Construction compliance guide
RAMS Example: What a Good RAMS Looks Like
A worked example of a Risk Assessment and Method Statement for a real job — section by section, with the good version and the template-waffle version of each, so you can see the difference.
TL;DR
A section-by-section walkthrough of a real RAMS for a pitched roof re-tile. See what a good hazard entry, risk rating, control measure, and method statement look like — and the generic-template versions that get RAMS rejected.
In this guide
The example job
The example running through this guide is a common one: stripping and re-tiling the pitched roof of a 1930s semi-detached house. Scaffold access, fragile materials, manual handling at height, possible asbestos in the old soffits — a job with real hazards that a generic template cannot cover.
If you are not sure what a RAMS is or when you need one, start with our What is RAMS? guide. This one is about what the finished document should look like. For each section below, you will see a good entry — the kind that gets waved through by a principal contractor — and a bad one, the kind that gets RAMS rejected.
Project details: set the scene properly
The opening section should let a stranger picture the job: the site, the scope, the duration, who is doing the work, and the constraints that shape everything else in the document.
Good example
“Strip and re-tile the main pitched roof (approx. 85m²) of a 1930s semi-detached house at 17 Elm Grove, Reading RG6 2QP. Two-storey property, occupied during works. Full perimeter scaffold with double guard rails erected by CISRS-carded contractor prior to start. Access from the front only — rear garden unreachable by vehicle. Overhead BT drop-wire crosses the front elevation at 5.5m. Three operatives on site, five working days from 13 July 2026.”
Bad example
“Roofing works to be carried out at the property. Work will take place during normal working hours. All operatives will be suitably qualified.”
The good version names the site, the scaffold arrangement, the access constraint, and the overhead service. Every one of those details changes what the hazards section needs to say. The bad version could describe any roof in the country — which is exactly the problem.
Hazard identification: name the actual hazard
List each hazard as it exists on this job, not as a category heading. “Working at height” is a topic. “A fragile rooflight two metres from the access hatch” is a hazard someone can actually avoid.
Good example
“Falls from roof edge during strip and re-tile — mitigated by full perimeter scaffold. Fall through fragile rooflight in rear slope, 2m from loft access hatch. Asbestos cement in original 1930s soffit boards — presumed positive pending survey. Manual handling of tile bundles (each approx. 12kg) from hoist to ridge. Silica dust from cutting ridge tiles with a petrol saw. Overhead BT drop-wire at 5.5m across front elevation — contact risk when raising the hoist mast.”
Bad example
“Working at height. Manual handling. Dust. Slips, trips and falls. Weather. All risks will be managed appropriately.”
Notice the good version already points at its own controls — the scaffold, the survey, the hoist. A hazard described specifically almost writes its own control measure. A hazard described as a category cannot be controlled at all.
Risk ratings: show your working
Most RAMS use a simple matrix: likelihood (1–5) multiplied by severity (1–5). The number itself matters less than showing the rating before controls and after controls — that is what demonstrates your controls actually reduce the risk.
Good example
“Fall through fragile rooflight: likelihood 4 × severity 5 = 20 (high) uncontrolled. With rooflight boarded over and marked, and work sequenced to keep operatives on the working side of the roof: likelihood 1 × severity 5 = 5 (low). Residual risk accepted — supervisor to verify boarding each morning.”
Bad example
“All hazards have been assessed and rated as medium risk. Ratings are available on request.”
A single “medium” stamped on everything tells a principal contractor you never actually did the assessment. The before/after pair shows the control earning its place in the document.
Control measures: specific, and in hierarchy order
Follow the hierarchy of controls: eliminate, substitute, engineering controls, administrative controls, then PPE last. Each control should name what will actually be on site.
Good example
“Silica dust from ridge tile cutting: cutting eliminated where possible by ordering pre-cut angle ridge tiles (eliminate). Remaining cuts made with water-suppressed saw (engineering control), positioned at ground level downwind of the scaffold (administrative), operative wearing FFP3 mask face-fit tested on 02/07/2026 (PPE, last resort).”
Bad example
“Dust will be kept to a minimum. Operatives will wear appropriate PPE at all times.”
The good version walks down the hierarchy and names the equipment. “Appropriate PPE” names nothing — an inspector cannot check it, a worker cannot follow it.
Method statement: the sequence, with controls built in
The method statement is a numbered sequence from arrival to handover. Each step carries its own controls, so the person doing the work reads one document, not two.
Good example
“Step 4 — Strip existing tiles: working from ridge down in 2m bays, operatives remain on scaffold side of roof at all times. Tiles passed by hand to hoist platform — no throwing to ground. Rooflight boarding checked before each bay is started. Stripped battens de-nailed immediately and stacked on scaffold, max 25kg per lift to hoist. Stop work if wind exceeds 23mph (measured at ridge with handheld anemometer, checked hourly).”
Bad example
“The roof will be stripped and re-tiled in accordance with good practice. Work will be carried out safely by experienced operatives.”
If you want the full structure for this section, our method statement guide covers it step by step, and the how to write RAMS guide covers the writing process end to end.
PPE and emergency procedures: name things
The last sections are where templates get laziest — and where specificity is cheapest. Name the PPE per task. Name the first aider. Name the hospital.
