01/04/2026
When RAMS Are Too General, They Become a Risk
Risk Assessments and Method Statements (RAMS) are necessary for safety in construction. They explain how work will be done safely, identify hazards, and outline steps to prevent harm. Lately, though, RAMS are often too general and not connected to the real work on site. This can create serious risks that people may miss.
A RAMS document might be correct, well-organised, and comply with legal requirements, but it can still fail if it does not actually change how people work on site. If the document is too general, it often fails to provide enough detail for workers to know what to do. Expressions such as “works will be supervised” or “materials will be handled safely” do not help unless they are accompanied by clear, specific instructions for each task.
As a result, workers might sign off on RAMS without really reading or understanding them. This creates a gap between what is written and what actually happens on site. Important details like who supervises, who is responsible, how to dismantle things safely, and how to use lifting equipment might be in the document, but not put into practice.
This is especially worrying for high-risk jobs like dismantling, where uncertain instructions about the order of work or safety steps can lead to unsafe actions. For example, rules about taking things apart from the top down, not dropping materials, and keeping exclusion zones must be clear and easy to understand. The use of lifting equipment should also be explained in detail, including when to use it, who can use it, and ensuring that only trained people and approved equipment are used.
For managers, the main issue is not just having these controls in the RAMS but also ensuring they are explained in a way people can use and follow. If the documents are overly complicated or overly general, they may give the impression that the company is following the rules, but workers may still face real risks on site.
Good RAMS are clear, brief, and focused on the actual job. They should explain what needs to be done, how to do it, who is in charge, and what safety steps are needed at each stage. Most importantly, they must be written so workers can easily understand and use them on site.
In short, RAMS are not simply about ticking boxes. They are an important way to share information. If they are too general, they can stop being useful and actually create new risks.
