Risk Assessment and Method Statement (RAMS): A Tradesperson's Guide
Quick Answer: A risk assessment is a legal duty under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (reg 3), which requires every employer and self-employed person to carry out a "suitable and sufficient" assessment of the risks to workers and others. A method statement is a written, step-by-step plan describing how a task will be done safely; it is best practice and is usually contractually required, becoming effectively mandatory on construction work through the construction phase plan under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015). Together, a risk assessment and method statement are commonly bundled as a "RAMS" document.
Summary
Every tradesperson in the UK has a legal duty to assess the risks created by their work. For employers and the self-employed this duty comes from regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (often shortened to "the Management Regs"). The assessment must be "suitable and sufficient" — proportionate to the real risks of the job, not a generic form copied off the internet. If you employ five or more people you must also record the significant findings; below that threshold recording is good practice but not strictly required, though most main contractors will demand a written RAMS regardless of headcount.
The method statement sits alongside the risk assessment. Where the risk assessment identifies what could cause harm and how you will control it, the method statement sets out how the job will actually be carried out step by step, in a safe sequence, with the controls built in. Method statements are not named in the Management Regs as a standalone legal requirement, but they become effectively mandatory on construction projects: CDM 2015 requires a construction phase plan that documents safe systems of work, and principal contractors enforce this by requiring RAMS from every contractor before they set foot on site.
The biggest misconception is that RAMS is paperwork for the sake of it. A good RAMS is a working document that the people doing the job have actually read and that reflects the real site. The second misconception is that a generic template is enough — a "suitable and sufficient" assessment must be specific to your task, your equipment, the substances you use and the site you are on. Generic RAMS that ignore site-specific hazards are precisely what HSE inspectors and contractor safety teams reject.
Key Facts
- Legal basis for risk assessment — Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, regulation 3: every employer and self-employed person must make a "suitable and sufficient" assessment of the risks.
- Recording threshold — if you employ 5 or more people, you must record the significant findings of the assessment. Below 5, recording is good practice, not a strict legal duty.
- Self-employed — the duty applies to you too, in respect of risks to yourself and to others affected by your work.
- Method statements — not a named standalone duty in the Management Regs; they are best practice and almost always a contractual requirement on commercial and construction work.
- CDM 2015 link — the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 require a construction phase plan documenting how risks will be managed; this is where method statements become effectively mandatory.
- HSE's 5 steps to risk assessment — (1) identify the hazards; (2) decide who might be harmed and how; (3) evaluate the risks and decide on control measures; (4) record your significant findings; (5) review and update.
- Hierarchy of control — controls must be applied in order of effectiveness: Eliminate, Reduce/Substitute, Isolate, Control, then Personal protective equipment and Discipline (ERIC-PD). PPE is the last resort, not the first.
- Hazard vs risk — a hazard is anything with the potential to cause harm; risk is the likelihood it will cause harm combined with how serious that harm would be.
- Review triggers — review the assessment after an accident or near miss, when work methods change, when new equipment or substances are introduced, or when there is reason to believe it is no longer valid.
- Dynamic risk assessment — on changing sites, a documented RAMS should be supplemented by on-the-spot reassessment when conditions differ from what was planned.
- Competence — the person carrying out the assessment must be competent: they need to understand the work, the hazards and the controls. This does not require a formal qualification but does require relevant knowledge and experience.
- Sign-off and briefing — workers should sign to confirm they have read and understood the RAMS before starting; this is typically done at induction or a toolbox talk.
- COSHH overlap — where hazardous substances are involved, a separate COSHH assessment is required under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 and should be referenced in the RAMS.
