RAMS for Electricians — CDM 2015 Requirements Explained

A lot of electricians assume RAMS are someone else's problem — the main contractor's, the principal contractor's, the H&S manager's. That assumption can land you in serious trouble. Here's the reality.

Do Electricians Need RAMS?

Yes. Under CDM 2015, every contractor — including self-employed electrical contractors — must plan and manage their work safely. For most electrical jobs, that means having a RAMS in place before work starts.

The only question is: how detailed does it need to be?

For a simple domestic rewire with a single electrician, your RAMS can be relatively straightforward. For a commercial installation, working alongside other trades, on a notifiable project — it needs to be thorough.

Key Hazards in an Electrical Contractor's RAMS

### Live Electrical Work

This is the one that carries the most risk and the most legal weight. Your RAMS should state clearly:

• Whether any live work is planned
• If so, why dead working is not reasonably practicable (the legal test under the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989)
• What safe isolation procedures are in place
• Who is authorised to isolate and verify isolation
• What lockout/tagout procedure applies

If there's any live working on the job, inspectors will look at this section closely.

### Working at Height

Electricians spend a lot of time on stepladders and podiums. Falls from height is still the number one cause of fatal injury in construction. Your RAMS should cover:

• Ladder and stepladder use (and when they're not appropriate)
• Use of podium steps or tower scaffolds for sustained work at height
• Roof space access (particularly where boarding is absent or partial)

### Manual Handling

Cable drums, consumer units, trunking — electrical materials can be heavy. Address manual handling for the specific materials on this job.

### Confined Spaces and Restricted Access

Roof voids, under-floor voids, plant rooms. If you're working in a confined space, you need a separate confined space assessment. If it's restricted but not confined, your RAMS should note the access arrangements and emergency procedures.

### Dust and COSHH

Drilling, chasing, working in older properties — asbestos is a real risk in buildings pre-2000. Your RAMS should state whether an asbestos survey has been done, or what precautions apply where one hasn't.

Cable insulation, solvents, flux — any chemical you're using needs a COSHH entry.

### Interaction with Other Trades

On multi-trade sites, your RAMS should address how you'll coordinate with other contractors — particularly around isolation, permit to work systems, and shared access areas.

What Your Method Statement Should Cover

For a typical electrical installation, your method statement steps might look like:

1. 1Pre-start survey — confirm asbestos status, check for existing services
2. 2Isolation of existing supplies (where applicable)
3. 3First fix cabling — route, fix, terminate
4. 4Boarding and plastering stage — coordination with other trades
5. 5Second fix — fixtures, accessories, consumer unit
6. 6Testing and commissioning (EIC / EICR)
7. 7Client handover documentation

Tailor this to your actual scope. A RAMS for a commercial lighting refurbishment looks very different from a domestic consumer unit upgrade.

Common Mistakes in Electrical RAMS

• Stating "test before touch" as the only live work control — this isn't enough
• No mention of asbestos on pre-2000 buildings
• Generic ladder controls ("use ladder safely") with no specifics
• Missing the interaction with other trades section on multi-contractor jobs
• COSHH hazards listed in the RAMS but no separate COSHH assessments

Writing Electrical RAMS Quickly

The Site Book lets you describe your electrical job in plain English, and generates a site-specific RAMS with the right hazards and controls pre-filled. No blank Word templates, no copy-pasting from your last job. Review, adjust, download.

[Start your free RAMS →](/free/rams-generator)