What Is a Method Statement? RAMS Explained

A method statement is a written description of how a job will be done safely, step by step. When it is paired with a risk assessment, the two together are called RAMS, which stands for risk assessment and method statement. If a main contractor or client has asked you for RAMS and you are not sure what they mean, this is the plain version.

Method statement versus risk assessment

The two documents answer different questions. A risk assessment asks what could go wrong and what we are doing about it. A method statement asks how we are going to do this job from start to finish. The risk assessment identifies the hazards; the method statement sets out the safe sequence of work that keeps those hazards controlled. You often need both, which is why they are so frequently bundled as RAMS. There is a fuller side by side in our guide to risk assessment vs method statement.

What RAMS means and why clients ask for it

RAMS is simply the two documents supplied together. Principal contractors ask for RAMS before they let you on site because it shows you have thought the job through and it protects them under CDM 2015. On most commercial and construction jobs, no RAMS means no access. Supplying a clear set marks you out as a firm that takes the work seriously, and it often decides who gets the contract.

What a good method statement contains

A solid method statement covers the job details and site address, the people involved and who is in charge, the equipment and materials, the sequence of work broken into clear stages, the control measures at each stage, the personal protective equipment required, and the emergency arrangements. It should read so that someone who has never seen the job could follow the safe sequence. Keep it specific to the task. A method statement that could describe any job describes none.

Getting both in one go

Because clients want the pair, the quickest route is a set built to work together. Our RAMS template gives you the risk assessment and the method statement in one document, matched up and ready to complete for your job, so you can hand over exactly what the main contractor asked for.