How to Make RAMS Site-Specific: A Step-by-Step Guide for UK Contractors

A generic RAMS gets your work done on paper. A site-specific RAMS gets you on site. This guide gives you a field-by-field process for transforming a template into a document that reflects real ground conditions — complete with a worked before/after example, a pre-visit checklist, a rejection-reason fixer, and a revision-trigger table.

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What 'Site-Specific' Actually Means — and Why Generic RAMS Fail

A generic RAMS lists plausible hazards for a type of work. A site-specific RAMS provides evidence that you have assessed the actual conditions of this project, on this site, on this date.

The distinction is not cosmetic. A document that names "working at height" as a hazard and lists "use appropriate access equipment" as a control tells a reviewer nothing about whether you have considered the existing roof structure, the proximity of overhead power lines, the fragile rooflight positions marked on the structural survey, or the school playground 4 metres below the eaves. Generic controls cannot be verified against real conditions. That is why principal contractors reject them.

Site-specific means every variable that changes between one project and the next has been reviewed, updated, and evidenced — not just the address on the cover page.

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Your Legal Starting Point: Duties Under CDM 2015

The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 are the primary UK statutory instrument governing health and safety management on construction projects, including the framework for risk assessment and safe systems of work. (CDM 2015)

CDM 2015 assigns duties to clients, principal designers, principal contractors, and contractors. As a contractor, your duty to plan, manage, and monitor the work you control so it is carried out safely sits within that framework.

RAMS itself is not a document type named in CDM 2015. It is an industry-standard format that combines a risk assessment — which is a legal duty under the broader UK health and safety framework — with a method statement, which is best practice and is contractually required by most principal contractors before work begins. When a principal contractor asks you to submit site-specific RAMS before starting work, they are acting within the CDM 2015 framework to manage health and safety on site.

The practical consequence: a document that cannot be traced to real site conditions does not discharge your duty to assess actual risk. Generic placeholders are not evidence of assessment.

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Step 1 — Conduct a Pre-Start Site Survey

Before you open your template, visit the site. Record what you find against the checklist below. This becomes the evidence base that makes every subsequent section of your RAMS defensible.

Pre-Visit Site Information Checklist (12 Items)

#	Item to Record	What to Capture
1	Site address and OS grid reference	Full postal address plus grid ref for emergency services routing
2	Principal contractor name and project number	As stated in the pre-construction information pack
3	Emergency assembly point	Exact location (e.g. "car park, south gate, marked with green sign")
4	Nearest A&E hospital	Name, address, and estimated drive time from site
5	Site access restrictions and delivery windows	Gate hours, height barriers, restricted HGV routes, induction requirements
6	Overhead services	Electricity lines, telecoms cables — note voltage class if marked; photograph and record distance from work area
7	Underground services drawing reference	Document number and revision of the services drawing issued by the PC or client
8	Adjacent occupants and public interfaces	Occupied properties, public footpaths, schools, hospitals within the exclusion zone
9	Welfare facility location	Block reference or grid square on site layout drawing
10	Permit-to-work requirements	Hot works, confined space, live services — confirm which permits are in force and who issues them
11	Weather and seasonal exposure factors	Prevailing wind direction, exposed elevations, frost/ice risk period, UV exposure for operatives
12	On-site first aider name and contact	Named individual, not "first aider to be confirmed"

Photograph overhead services, access routes, the work area, and any existing damage or fragile surfaces. Store these with the RAMS revision file.

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Step 2 — Replace Every Generic Placeholder With Site-Evidenced Detail

Work through your template section by section. The following fields must contain real data — not defaults.

Cover page: Full site address, principal contractor name, PC project reference number, your company's contract or order number, the names of every operative who will work under the RAMS, issue date, and revision number.

Scope section: Replace "roof works" with the specific area — grid lines, floor level, drawing number, or building elevation. Reference the drawing you have seen. "Works to flat roof, Block B, Level 3, drawing ref ABC-RF-001 Rev C" is site-specific. "Roof works as instructed" is not.

Timeline: Insert the actual planned start date, the planned duration (number of working days), and the permitted working hours on this site. If the PC has restricted noisy works to 08:00–17:00 Monday to Friday, that constraint must appear in your method statement — because it affects your sequencing and welfare planning.

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Step 3 — Rewrite Hazard Controls to Reflect Real Site Conditions

This is the section most commonly left generic. The before/after transformation below shows a single activity — working at height on a flat-roof overlay — with annotated changes.

Worked Example: Working at Height — Flat-Roof Overlay The left column shows a generic RAMS extract. The right column shows the site-specific version for a live project. Each annotation explains the change.

