Subcontractor RAMS Review

RAMS stands for Risk Assessment and Method Statement — the documents that describe how a subcontractor will carry out work safely.
The principal contractor must review and approve subcontractor RAMS before permitting any work activity to begin on site.
RAMS review checks that the documents are site-specific, cover all foreseeable hazards, and include adequate control measures.
Generic RAMS copied from other projects are not acceptable — every document must be tailored to the specific site conditions.
The risk assessment must identify all hazards, assess their severity and likelihood, and define proportionate control measures.
The method statement must describe the safe sequence of work, resources required, PPE, and emergency arrangements.
RAMS must be communicated to the workers who will carry out the task — a document nobody has read protects nobody.
Subcontractor supervisors must brief their workforce on the RAMS content before work starts each day.
RAMS must be reviewed and updated whenever site conditions change or new hazards are identified during the work.
The RAMS review process should be collaborative — working with the subcontractor improves the quality of the documents.

Prevent incidents	RAMS that identify real hazards and describe genuine controls prevent the incidents that occur when work is poorly planned.
Legal evidence	Approved, site-specific RAMS demonstrate that hazards were assessed and controlled — essential evidence if an incident is investigated.
Not just paperwork	RAMS only protect workers when they are communicated and followed — unread documents are worthless regardless of their quality.

Do

Don't

Review every subcontractor RAMS submission before permitting work to begin.
Check that RAMS are site-specific and not generic documents from another project.
Verify that all foreseeable hazards for the task are identified in the risk assessment.
Confirm control measures are proportionate, practical, and achievable on this site.
Check the method statement describes a clear, safe sequence of work for the task.
Ensure RAMS are briefed to every worker before they start the activity on site.
Require subcontractor supervisors to deliver daily task briefings based on the RAMS.
Update RAMS when site conditions change or new hazards emerge during the work.
Work collaboratively with subcontractors to improve RAMS quality where needed.
Keep approved RAMS on file and accessible for inspection throughout the project.

DON'T allow work to start before subcontractor RAMS have been reviewed and approved.
DON'T accept generic RAMS that have not been tailored to this specific site.
DON'T approve RAMS that fail to identify obvious hazards associated with the task.
DON'T accept controls that are impractical or impossible to implement on this site.
DON'T approve a method statement that lacks a clear sequence or misses critical steps.
DON'T file RAMS without ensuring they are communicated to the workers doing the task.
DON'T accept that workers have been briefed without evidence of the briefing taking place.
DON'T use outdated RAMS when conditions on site have changed significantly.
DON'T reject RAMS without giving the subcontractor guidance on what needs improving.
DON'T lose approved RAMS documents — they must be available for the duration of the work.

See also: Subcontractor Safety Management | Method Statement Review Process

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