RAMS Training Courses: Risk Assessments and Method Statements

RAMS stands for risk assessment and method statement: the two documents that show how a job will be done safely before anyone starts it. Contractors ask for them from their subcontractors, and clients and landlords ask for them before work on their premises, so writing RAMS that are clear, specific and actually followed is a core skill for supervisors, managers and anyone who plans work. RAMS training teaches you how to identify hazards, assess the risks, choose sensible controls and set out a safe sequence of work.

What RAMS meansRisk assessment + method statementWhat could go wrong, and how the job will be done safely

The lawRisk assessment is requiredManagement of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999

Written records5 or more employeesSignificant findings of risk assessments must be recorded

Ways to trainClassroom, live online, e-learningShort courses for anyone who writes or reviews RAMS

Who needs RAMS training?

Anyone who writes RAMS, signs them off or works to them benefits, but the course matters most for the people producing the documents.

Who it suits

Supervisors and site managers who plan work and brief teams
Subcontractors who must submit RAMS before starting on site
Health and safety advisors who review RAMS from others
Facilities and property managers who approve work on their premises

What a good method statement sets out

The task, where and when it takes place, and its scope
The roles involved and who is responsible for what
The tools, plant and equipment to be used
The key risks and how each one is controlled
A step-by-step sequence of work, including set-up and checks
Emergency arrangements and sign-off

What RAMS training covers

Content varies by provider and course length, but most RAMS courses work through the full process from hazard to signed-off document.

Why RAMS are used and who asks for them
The legal duty to assess risk
Identifying hazards for a specific task
Assessing and ranking risk
The hierarchy of control and the principles of prevention
Choosing proportionate control measures
Writing a clear, task-specific method statement
Linking RAMS to safe systems of work and permits
Reviewing RAMS submitted by others
Briefing the team and recording that they understood
Keeping RAMS up to date when the job changes
Common faults that get RAMS rejected

A method statement only works if it is followed

Generic, copied RAMS that sit in a folder protect nobody. The documents should describe the actual job, be briefed to the people doing it, and be reviewed when conditions on site change. Pair RAMS training with risk assessment training for the people who carry out the wider assessments behind them.

How you can take it

Classroom

Courses at training venues in the West Midlands, Leicestershire, Buckinghamshire, Merseyside and Suffolk, with time to work through real examples with a trainer.

Live online

Live online RAMS courses at set times, so you can ask how to write RAMS for your own type of work without travelling.

E-learning and on-site

Self-paced online courses you can start straight away, or a course at your own premises when a whole team needs it.

Common questions

What does RAMS stand for?

Risk assessment and method statement. The risk assessment identifies the hazards in a task and how serious the risks are; the method statement sets out step by step how the work will be done safely, using the controls the assessment identified.

Are RAMS a legal requirement?

Risk assessment is. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require employers to assess the risks of their work, and employers with five or more employees must record the significant findings. Method statements are not named in the law, but they are a widely accepted way to show that work has been properly planned, and contractors and clients routinely ask for them before work starts.

What is the difference between a risk assessment and a method statement?

A risk assessment looks at what could cause harm and how likely and serious that harm is. A method statement takes the outcome of that assessment and turns it into a safe sequence of work that the team follows on the day.

Who asks for RAMS?

Most often a contractor asks its subcontractors for RAMS before they start on site. Clients ask for them from contractors working on their premises, and landlords may ask for them from tenants carrying out works.

How do RAMS fit with CDM 2015?

The CDM Regulations do not require written method statements by name, but the HSE recognises them as one way of meeting the regulations, and they help contractors plan, manage and brief their work. See CDM courses for the wider duties on construction projects.

What other training goes well with RAMS?

Site supervisors and managers often take SSSTS or SMSTS, which include RAMS in a wider site safety course. Task-specific training such as working at height or COSHH helps when writing RAMS for those activities.

Compare RAMS courses below

Envico lists RAMS training from several providers in classroom, live online and e-learning formats, so you can compare them in one place. Looking for a local course? See RAMS courses in the West Midlands, Leicestershire, Buckinghamshire, Merseyside and Suffolk, or live online. Training a whole team? Our group travel cost calculator finds the cheapest venue for everyone.