What are Risk Assessment & Method Statement s(RAMS)?
What are Risk Assessment & Method Statement s(RAMS)?
Risk Assessment
Peninsula Group, HR and Health & Safety Experts
(Last updated )
Peninsula Group, HR and Health & Safety Experts
(Last updated )
In this guide, we’ll look at what RAMS stands for, what the benefits are, and how to create these safety document to help manage health and safety in your workplace.
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What are Risk Assessment & Method Statement s(RAMS)?
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A risk assessment is an examination of anything in your work that can cause harm to people.
Risk assessments are important because of the following:
- Legal compliance: Employers must carry out a risk assessment to identify potential hazards and take steps to reduce harm as a legal requirement.
- Employee protection: Risk assessments help to protect your employees and the general public by ensuring sufficient control measures are in place.
- Reinforcing safety policies: Risk assessments help to reinforce a thorough Health & Safety policy, showing you have the correct control measures.
- Cost-effective: Risk assessments help to focus the employer on the risks that matter the most. Leading to simple and effective control measures to protect the workforce.
There are five stages to carrying out a risk assessment. Every Health & Safety assessment will include: identifying potential hazards, assessing who may be harmed, evaluating the risks, recording significant findings, and reviewing your risk assessment.
Peninsula is an industry-leading risk assessment company - helping you carry out your assessments every step of the way. With our expertise, we can help keep your employees, customers, and business safe from harm.
Yes if you fail to carry out a risk assessment and an employee is injured, you can be taken to a tribunal. If found guilty, you can be hit with both financial and reputational damages.
A Health & Safety risk assessment can cost anything from £200 to £1,300. It really depends on what your business entails, what kind of risks are found, and what methods are needed to manage them. Speak to one of our Health & Safety consultants today for more advice.
Research by charity Working Families found that 75% of mothers were employed in the UK last year. Statistics like this may have influenced the government to pass the New and Expectant Mothers Risk Assessment (NEMA).
No matter what business industry you’re in, you’ll most likely own equipment that emits carbon monoxide (CO). Employers have a legal duty of care to manage the serious risks related to carbon monoxide emissions found in your workplace. Let’s take a look at how to conduct a carbon monoxide risk assessment for your workplace.
Let’s take a look at when a risk assessment is, when they should be reviewed, and who employers must report their findings to.
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Risk Assessment
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From offices to construction sites, workplace hazards can occur anytime, anywhere. Without proper management, they can cause serious injuries to your staff, customers, and even the public.
Providing safe systems of work is part of your legal duty as an employer. Combined risk assessments and method statements are a type of documented safe system of work designed to be used where work tasks are complex or high risk, or both.
Neglecting important documents like these may lead to serious consequences. Like injuring staff, paying compensation fines, or facing business closure.
In this guide, we’ll look at what RAMS stands for, what the benefits are, and how to create these safety document to help manage Health and Safety in your workplace. Our team of experts have also created a free ready to use in your business.
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Risk assessment method statement (RAMS) are a type of safe system of work that not only risk assesses an activity but also details the method of work that outlines how to carry out a specific task or project in a safe manner.
What is the difference between general risk assessments and RAMS?
A general risk assessment is used for general work activities. They are specific to the task but not specific to an individual job.
General risk assessments are simpler than RAMS as they identify hazards, who could be at risk and the control measures required. These documents are a legal requirement and apply to minor and major hazards, like or .
However, a RAMS is written for specific, high-risk tasks or activities. They break down the entire process into individual steps. Control measures are then outlined, making it easy for workers to understand and follow them. They are usually job specific, pertaining to a specific job in a specific location, on a specific date. They tend to include details of the local emergency services also.
Through documents like RAMS, employers have access to a comprehensive and thorough framework that helps promote health, safety, and welfare across all their workplace activities and practices.
What are the benefits of using RAMS?
Use of RAMS, where they are necessary due to the high risk or complex nature of the workers, ensure employers meet their legal requirement to provide a suitable and sufficient safe system of work.
Some of the benefits of using RAMS include:
Clearer communication: Set instructions and expectations for workers. When communicated clearly, employees have a formalised process for their work, with a detailed method to follow, while also providing an awareness of the hazards associated with the work.
Effective planning: An organised approach to work processes can prevent or minimise any delays or disruptions.
Improved safety: Ensures potential health and safety risks are identified, controlled, and reduced. This leads to safer workplace environments, as well as a decrease in sick leave, sick pay, and even injury claims (with compensation).
Legal compliance: Provision and use of suitable and sufficient RAMS ensure legal compliance with Health & Safety regulations and standards. Through the rights steps, you'll be able to minimise the risk of being fined and other legal penalties.
Who is responsible for risk assessment method statement (RAMS)?
Employers have overall responsibility for their workplace health and safety – and that includes documents, like RAMS.
The creation and implementation of RAMS can be delegated to a specific employee, however it needs to be ensure that either they themselves are competent or they have access to competent Health & Safety advice.
In other cases, businesses may hire external health and safety professionals to manage this responsibility on their behalf. However, the ultimate responsibility falls to the employer.
Are RAMS a legal requirement?
RAMS themselves as a document type are not specifically mandated in legislation, however the Health and Safety at Work Act states that employers have a legal duty to provide a suitable and sufficient safe system of work.
Where the work is particularly complex or high risk, that suitable and sufficient safe system of work would be a RAMS.
The management of Health & Safety at work regulations also states that employers must ensure their work arrangements include effective planning, control, monitoring, and preventative measures. This is something that can be evidenced with a suitable and sufficient RAMS.
Get expert advice on risk assessment and manual handling (RAMS) with Peninsula
No matter what your industry you work in, all employers have a legal duty to ensure workplace safety. Without the right management, you would end up injuring your staff, customers, or anyone who visits your premises.
Peninsula offers expert advice on risk assessment and manual handling (RAMS). We offer 24-hour H&S advice – ensuring your workplaces are safe and properly managed. Our team of experts have also created a free ready to use in your business.
Want to find out more? Contact us on 0800 028 2420 and book a workplace risk assessment with one of our H&S consultants today.
Award-winning services
Take the first step towards a safer business. Answer a few questions about your HR and Health & Safety management and we’ll direct you to the support you need
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