Field	❌ Generic RAMS	✅ Site-Specific RAMS	Why the Change Matters
Hazard description	Fall from height	Fall from unprotected flat-roof perimeter, east and north elevations, 4.8 m to concrete yard	Names the exact elevations and fall height recorded during site survey
Adjacent risk	Public below work area	Occupied school playground 3.5 m from north parapet; playground in use 08:30–15:30 Mon–Fri	Triggers a site-specific exclusion-zone and timing control not present in a generic document
Access equipment	Appropriate access equipment to be used	MEWP (scissor lift, max platform height 6 m) — confirmed as suitable after checking ground-bearing capacity on structural survey ref ABC-ST-004 Rev A	References the survey that validated the equipment choice
Edge protection	Edge protection to be installed	Purpose-designed temporary edge protection/guard-rail system, minimum 950 mm high where guard-rails are required, installed to east and north elevations before any operative approaches within 2 m of perimeter; positions marked on drawing ABC-RF-001 Rev C	Ties the control to a specific drawing, allowing the PC to verify during inspection
Overhead services	Be aware of overhead services	BT overhead telecoms cable runs 1.8 m above north parapet (surveyed 14 May 2025, photograph ref IMG_0342); exclusion zone 3 m; BT notified — confirmation ref BT-2025-04471	Evidences notification and ties to photographic record
Emergency procedure	Call 999 in emergency	Call 999 then call PC site manager [Name] on [mobile]. Assembly point: south car park, marked post. Nearest A&E: Royal Infirmary, 12-min drive via A456	Specific, verifiable, not reliant on operatives knowing the site
Fragile surfaces	Check for fragile roof surfaces	Three rooflights on south elevation marked fragile — positions noted on drawing ABC-RF-001 Rev C; boarding out required before any operative works within 2 m; no step or stand on rooflight upstand	References the drawing; the generic document had no rooflight awareness at all
Permit to work	Permits as required	Hot-works permit required for torch-on felt sections; permit issued by PC site manager; 30-minute fire watch after each session; fire extinguisher (CO₂, 2 kg) to be held by fire watcher	Specifies permit type, issuer, and associated controls

Annotation summary: Every changed cell removes a generic assertion and replaces it with a traceable, site-evidenced control. A reviewer — or an inspector — can cross-reference the drawing number, the structural survey, and the photograph log to confirm the assessment is real.

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Step 4 — Populate Site-Specific Emergency and Welfare Information

None of the following can remain generic:

• PC site manager name and direct mobile number — on the cover page and in the emergency section
• Nearest A&E hospital — name, address, postcode, and estimated drive time
• Muster/assembly point — described by location, not just "as directed on site"
• On-site first aider — named individual with contact number
• Welfare block location — grid reference or description relative to site entrance
• Out-of-hours emergency contact — for projects that run beyond standard site hours

If any of these fields reads "TBC" or is left blank, the RAMS will be rejected. Collect this information during your pre-start survey (checklist items 3, 4, 9, and 12).

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Step 5 — Reference Site-Specific Permits, Drawings, and Surveys

Controls are only credible when they are anchored to evidence that exists independently of the RAMS. For each control measure that depends on an external document, insert the reference.

• Services drawing: "Underground services identified from drawing [ref/rev] issued by [PC/client] on [date]."
• Structural survey: "Ground-bearing capacity confirmed by structural survey [ref] — copy held on file."
• Hot-works permit: "Hot-works permit to be obtained from PC site manager prior to each session of torch-on work."
• COSHH assessment: "Bitumen fume exposure — see COSHH assessment ref [X], attached."
• Manufacturer data sheet: "MEWP operation — manufacturer's safe operating procedure ref [X] followed."

A reviewer should be able to pull any of these documents and confirm the control is grounded in them. If a referenced document does not yet exist at the time of submission, note that it is "to be obtained before work commences" and flag it in your pre-start checklist.

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Step 6 — Brief the RAMS to Your Team and Obtain Signed Acknowledgement

Completing the document is not the same as briefing it. A signed acknowledgement means each operative has been talked through the hazards, controls, and emergency arrangements — not just handed a document to sign.

Your briefing record must include:

• Date and location of the briefing
• Name of the person who delivered the briefing
• Name and signature of each operative briefed
• RAMS document reference and revision number briefed against
• A note of any questions raised and answers given

Keep the signed record with the RAMS. If conditions change and a revised RAMS is issued, a fresh briefing and a fresh signature are required — the original sign-off does not carry over.

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Common Rejection Reasons and How to Fix Them Before Submission

#	Rejection Reason	Corrective Action
1	No site-specific emergency contact	Insert PC site manager name and direct mobile on cover page and in the emergency section
2	Generic access equipment ("appropriate equipment to be used")	Name the specific equipment type, confirm its suitability for the actual working height and ground conditions, and reference any survey that validated the choice
3	No drawing or survey references	Cross-reference every control that depends on an external document — services drawing number, structural survey ref, permit type
4	Hazard descriptions do not match the site layout	Walk the route from site entrance to work area; update hazards to reflect actual obstacles, existing structures, and adjacent activities present on the day of your survey
5	Operative names missing or listed as "TBC"	Complete the operative list before submission; if operatives change after submission, issue a revised RAMS and re-brief

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When to Revise and Reissue a Site-Specific RAMS

A site-specific RAMS is a live document. The following changes each require a formal revision, a new revision number, and a fresh team briefing with new signatures.

