Health and safety guide · Sources checked 10 October 2026
RAMS checklist: what to include and how to review it
RAMS combine a risk assessment, which identifies hazards and controls, with a method statement, which sets out how the work will be done safely; this checklist covers what each part should contain and what to check when you review them. The legal duty is the risk assessment; HSE describes the method statement as a practical way to plan and communicate the work, required in writing for some work such as demolition.
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RAMS vs risk assessment vs method statement
Three terms, two documents
On smaller screens, scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| Document | What it does | Legal position | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Risk assessment | Identifies hazards, who might be harmed and how, and the control measures needed | Required for every employer (Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, reg 3). Employers with five or more employees must record the significant findings | MHSWR reg 3; HSE: managing risk, checked October 2026 |
| Method statement | Describes in a logical sequence how a job will be carried out safely, drawing together the hazards and controls from the risk assessment | HSE: not required by law for most work, but arrangements for demolition, dismantling and structural alteration must be recorded in writing before work starts | HSE: construction administration, checked October 2026 |
| RAMS | The common industry name for the two documents kept and issued together for a job | Not a legal term. The duties attach to the risk assessment, and to the written arrangements where these are required | Industry term; the duties are those in the two rows above (HSE: risk basics, checked October 2026) |
Sources checked 10 October 2026. Guidance and legislation change: open the linked source before relying on any row.
What should be included in RAMS
Contents checklist
What each part should contain. The risk assessment items follow HSE's guidance on recording findings; the method statement items follow HSE's description of a method statement.
HSE suggests clear wording and simple sketches or diagrams where they help, and warns against relying on paperwork alone: the priority is controlling the risk in practice. Soteriaa’s free risk assessment has sections for activity and location, the hazards and controls you supply, and review and actions; the method statement covers scope and site, resources and sequence, and review and evidence. Both are in the free RAMS generator pack.
- Risk assessment: the activity and where it takes place.
- Risk assessment: the hazards, who might be harmed and how (HSE).
- Risk assessment: the control measures you are taking for each risk (HSE).
- Risk assessment: anyone identified as especially at risk (recorded where you have five or more employees, MHSWR reg 3(6)).
- Method statement: the scope and site, and the sequence in which the job will be done (HSE: “in a logical sequence”).
- Method statement: the control measures from the risk assessment, placed at the step where they apply.
- Method statement: arrangements for serious or imminent danger, and the training or competence the job relies on (HSE).
- Both: who prepared them, the date, the version and when they will next be looked at.
RAMS review checklist
What to check when you review RAMS
The law requires a review when an assessment may no longer be valid or there has been a significant change. HSE adds the triggers below.
There is no fixed legal interval for a review; see how often a risk assessment should be reviewed. On notifiable construction projects, the principal contractor must also keep the construction phase plan appropriately reviewed throughout the project (CDM 2015, reg 12(4)).
- Is there reason to suspect the assessment is no longer valid? (MHSWR reg 3(3))
- Has anything changed significantly: staff, processes, substances or equipment? (MHSWR reg 3(3); HSE)
- Are the controls still working in practice, on this site? (HSE)
- Have workers reported problems, or have there been accidents or near misses? (HSE)
- Does the method statement still match the sequence actually used? HSE suggests checking that stated methods are followed on site.
- For repeated work: is this job really the same? HSE says demolition method statements should be revised for each job.
- Have you updated the record with the changes and told the people doing the work? (HSE)
Worked example (fictional)
A RAMS review, step by step
Fictional business and job, for illustration only. The hazards and controls are the contractor’s own, not Soteriaa’s.
1
The job changes
Example Roofing Ltd (fictional) issued RAMS for re-felting a flat roof using a scaffold edge. The client now wants the work done from a mobile elevating work platform instead.
2
The trigger is recognised
Different equipment is a significant change, so the supervisor reopens the risk assessment before work restarts rather than waiting for a set date.
3
The documents are updated
The supervisor adds the hazards and controls they have identified for the platform, updates the sequence in the method statement and records a new version and date.
4
The team is briefed
The updated RAMS are briefed to the crew on site and the supervisor checks the work follows the new sequence.
What Soteriaa does and does not do
You supply the hazards and controls; Soteriaa does not choose them, does not assess whether they are adequate and does not judge the work safe. RAMS review-date tracking (sites, assessments, review dates, evidence and actions) is built and coming soon, but it is not on sale yet; the documents are free now. See the health and safety area. This page is general information, not health and safety advice for your work.
FAQ
Common questions
What is the difference between RAMS and a risk assessment?
A risk assessment identifies hazards and the controls needed. RAMS is the industry name for a risk assessment issued together with a method statement, which sets out how the job will be done safely.
Is a method statement a legal requirement?
HSE says method statements are not required by law for most work, but the arrangements for demolition, dismantling and structural alteration must be recorded in writing before work begins. The risk assessment itself is a legal duty for employers.
What should a method statement checklist include?
The scope and site, the sequence of work, the control measures from the risk assessment at the step where they apply, arrangements for serious or imminent danger, and the training or competence the job relies on.
Does Soteriaa write the hazards and controls for me?
No. You supply the hazards and controls. Soteriaa builds editable documents from what you enter and does not judge whether the controls are adequate or the work is safe.
Write your RAMS free
You supply the hazards and controls; the generator builds an editable risk assessment and method statement.