Quick Reference Table
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Try squote free →| HSE step | What you do | Output |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Identify hazards | Walk the job/site, list what could cause harm | Hazard list |
| 2. Who might be harmed | Workers, other trades, public, client | People at risk |
| 3. Evaluate & control | Apply hierarchy of control (ERIC-PD) | Control measures |
| 4. Record findings | Write significant findings (required if ≥5 employees) | Written risk assessment |
| 5. Review | Re-check after change, accident or new equipment | Updated assessment |
| Hierarchy of control (ERIC-PD) | Example on site |
|---|---|
| Eliminate | Order materials pre-cut to avoid cutting dust |
| Reduce / substitute | Use a less hazardous solvent or lower-vibration tool |
| Isolate | Barrier off a work zone; lock off a circuit |
| Control | On-tool dust extraction; safe systems of work |
| PPE | Gloves, RPE, eye protection (last resort) |
| Discipline | Supervision, training, signage, enforcement |
Detailed Guidance
Writing a "suitable and sufficient" risk assessment
"Suitable and sufficient" is the legal test. It means the assessment is proportionate to the risk, identifies the significant hazards, considers everyone who could be affected (including other trades and the public), and shows that you have applied sensible controls. It does not mean a 40-page document for a half-day job. A short, specific, accurate assessment that reflects the actual task beats a long generic one every time. Date it, name the assessor, and reference the site.
Building the method statement
The method statement describes the safe sequence of work: how materials and equipment arrive, how the area is set up and protected, the order of operations, the controls at each stage, and how the area is cleared and made safe at the end. It should name the equipment used (and reference PUWER duties for that equipment), list the PPE required, and identify who is competent to do each part. Emergency arrangements — first aid, fire, what to do if something goes wrong — belong here too.
Where CDM 2015 makes RAMS effectively mandatory
On construction work, CDM 2015 places duties on clients, principal designers, principal contractors and contractors. The principal contractor must draw up a construction phase plan setting out the health and safety arrangements for the project. In practice this is built from the RAMS supplied by each contractor. So even though the Management Regs do not name "method statement", you will not be allowed to start work on a managed construction site without an accepted RAMS. This applies to domestic projects too where there is more than one contractor — see the CDM domestic projects guidance.
Keeping RAMS live: review and dynamic assessment
A RAMS written in the office is a starting point, not the finished article. When you arrive on site, check whether reality matches the plan: is the access as expected, are other trades working overhead, has the weather changed the risk of working at height? If conditions differ materially, stop and reassess. Document significant changes. Always review the RAMS after any accident, near miss, or change in method, equipment or substances.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I legally need a written risk assessment as a sole trader?
You must carry out a suitable and sufficient assessment (Management Regs reg 3). You are only legally required to record the significant findings if you employ five or more people. However, most commercial clients and main contractors require a written RAMS regardless, so in practice you will almost always need one in writing.
Is a method statement a legal requirement?
Not as a standalone duty under the Management Regs. It is best practice and is a contractual requirement on most commercial and construction work. Under CDM 2015 it becomes effectively mandatory because the construction phase plan depends on it.
Can I use a generic RAMS template?
A template is a fine starting point, but it must be edited to be specific to your task, equipment, substances and the actual site. A generic, unedited RAMS is not "suitable and sufficient" and will be rejected by contractor safety teams and criticised by HSE.
How often should I review a RAMS?
Whenever something changes: a new method, new equipment or substances, an accident or near miss, or any reason to think the assessment is no longer valid. On changing sites, reassess dynamically each time conditions differ from the plan.
What is ERIC-PD and why does PPE come last?
ERIC-PD is the hierarchy of control — Eliminate, Reduce, Isolate, Control, PPE, Discipline. PPE protects only the individual wearing it, only if worn correctly, and does nothing to remove the hazard. Higher-order controls remove or reduce the hazard at source for everyone, so they must be considered first.
Regulations & Standards
- Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (SI 1999/3242) — regulation 3 establishes the duty to carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment; recording required if 5+ employees.
- Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015, SI 2015/51) — construction phase plan and the practical requirement for RAMS on construction work.
- Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) — separate assessment required for hazardous substances, referenced within the RAMS.
- Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) — duties for the equipment named in a method statement.
- Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 — the parent Act and general duty of care.