Risk Assessment and RAMS Procedure

Last Reviewed: 26/03/2026

Next Review Date: 26/03/2028

Purpose

The purpose of this procedure is to ensure that hazards arising from our work activities are identified, risks are assessed, and suitable control measures and safe systems of work are established, communicated, and implemented.

This procedure supports the Company’s Health and Safety Policy and forms part of our arrangements for managing health and safety, preventing injury and ill health, and ensuring work is carried out safely.

Scope

This procedure applies to all work activities carried out by the Company, including work at company premises, client sites, off-site work, surveys, installs/de-installs, repairs, training activities, lone working, night working, and any other task undertaken on behalf of the Company.

It applies to:

employees
managers
contractors under company control, where relevant

Definitions

Hazard
Something with the potential to cause harm.

Risk
The likelihood that harm will occur, together with the severity of that harm.

Risk Assessment
A systematic examination of the hazards associated with a task, activity, location, or process, in order to identify suitable precautions and control measures.

RAMS
Risk Assessment and Method Statement. A document that sets out the hazards, risks, control measures, and safe system of work for a task or activity.

Safe System of Work
A formal procedure which results from a systematic examination of a task in order to identify all hazards and define safe methods of working.

Suitable and Sufficient
An assessment that identifies the significant hazards, considers who may be harmed and how, takes account of existing controls, identifies any further action required, and remains valid for the work being undertaken.

General Principles

The Company will ensure that risk assessments and RAMS are prepared by competent persons and are suitable and sufficient for the activities being undertaken.

The aim is to:

identify hazards
assess risks
eliminate risks where reasonably practicable
reduce and control remaining risks
communicate the safe system of work
review and update documents where necessary

The hierarchy of control will be applied when determining control measures, with priority given to:

elimination
substitution
engineering controls
administrative controls / safe systems of work
personal protective equipment as a last resort or as additional protection

Responsibilities

Senior Management

Senior management is responsible for ensuring that suitable arrangements are in place for the completion, review, communication, and implementation of risk assessments and RAMS.

Managers

Managers are responsible for:

ensuring that appropriate risk assessments and RAMS are in place for the work being undertaken
ensuring documents are reviewed and amended where necessary for the specific job, site, and conditions
ensuring employees have the necessary information, instruction, training, and supervision
ensuring RAMS are communicated to relevant personnel before work begins
ensuring additional hazards are addressed where identified
ensuring work does not proceed where risks are not adequately controlled

Employees

Employees are responsible for:

following risk assessments, RAMS, and safe systems of work
reviewing relevant RAMS before starting work
reporting hazards, concerns, incidents, or changes in conditions
stopping work and informing their manager where a task cannot be carried out safely
contributing feedback and suggestions where improvements are identified

When a Risk Assessment / RAMS is Required

Risk assessments and RAMS must be prepared where required for work activities undertaken by the Company.

This includes, but is not limited to:

routine operational tasks
surveys
site attendance
installs / de-installs / repairs
training activities
work involving equipment, vehicles, tools, or hazardous environments
lone working
night working
work at height
driving and off-site work where relevant

Not all low-risk work requires a detailed written method statement. However, where work involves significant hazards, changing environments, or site-specific controls, a written RAMS and safe system of work will normally be required.

Generic and Job-Specific RAMS

The Company uses generic task-based RAMS for regular and recurring work activities where these appropriately reflect the task being carried out.

These generic RAMS may be used:

where they appropriately match the work being undertaken
as the basis for a job-specific RAMS
alongside job-specific information
with relevant sections incorporated into site- or task-specific RAMS where appropriate

Generic RAMS are not fully site-specific documents. They must be reviewed and amended where necessary to reflect:

the exact task
the location
site conditions
access arrangements
traffic / plant movements
personnel involved
equipment being used
any additional hazards identified

Job-Specific Risk Assessment and RAMS

Where additional job-specific information is required, the relevant risk assessment and RAMS must be reviewed and supplemented before work begins.

This may include, but is not limited to:

task description and scope of work
site location and conditions
access and egress
personnel and competencies
client / principal contractor controls
traffic management
emergency arrangements
welfare arrangements
weather or environmental conditions
unusual or temporary hazards

Managers are responsible for ensuring that the relevant RAMS and any required job-specific additions are completed and communicated before work starts.

Supplementary Risk Assessment

Where new, unusual, temporary, environmental, or site-specific hazards are identified that are not already covered within the generic RAMS, a supplementary risk assessment must be completed.

This may be used for:

additional site hazards
unexpected changes in conditions
unusual work circumstances
extreme weather
lessons learned from previous work
hazards identified by employees during the task

The additional hazard, associated risk, and control measures must be recorded before work proceeds.

Where a hazard cannot be adequately controlled, or further guidance is needed, the employee must contact their manager and work must not proceed until the matter has been reviewed.

Night Working

Where work is undertaken outside normal daylight hours, the Night Working RAMS Addendum may be used:

alongside the job-specific RAMS, or
by incorporating the relevant night-working hazards and control measures into the job-specific RAMS

The Night Working RAMS Addendum is a generic supporting document and must be reviewed and amended as necessary to reflect the specific task, site conditions, personnel, and arrangements before use.

Preparing the Risk Assessment

When preparing a risk assessment, the following five steps must be followed:

Identify the hazards
Decide who may be harmed and how
Evaluate the risks and identify control measures
Record the findings
Review the assessment and update where necessary

The assessment must consider:

the task
the environment
the people involved
the equipment and materials used
how the work is actually carried out
foreseeable changes or abnormal situations
emergency arrangements

Safe System of Work / Method Statement

Where required, the RAMS must include a clear safe system of work / method statement describing how the task is to be carried out safely.

This should include, where relevant:

preparation before work starts
access and setup
sequence of work
equipment checks
required controls
emergency arrangements
completion / leaving the area safe

The safe system of work must be clear, practical, and relevant to the task.

Communication and Sign-Off

Relevant RAMS must be communicated to the personnel carrying out the work before the task begins.

Personnel must be given sufficient opportunity to:

read the RAMS
understand the hazards and controls
ask questions
raise concerns
provide feedback where necessary

Where required, sign-off will be obtained to confirm that the RAMS have been read and understood.

Sign-off may be completed through the Company’s approved forms or digital systems.

Review and Amendment

Risk assessments and RAMS are live documents and must be reviewed:

periodically, at suitable intervals
where there is a change in task, equipment, process, or personnel
where site conditions differ from those expected
where new hazards are identified
after accidents, incidents, near misses, or feedback
where the assessment is no longer valid
where legislation, standards, or guidance change

Employees are encouraged to provide feedback at any time so that documents can be improved where necessary.

Stop Work

Work must not proceed where:

suitable RAMS are not in place where required
relevant control measures are not in place
site conditions are unsafe or significantly different from those assessed
personnel do not understand the safe system of work
additional hazards cannot be adequately controlled
further guidance or approval is required from management

In such cases, the employee must stop work and contact their manager.

Records

The Company will retain relevant records relating to risk assessments and RAMS, including:

generic RAMS
job-specific RAMS
supplementary risk assessments
night working addenda where used
sign-off records
review records
related forms and supporting documents

These records will be controlled and retained in accordance with the Company’s document management arrangements and using Monday.Com.