RAMS vs method statement: what is the difference?
People use "risk assessment", "method statement" and "RAMS" as if they are the same thing. They are related, but they are not the same. Here is the difference in plain terms, and why you almost always need both.
What a risk assessment does
A risk assessment identifies the hazards in a task, decides who could be harmed and how, and sets out the control measures that reduce the risk to an acceptable level. It is about spotting danger in advance and deciding what you will do about it. Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 it must be suitable and sufficient, and if you have five or more workers the significant findings must be written down.
What a method statement does
A method statement, sometimes called a safe system of work, describes how the job will actually be carried out, step by step and in the right order. It names the people, plant, equipment and materials, and builds the control measures from the risk assessment into the real sequence of work, so the crew knows exactly how to do the task safely.
Why they are combined into RAMS
On their own, a risk assessment tells you the dangers but not how to work, and a method statement describes the work but not why each precaution matters. Together, as RAMS, they give a Principal Contractor the full picture: the risks, the controls, and the safe sequence. That is why sites ask for "RAMS" rather than one or the other.
A quick example
For a roof repair, the risk assessment flags working at height, fragile surfaces and falling objects, and sets controls such as edge protection and exclusion zones. The method statement then lays out the job in order: access, setting up edge protection, the repair itself, and safe removal, with the controls built into each step. One explains the danger, the other explains the doing.
What a Principal Contractor expects to see
Acceptable RAMS are task specific, not generic. A Principal Contractor wants realistic hazards for your actual work, controls that match, a sensible sequence, and evidence your operatives have read and understood it. Copied, vague or clearly off the shelf RAMS are the usual reason a submission bounces back.
Common mistakes
- Generic RAMS that could apply to any job, so clearly apply to none
- A method statement that lists no real sequence of work
- No COSHH assessment where hazardous substances are used
- No sign off sheet, so there is no proof the crew was briefed
Save time with ready-made RAMS
Our packs pair the risk assessment and method statement for you, trade by trade, CDM 2015 aligned and editable in Word, so you fill in the project details and submit. See RAMS packs by trade or the full shop, and if you are new to this, start with what is a RAMS pack.