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Free RAMS template

RAMS template

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What a filled-in RAMS looks like

Generated from the job description below by the same tool you'll use. Every item is a suggestion you confirm or change.

Job description

Replacing two rooftop air-conditioning units at Kennet Retail Park, Reading. We'll use a MEWP for access, isolate the electrical supply, recover the existing refrigerant and braze new pipework. The store stays open to customers.

Activities identified

  • General site work
  • Working at height (MEWP)
  • Roof work
  • Electrical isolation
  • Refrigerant handling
  • Hot works
  • Manual handling
  • Occupied premises or public areas

Method (18 steps)

  1. 1.Arrive and sign in. Arrive at Kennet Retail Park, Reading, report to the Kennet Property Services site contact, sign in and complete any site induction.
  2. 2.Brief the team. Brief all operatives on this RAMS, the COSHH assessments and the emergency arrangements. Record attendance.
  3. 3.Set up the work area. Set up barriers and signage around the work area and keep it clear of other people.
  4. 4.Set up exclusion zone below. Establish an exclusion zone below the work area with barriers and signage before any work at height starts.
  5. 5.Isolate the electrical supply. Identify the relevant circuit, isolate, lock off and tag. Prove dead with an approved voltage indicator, proved before and after use.
  6. 6.Obtain hot works permit. Obtain a hot works permit from the site. Remove or protect combustibles and place an extinguisher at the point of work.
  7. 7.Set up the MEWP. Check ground conditions, position the MEWP, deploy outriggers on spreader plates and complete pre-use checks.
  8. 8.Access the roof. Access the roof via the agreed route. Confirm edge protection is in place and identify any fragile areas before moving onto the roof.
  9. 9.Recover refrigerant. Recover the refrigerant into a correctly rated, labelled recovery cylinder. Record quantities in line with F-gas requirements.
  10. 10.Disconnect and remove existing equipment. Disconnect and remove the existing equipment. Lower or carry it using mechanical aids or team lifts as planned.
  11. 11.Install new equipment. Position and fix the new equipment to the manufacturer's instructions.
  12. 12.Braze joints. Braze joints under the hot works permit with nitrogen purge. Maintain the fire watch during and after the work.
  13. 13.Pressure test and evacuate. Pressure test with oxygen-free nitrogen, then evacuate the system before charging.
  14. 14.Charge the system. Charge the system with refrigerant to the manufacturer's specification and leak test all joints.
  15. 15.Test and commission. Test and commission the installation. Record results.
  16. 16.Remove isolation and re-energise. Confirm the work is complete and everyone is clear, remove locks and re-energise.
  17. 17.Clear up and remove waste. Clear the work area, remove waste from site (including recovered refrigerant and hazardous waste) and leave the area safe.
  18. 18.Hand over and sign out. Hand over to the Kennet Property Services site contact, report anything outstanding and sign out.

Main risks (12 in total)

Fall from height (MEWP)

Residual Medium

Who: Operatives, people below

  • MEWP used instead of ladders for access to the work area
  • Operator holds a valid IPAF (or equivalent) licence for the machine category
  • Pre-use checks completed and recorded; thorough examination (LOLER) in date
  • Ground conditions checked; outriggers on spreader plates where required
  • Ground-level rescue plan in place and a trained person at ground level
  • Full-body harness with short work-restraint lanyard clipped to the basket anchor (boom MEWPs)

Falling objects

Residual Low

Who: People below, other trades, public

  • Exclusion zone set up below the work area with barriers and signage
  • Tools tethered when working at height; materials kept away from edges
  • Banksman or second person controls the area during lifts and removals
  • Hard hats worn in the exclusion zone

Fall from roof edge

Residual Medium

Who: Operatives

  • Plan work to be done from below or from a MEWP where possible
  • Edge protection (guard rails) or parapet of adequate height in place before work starts
  • Safe access route to the roof agreed with the site; roof hatch secured open
  • Where collective protection isn't possible, use a fall-restraint system with suitable anchors
  • Work stops in high winds, ice or heavy rain

Fall through fragile roof or rooflight

Residual Medium

Who: Operatives

  • Treat all roof sheets and rooflights as fragile unless confirmed otherwise by the site
  • Rooflights covered or protected with suitable mesh or barriers
  • Staging or crawling boards used; no walking directly on sheets
  • Safety netting or fall arrest below where required

+ 8 more risks in the full RAMS.

What goes in a RAMS template

  • Job details — client, site, dates, who prepared and reviewed it
  • Scope of work — what's being done and how it's accessed
  • Risk assessment — hazards, who could be harmed, controls, risk before and after
  • Method statement — the steps in order, including isolation, access and handover
  • PPE, equipment and COSHH — with COSHH assessments attached
  • Emergency arrangements — first aid, nearest A&E, assembly point
  • Acknowledgement — signatures from the people doing the work

Why not just reuse the last Word file?

  • Old client and site names get left behind — clients notice.
  • Risks for the last job stay in; risks for this one get missed.
  • COSHH sheets go out of date without anyone knowing.
  • It takes longer than it should, every time.
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Questions

What is a RAMS?
RAMS stands for Risk Assessment and Method Statement. The risk assessment identifies hazards, who could be harmed and the controls; the method statement sets out how the work will be done safely, step by step. Clients and principal contractors commonly ask for both before work starts.
Is a RAMS a legal requirement?
Employers must assess risks under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, and record the significant findings if they have five or more employees. ‘RAMS’ as a document format isn't named in law, but it's the common way contractors record and communicate that assessment and the safe system of work.
Is there a free RAMS template in Word?
We offer a blank printable template (save it as a PDF from your browser) and an online version that fills itself in from your job description. The online version avoids the usual copy-and-paste mistakes of reusing an old Word file.
Can I reuse a RAMS for another job?
You can reuse content, but each RAMS should reflect the specific site and job. Our RAMS Check flags old client names and methods that are almost identical to a previous RAMS.

Primary sources