Risk Assessment vs Method Statement: The Difference
They are two different documents that do two different jobs. A risk assessment identifies what could cause harm on a task and the controls that reduce it. A method statement describes the safe step by step method for carrying that task out. You often need both, and supplied together they are called RAMS.
The difference at a glance
| Risk assessment | Method statement | |
|---|---|---|
| Question it answers | What could go wrong, and how do we control it | How exactly do we carry out this job safely |
| Main content | Hazards, who is at risk, control measures | The sequence of work, stage by stage |
| Required by law | Yes, under the Management Regulations 1999 | Not always in law, but usually required by clients |
| When you need it | Every job with a foreseeable risk | Higher risk or complex jobs, and when a client asks |
When you need each
You need a risk assessment for essentially every job, because the law requires you to assess foreseeable risks. You need a method statement when the work is higher risk or complex, or when a client or principal contractor asks for one, which on construction and commercial sites is most of the time. When both are asked for together, that is RAMS. For the detail on each, see our guides to writing a risk assessment and method statements and RAMS.
The simplest way to cover both
Rather than treating them as separate jobs, use a set designed to work as a pair. Our RAMS template contains the risk assessment and the method statement together, so you complete one document and have exactly what a client means when they ask for RAMS.
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