If you’re carrying out commercial work, there’s a good chance a client, facilities manager or site manager will ask you for RAMS before you start.
RAMS stands for Risk Assessment and Method Statement.
Put simply, it explains:
- What risks are involved in the work
- What controls you’ll put in place
- How the work will be carried out safely
- Who is responsible
- What equipment, PPE or procedures are required
For contractors working through Regency, it’s worth having your RAMS process ready before an opportunity comes through, rather than trying to sort everything at the last minute.
Why commercial clients ask for RAMS
Commercial clients have a responsibility to make sure work is properly planned and managed.
When they bring contractors onto a site, they may want to see evidence that the contractor has considered the risks associated with the job and has a clear plan for carrying it out safely.
For some jobs, being unable to provide the required documentation can mean the work cannot start.
Do all contractors need RAMS?
Not every job requires a formal document labelled “RAMS”.
However, contractors working in commercial environments should generally be capable of producing appropriate risk assessments and method statements when the work or client requires them.
This becomes particularly important for higher-risk, unusual or more complex work.
Examples could include:
- Electrical works
- HVAC and plant-room work
- Roofing and work at height
- Fire stopping and passive fire work
- Hot works
- Excavation and groundworks
- Scaffolding and access
- Commercial gas work
- Major plumbing works
- Works in occupied buildings
- Machinery or equipment installation
What should RAMS normally cover?
A well-prepared RAMS will normally set out the following.
The work being carried out
A clear description of the task and scope of works.
The hazards involved
For example, working at height, electricity, hot works, manual handling, hazardous substances, moving vehicles or occupied areas.
Who could be affected
Employees, subcontractors, building occupants, visitors or members of the public.
Control measures
What you’re doing to reduce or remove those risks.
Method of work
The sequence in which the job will be carried out safely.
PPE and equipment
Any protective equipment, access equipment, tools or specialist equipment required.
Emergency arrangements
What happens if something goes wrong.
Responsible persons
Who is supervising or responsible for the work.
Generic RAMS vs site-specific RAMS
Having a standard RAMS template is useful, particularly where you regularly perform similar types of work.
But you shouldn’t assume the same document can simply be reused unchanged on every site. Different sites can introduce different hazards, access requirements, working conditions and client procedures.
The ideal setup: have your core templates ready, then adapt them to the specific job and site when required.
Contractor RAMS readiness checklist
- I understand what RAMS are
- I can produce a risk assessment for the work I undertake
- I have method statement templates available
- I can adapt my documentation to a specific site or job
- My insurance is current
- My qualifications and accreditations are current
- I have appropriate PPE and safe working procedures
- I can provide relevant health and safety documentation when requested
- My employees or subcontractors understand the procedures being used
- I review documentation if the job or site conditions change
If you can do all of the above, you’re in a much stronger position when a commercial client wants to move quickly.
What if I don’t currently have RAMS?
It doesn’t necessarily mean you’re unsuitable for commercial work.
A lot of smaller contractors moving further into the commercial sector simply haven’t previously been asked to produce this level of documentation. The important thing is being willing and able to get the correct process in place.
Risk assessments and method statements should be practical documents that genuinely reflect how the work will be carried out — not paperwork created purely to tick a box.
Why Regency contractors should have this ready
Regency works with commercial clients including facilities managers, property managers and organisations responsible for maintaining commercial and residential property portfolios.
Some of the work available through these types of clients may require RAMS or other health-and-safety documentation before a contractor can attend site. That’s why we encourage contractors on the Regency network to have the necessary processes in place ahead of time.
Being ready means that when a relevant enquiry comes through, paperwork doesn’t become the thing that holds the job up.
Need help getting prepared?
We’re developing additional resources to help Regency contractors understand the documentation commercial clients may expect.
If RAMS are not something you currently produce regularly, speak to the Regency team and we can point you towards the information and resources you may need.
