plan strictly. Use mechanical hoisting equipment for transfers where indicated. Ensure the correct number of staff are present. Communicate throughout the manoeuvre, maintain safe posture, and never attempt a manual lift if the equipment specified in the care plan is unavailable.
- 6STEP 6 — CLINICAL OR PERSONAL CARE TASK: Perform the care task (dressing, washing, medication administration, wound care) following standard infection control precautions throughout. Dispose of sharps immediately into an approved sharps container at point of use.
- 7STEP 7 — CLEANING AND DECONTAMINATION: After completing the care task, clean and decontaminate any equipment used according to the COSHH assessment and manufacturer's instructions. Handle and dispose of soiled linen and clinical waste in compliant colour-coded bags, following the home's waste segregation policy.
- 8STEP 8 — PPE REMOVAL AND HAND HYGIENE: Remove PPE in the correct sequence (gloves first, then apron, then mask/eye protection) to prevent self-contamination. Dispose of single-use PPE in the appropriate waste stream. Perform thorough hand hygiene immediately after PPE removal.
- 9STEP 9 — DOCUMENTATION AND REPORTING: Record the care activity, any changes in the resident's condition, and any incidents (fall, spillage, sharps injury, aggressive incident) in the resident's records and the home's incident reporting system. Update risk assessments if a new hazard has been identified.
- 10STEP 10 — POST-TASK REVIEW: Supervisor/team leader to review any near-misses or incidents at the next team briefing. Ensure care plans, COSHH assessments, and manual handling plans are updated promptly following any significant change to a resident's condition or following an outbreak or incident.
Hazards, risk rating & controls
Risk = likelihood × severity (1–25). Initial is before controls; residual is with controls applied.
Manual handling of residents
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Assess whether any manual lifting of residents can be eliminated entirely by using mechanical hoists, transfer boards, or sit-to-stand aids for all transfers.
- › Use ceiling-track hoists, mobile hoists, or transfer aids appropriate to the resident's weight, mobility and care plan to reduce manual effort.
- › Produce a written individual handling plan for each resident detailing equipment to be used, number of staff required, and specific handling techniques. Review after any change in condition.
- › Ensure all care staff complete accredited moving and handling training (theory and practical) before undertaking resident handling, with regular refreshers.
Resident fall
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Complete a validated falls risk assessment tool (e.g. Waterlow or STRATIFY) for each resident on admission and after any incident or change in condition, documenting findings in the care plan.
- › Install grab rails, bed rails where appropriate, non-slip flooring, adequate lighting, and remove trip hazards from walkways and communal areas.
- › Ensure residents with high falls risk have call systems within reach and are subject to regular observation rounds. Use bed/chair sensor alarms for those assessed as high risk.
Slip on wet or contaminated floor
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Establish a written spill response procedure requiring immediate isolation of affected area, display of wet floor signage, and prompt clean-up using appropriate materials.
- › Specify slip-resistant flooring (R-rating ≥R10 for dry areas) and require staff to wear slip-resistant, closed-toe footwear. Assess resident footwear as part of falls risk assessment.
- › Provide non-slip overshoes or require appropriate footwear for all staff working in wet or clinical areas.
Exposure to biological hazards and bodily fluids
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Conduct and document a COSHH assessment covering exposure to biological hazards specific to the care setting, identifying the likelihood of exposure and required controls.
- › Implement standard precautions: hand hygiene, safe use and disposal of sharps, respiratory hygiene, and safe handling of linen and waste at all times regardless of known infection status.
- › Provide and enforce use of disposable gloves, aprons, and (where splash risk) face/eye protection for all personal care and clinical tasks involving bodily fluids.
Exposure to cleaning chemicals and disinfectants
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Where clinically appropriate, substitute high-concentration or corrosive disinfectants with ready-to-use, lower-hazard alternatives that meet the required infection control standard.
- › Maintain a COSHH assessment and current safety data sheets (SDS) for all cleaning products used. Communicate findings to cleaning staff and ensure compliance with dilution and contact-time instructions.
