When this template fits
This RAMS is for UK contractors and construction teams carrying out construction 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
General construction risk assessment across common site hazards — access, plant, manual handling, services and the public.
Sequence of works
- 1PLAN: Before mobilisation, obtain and review utility drawings, site surveys and ground investigation data. Prepare or update the construction phase plan and task-specific risk assessments.
- 2SITE SETUP: Erect perimeter hoarding, install controlled access point(s), establish segregated pedestrian and vehicle routes and deploy appropriate signage and lighting.
- 3BRIEFING: Conduct site induction for all workers covering key hazards, emergency procedures, welfare facilities and the findings of the risk assessment; record attendance.
- 4SERVICES: Before any excavation or ground-penetrating work, complete CAT and Genny scan, mark services on ground and confirm with utility records. Apply safe-dig rules within tolerance zones.
- 5ACCESS AND WORKING AT HEIGHT: Inspect and sign off all access equipment, scaffolding and edge protection before use. Confirm competence of operators and erectors. Apply permit-to-work where required.
- 6PLANT AND EQUIPMENT: Check all mobile plant pre-use; confirm operator certificates are valid; brief banksmen; enforce traffic management plan throughout operations.
- 7MANUAL HANDLING: Deploy mechanical handling aids for heavy or awkward loads. Confirm team-lift procedures are understood before lifting operations begin.
- 8ONGOING MONITORING: Principal contractor or site supervisor to carry out regular site inspections throughout the working day, recording findings, correcting deficiencies and updating risk assessments when conditions change.
- 9HOUSEKEEPING: At the end of each shift, clear walkways, secure loose materials, make safe excavations and isolate plant. Inspect perimeter hoarding for damage.
- 10CLOSE OUT: At project completion, remove temporary works in a planned sequence, reinstate all disturbed surfaces and confirm all waste has been removed and disposed of appropriately.
Hazards, risk rating & controls
Risk = likelihood × severity (1–25). Initial is before controls; residual is with controls applied.
Fall from height
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Install guardrails, toe boards and mid-rails at all open edges before operatives begin work at height; remove only when the works are complete.
- › Redesign installation sequence or use extended fixing tools to reduce the need to work at height where practicable.
- › Inspect all working at height equipment before each use; maintain a scaffold inspection register; only competent persons to erect and modify access equipment.
- › Where collective protection is not reasonably practicable, workers must wear a harness and lanyard or personal fall arrest system anchored to a suitable structure.
Manual handling injury
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Use sack trucks, pallet trucks, or mini-hoists to move bulk bags and materials to the work area rather than manual carrying.
- › Ensure all operatives have received manual handling training; mandate two-person lifts for loads between 20–40 kg and for awkward or confined lifts.
- › Use pre-cut or pre-positioned materials and design deliveries to minimise double-handling.
- › Provide safety footwear, gloves and, where assessed appropriate, back-support belts for high-repetition tasks.
Plant collision with persons
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Establish physical barriers, one-way systems and designated pedestrian routes to keep people and plant apart at all times.
- › Produce and implement a site traffic management plan detailing vehicle routes, speed limits, banksman requirements and exclusion zones.
- › Ensure all plant operators hold relevant CPCS/NPORS certification; carry out daily pre-use plant inspections and record defects.
- › All persons on site must wear Class 2 minimum hi-vis vest or jacket so they are visible to plant operators at all times.
Slips, trips and falls on the same level
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Maintain clear, defined walkways; remove waste materials and surplus stock daily; keep cable runs and hoses away from walking routes.
- › Install scaffold boards, matting or road plates over unstable, waterlogged or uneven ground to provide safe pedestrian routes.
- › Provide sufficient artificial lighting in all work areas and access routes during low-light conditions or winter months.
- › All site personnel to wear steel toe-capped, slip-resistant safety boots compliant with EN ISO 20345.
Underground services strike
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Obtain utility drawings from all relevant providers before excavating; use a calibrated CAT and Genny to locate services on site prior to any ground-breaking.
- › Expose services by hand-digging within the tolerance zone (500 mm either side of mapped service); never use power tools in this zone.
- › Provide insulated hand tools, rubber-soled safety footwear and Class 0 or Class 1 gloves for hand-digging near services.
Public safety — unauthorised access
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Erect solid hoarding or security fencing of minimum 2 m height around the full site perimeter to prevent unauthorised entry; check integrity daily.
- › Limit site entry to a single manned or security-controlled gatehouse; sign-in all visitors and issue appropriate PPE before entry.
- › Arrange security patrols or CCTV monitoring outside working hours to deter trespass and identify hoarding breaches.
Inadequate risk assessment
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › A competent person must conduct and record a suitable and sufficient risk assessment covering all significant hazards before work starts; review when conditions change.
- › Principal contractor to prepare, maintain and communicate the construction phase plan, incorporating risk assessments and method statements for all notifiable work.
- › Brief all workers on relevant risk assessments and method statements before they start tasks; record attendance and review understanding.
Collapse of excavation or trench
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Where practicable, use remote-controlled equipment so no workers need to enter the excavation.
- › Install trench boxes, sheet piling or hydraulic shoring before workers enter any excavation deeper than 1.2 m; alternatively batter or bench back sides to a safe angle.
- › A competent person must inspect excavations at the start of every shift and after any event that may have affected stability; record findings.
- › All persons entering or working adjacent to excavations must wear a hard hat and safety footwear as a minimum.
PPE
- ✓ Safety footwear (EN ISO 20345)
- ✓ Hi-vis clothing
- ✓ Safety gloves (task-appropriate)
- ✓ Hard hat (EN 397) where overhead risk or site rules require
- ✓ Safety harness and lanyard where fall arrest is the selected control
- ✓ Insulated gloves where live work is unavoidable
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 construction 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 construction 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 construction risk assessment?
Work at Height Regulations 2005, Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, PUWER 1998 — Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations are the main ones, alongside Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, reg 3 — risk assessment, HSE HSG47 — Avoiding danger from underground services, 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.