Trigger	Action Required
Scope change — new areas, additional floors, or a different method added	Full review of affected sections; new revision issued before revised work begins
New hazard discovered on site — e.g. uncharted service, fragile surface, structural defect	Stop work in affected area; update hazard register and controls; re-brief before resuming
Personnel change — operative joining or leaving the team	Update operative list; brief new operative against current revision; obtain signature
Method change — switching from one access method to another	Rewrite access and fall-prevention sections; re-assess equipment compatibility with site conditions
Near-miss or incident	Treat as a new hazard discovered; review adequacy of existing controls; update and re-brief immediately
Significant weather deterioration — extended frost, high winds, heavy rain affecting the activity	Review weather-exposure controls; consider suspension of work and document the decision

Do not amend a live RAMS by handwriting changes on the issued copy. Issue a new revision, clearly dated, with the changes highlighted in a revision history box.

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How ramsdocs Makes Site-Specific RAMS Faster

ramsdocs structures the site survey inputs so you complete the pre-visit checklist inside the platform before the document opens for editing. Cover-page fields — site address, PC name, project reference, operative names, emergency contacts — are captured once and auto-populated across every section that references them, removing the most common cause of mismatched or blank fields.

As you work through each activity, ramsdocs prompts you to address each site-specific variable: drawing references, permit requirements, adjacent-occupant risks, and confirmed equipment. The document cannot be marked ready for submission until every prompted field has been completed with site-evidenced data — not a placeholder.

The result is a RAMS that is PC review-ready and built around your actual site conditions. Review and adapt the output to your specific site, task, and team before submission.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does 'site-specific' actually mean in a RAMS? It means every variable that differs between one project and the next — site address, access conditions, adjacent risks, named emergency contacts, equipment choices, drawing references — has been assessed and recorded for this site, not copied from a previous job.

What information must change between a generic and a site-specific RAMS? At minimum: the cover-page fields, the scope description, the timeline, the hazard controls (updated to reflect real site conditions), all emergency and welfare information, and all references to permits, drawings, and surveys.

Who is responsible for making RAMS site-specific under UK construction law? The contractor carrying out the work. CDM 2015 is the governing framework; it places duties on contractors in relation to planning, managing, and monitoring work under their control. A site-specific risk assessment is part of discharging that duty.

What site details should be gathered before writing a site-specific RAMS? Use the 12-item pre-visit checklist above. Key items: site address and OS grid ref, PC name and project number, assembly point, nearest A&E, access restrictions, overhead and underground services, adjacent occupants, welfare location, permit requirements, and weather factors.

How do you adapt hazard controls to reflect real site conditions? Replace every generic control with one that references what you actually found: the specific fall height, the named overhead service, the drawing that shows fragile rooflight positions, the structural survey that validated your equipment. The worked before/after table above shows this in practice.

When must a site-specific RAMS be submitted, and to whom? Before work starts. Submit to the principal contractor (or client, on single-contractor projects) as part of your pre-start approval process. Check the PC's specific submission deadline — many require RAMS at least 48–72 hours before start.

What are the most common reasons a principal contractor rejects a RAMS? Missing site-specific emergency contacts, generic equipment descriptions, no drawing or survey references, hazards that do not match the actual site layout, and operative names listed as TBC. See the rejection-reason log above.

Does a site-specific RAMS need to be reissued if site conditions change? Yes. Any scope change, newly discovered hazard, personnel change, method change, near-miss, or significant weather deterioration triggers a formal revision and a fresh team briefing. See the revision-trigger table above.

Should operatives help write the RAMS, or just sign it off at the briefing stage? Experienced operatives should contribute during drafting, not just at the briefing. Workers who carry out the task day-to-day will identify practical hazards — awkward access routes, equipment limitations, sequencing conflicts — that a contracts manager assessing from drawings alone may miss. The responsible person leading the RAMS retains ownership of the document, but building in a short working session with the operative team before finalising controls produces a more accurate and usable document.

When should I be requesting RAMS from my specialist subcontractors — before or after they mobilise? Request RAMS from specialist subcontractors before contracts are awarded, not on arrival at site. The guidance document "Planning for construction work" states that you should discuss proposed working methods with contractors before letting contracts, identify any health or safety risks their operations may create for others, agree control measures, and obtain health and safety risk assessments and method statements at that stage. This allows genuine scrutiny and pre-agreed controls rather than a last-minute review that holds up the programme.

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Disclaimer: This guide and any RAMS produced using ramsdocs must be reviewed and adapted to the specific site, task, and contractor by a competent person before use. No document produced from a template or platform is a substitute for on-site assessment. ramsdocs does not warrant that any output is compliant with all applicable legal requirements — compliance is the responsibility of the contractor carrying out the work.