- › Provide and require use of chemical-resistant gloves (nitrile or rubber) and splash-proof eye protection when mixing, decanting or applying concentrated cleaning chemicals.
Sharps injury
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Where clinically practicable, substitute conventional needles and sharps with safety-engineered devices incorporating retraction or shielding mechanisms.
- › Train staff in safe sharps technique: never resheath needles by hand, dispose of sharps immediately at the point of use into a compliant UN3291 sharps container.
- › Provide puncture-resistant gloves for staff handling contaminated waste bags or performing tasks at elevated sharps risk.
Aggression and challenging behaviour from residents
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Include an up-to-date behavioural risk assessment within each at-risk resident's care plan, identifying triggers, warning signs and de-escalation strategies.
- › Ensure all care staff receive training in de-escalation techniques, understanding dementia behaviours, and the home's lone-working and buddy-system protocols.
- › Where a resident is assessed as presenting a high risk of physical aggression, implement a two-person care protocol so no staff member attends alone.
Infection outbreak (communicable disease)
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Maintain and rehearse a written outbreak management policy covering early identification of cases, isolation procedures, visitor restrictions, and notification to the local Health Protection Team.
- › Promote and audit compliance with hand hygiene at the 5 moments, along with respiratory hygiene (catch it, bin it, kill it) for staff, residents and visitors.
- › Isolate symptomatic residents in their rooms with dedicated care equipment. Implement a policy excluding symptomatic staff from work until a defined symptom-free period has elapsed.
- › Issue and require use of fluid-resistant surgical masks (or FFP2/FFP3 as risk assessment indicates) plus aprons and gloves for all resident contact during a confirmed outbreak.
PPE
- ✓ Safety footwear (EN ISO 20345)
- ✓ Hi-vis clothing
- ✓ Safety gloves (task-appropriate)
- ✓ Hard hat (EN 397) where overhead risk or site rules require
- ✓ RPE per the COSHH assessment
- ✓ Chemical-resistant gloves
Competence
- ✓ Site induction completed; CSCS or equivalent where the site requires it
Schemes (CSCS, PASMA, IPAF…) evidence competence; they are not statutory requirements in themselves.
Plant & equipment
- › Welfare units and signage
- › Barriers, cones and pedestrian segregation
- › First-aid kits and eye-wash
- › Spill kits
- › Communication (radios / lone-worker device)
Permits & legislation
What principal contractors usually check
- ✓ Welfare provision matching CDM 2015 Schedule 2
- ✓ Traffic management and pedestrian routes
- ✓ Lone-working check-in arrangements where relevant
- ✓ The document is site-specific — real address, access arrangements and dates, not a generic template
- ✓ Hazards match the actual task and the controls are specific (not “take care” and “use PPE”)
- ✓ Named supervisor and competent person, with operative sign-off space
- ✓ Emergency and rescue arrangements that work for this site
The report builder runs these as pre-submission checks before you download — or run an existing document through the free RAMS pre-submission checker.
Frequently asked questions
Who should write a care home risk assessment RAMS?
Someone competent to plan the work — usually the contractor doing the job or their supervisor. A template like this gives you the recognised hazards and controls for care home risk assessment, but the person signing it off must review it as the competent person and confirm it matches the actual site and method.
How long is the RAMS valid for?
Until something changes — there's no fixed expiry in law. Review it if the method, site conditions, equipment or people change, after any incident or near miss, and at sensible intervals on longer jobs. Date the review and re-brief the team.
What regulations apply to care home risk assessment?
Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, reg 3 — risk assessment, COSHH 2002, reg 7 — prevention or control of exposure are the main ones, alongside Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, section 3. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and CDM 2015 apply to all construction work.
Does a RAMS need to be site-specific?
Yes — this is the most common reason documents get sent back. Principal contractors reject generic copy-paste RAMS. Your document should name the site, access arrangements, dates, supervisor and any site-specific hazards. The RamsDocs builder fills these in for you and flags what's missing before you download.
Is this template free?
Yes — everything on RamsDocs is free during early access, including building a site-specific version of this RAMS and downloading the PDF. No card required.