Good example
“PPE: safety boots with ankle support (all tasks), hard hat below scaffold zones, cut-resistant gloves for tile handling, FFP3 mask for saw operator (face-fit tested), hi-vis at all times. Emergency: first aider is M. Kowalski (mobile on site whiteboard). Nearest A&E: Royal Berkshire Hospital, Craven Road, Reading RG1 5AN — 14 minutes by car, route printed in site folder. Rescue from height: casualty on scaffold to be treated in place where safe; scaffold has ladder access at both ends; 999 informed scaffold rescue may be required.”
Bad example
“Appropriate PPE will be worn. First aid arrangements are in place. In an emergency, call 999.”
Create your own site-specific RAMS
Every good example in this guide has the same property: it could only describe this one job. That is the standard your own RAMS has to meet, and it is exactly the part a downloaded example or blank template cannot do for you.
The Site Book creates the site-specific version directly: describe your job in plain English, and it drafts the hazards, ratings, controls, and method statement around your actual site — which you then review and adjust before downloading the company-branded PDF. If you would rather write your own, start from the free RAMS template and keep this example open beside it.
Learning from a RAMS example — shortcuts and traps
Pros
- Seeing a completed RAMS teaches the level of detail faster than any description of one — you calibrate instantly.
- Good examples show how hazards, ratings, and controls connect — the thread generic templates always lose.
- An example exposes the proportionality rule: a roof re-tile needs six tight pages, not thirty padded ones.
- Comparing good and bad versions of the same section trains you to spot template waffle in your own drafts.
Cons
- Copying an example verbatim produces a RAMS about someone else's site — PCs and building control spot it in a paragraph.
- Examples freeze one moment: your site's access, neighbours, weather exposure, and team will differ.
- A single-trade example will not cover interfaces on multi-trade jobs — scaffold handovers, shared welfare, live services.
- Emergency details never transfer — nearest A&E, assembly point, and first aider are site-specific every time.
| Section | Good (site-specific) | Bad (template waffle) |
|---|---|---|
| Hazard identification | ‘Fragile rooflight in rear slope, 2m from access hatch.’ | ‘Working at height.’ |
| Risk rating | Likelihood × severity per hazard, before and after controls. | Everything rated ‘medium’ with no method shown. |
| Control measures | ‘Full perimeter scaffold with double guard rails to SG4:22.’ | ‘Appropriate precautions will be taken.’ |
| Method statement | Numbered sequence with controls built into each step. | One paragraph: ‘work will be carried out safely.’ |
| PPE | Named items per task: FFP3 for tile cutting, ankle-support boots. | ‘Appropriate PPE will be worn.’ |
| Emergency procedures | Named first aider, nearest A&E with address, rescue-from-height plan. | ‘Emergency procedures are in place.’ |
“The law does not expect you to eliminate all risk, but you are required to protect people as far as ‘reasonably practicable’.”
Frequently asked questions
What does a good RAMS example look like?
A good RAMS is site-specific from the first line. It names the actual site, describes the real working conditions, lists hazards you would genuinely meet on that job, rates each one for likelihood and severity, and sets out control measures you are actually going to use. The method statement then walks through the work step by step, with the controls built into each stage. The test: could someone who has never seen the job read your RAMS and understand exactly what is being done, what could go wrong, and how you are preventing it? If every sentence could apply to any job anywhere, it is not a good RAMS.
Can I copy a RAMS example for my own job?
You can use an example as a structural reference — the sections, the level of detail, the way hazards map to controls — but you cannot copy the content and stay compliant. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require your risk assessment to be 'suitable and sufficient' for the actual work in question, which means your site, your access constraints, your team, and your equipment. Copying someone else's RAMS gives you a document about someone else's job. Principal contractors and building control reject these routinely, because they can tell within a paragraph when a RAMS does not describe the site in front of them.
How long should a RAMS be?
Long enough to cover the real hazards properly, and no longer. For a straightforward single-trade job — a roof re-tile, a bathroom strip-out, a rewire — a well-written RAMS typically runs four to eight pages. Complex or high-risk work with multiple trades, temporary works, or hazardous substances will justifiably run longer. Length is not the quality signal, specificity is: a padded 30-page template full of generic hazards is weaker than a tight six-page document where every entry is about the actual job. HSE guidance consistently emphasises proportionality — the paperwork should match the scale and risk of the work.
What is the difference between a RAMS example and a RAMS template?
An example is a completed document for a specific job — it shows you what the finished article looks like, with real hazards, real ratings, and a real work sequence. A template is an empty structure with the headings in place, waiting for your content. Examples are better for learning what good looks like; templates are better as a starting scaffold when you write your own. The trap with both is the same: an example copied verbatim, or a template filled with generic phrases, produces a document that does not describe your site. Whichever you start from, the finished RAMS has to be tailored to the actual job.
Do I need a separate RAMS for each job?
Yes — each job needs a RAMS that reflects that site and that scope of work. That does not mean starting from a blank page every time. If you do similar work repeatedly, your hazard profiles and method sequences will have a lot in common, and reusing your own previous RAMS as a base is standard practice. What matters is the tailoring pass: the site address, access arrangements, neighbouring risks, ground or roof conditions, the team on the job, and the emergency information all change every time. A RAMS with last month's site address on it tells a principal contractor everything they need to know about how seriously you take the process.
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Sources
- Managing risks and risk assessment at work — HSE · Accessed 4 July 2026
- L153: Managing health and safety in construction — HSE · Accessed 4 July 2026
- Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 — legislation.gov.uk · Accessed 4 July 2026