The terms RAMS, method statement and risk assessment are often used interchangeably in construction, but they refer to distinct documents with different purposes. Understanding the difference matters both for producing compliant documents and for reviewing them.
What is a Risk Assessment?
A risk assessment is the process of identifying the hazards associated with a piece of work, evaluating the likelihood and severity of harm, and determining what controls are needed to reduce that risk to an acceptable level. The output is a risk register — a document that lists each hazard, its risk rating before and after controls, and the control measures applied.
A standalone risk assessment covers the what — what could go wrong, how likely it is, how severe the consequences would be, and what is being done about it.
What is a Method Statement?
A method statement describes how a piece of work will be carried out. It covers the sequence of operations, the resources required — plant, personnel, materials — and the specific steps the workforce will follow. Where a risk assessment answers the question of what risks exist, a method statement answers the question of how the work will be done safely.
What is a RAMS document?
RAMS stands for Risk Assessment and Method Statement. It is a combined document that brings together the risk assessment and the method statement into a single submission. Rather than producing two separate documents, a RAMS covers both the identification and control of hazards and the method by which the work will be carried out.
In UK construction, particularly under the Construction Design and Management Regulations 2015, RAMS documents are the standard format for pre-construction safety submissions from subcontractors to principal contractors.
When is each used?
Standalone risk assessments are common in workplace safety management outside construction — office environments, manufacturing, facilities management. Standalone method statements are used in some industries for complex technical processes where the focus is on procedure rather than safety assessment.
In construction site work, RAMS is the standard format. Principal contractors typically require a RAMS from each subcontractor before work commences. The document serves as both the safety case for the work and the procedural guide for carrying it out.
The most important distinction for reviewers
A RAMS document that contains a thorough method statement but a weak risk assessment is not a compliant document. The hazard identification, risk scoring and control measures must be specific and complete regardless of how detailed the method statement is. The two sections are interdependent — the hazards identified in the risk assessment section should directly correspond to the activities described in the method statement.
Two related distinctions are worth having straight as well: what belongs in each part of the combined document, covered in the fifteen sections every RAMS should contain, and the difference between a RAMS and the site-wide plan above it, covered in construction phase plan versus RAMS. Which document types can be reviewed sets out what Valify reads on each plan.
This article is general guidance on UK construction documentation practice. It is not legal advice, a compliance certification or a substitute for review by your own qualified health and safety personnel, who remain responsible for deciding whether any particular document is adequate. See our disclaimer.