Drone surveys RAMS Builder
Drone survey risk assessment and method statement
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Drone surveys RAMS template
A blank drone surveys RAMS to fill in: job details, method statement, risk assessment and briefing record.
Risk assessment and method statement
Drone surveys RAMS
- Company
- left blank to fill in
- Site and work area
- left blank to fill in
- Planned dates
- left blank to fill in
- In charge on site
- left blank to fill in
- Team
- left blank to fill in
Method statement
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Risk assessment
| Hazard | Who might be harmed and how | Controls in place | Further action |
|---|---|---|---|
Drone surveys RAMS example
The same RAMS, filled in for one job.
Risk assessment and method statement
Drone surveys, Unit 3, Canal Side Business Park, Stockport
Risk assessment
People entering the work area or tripping over materials
Workers, occupants and visitors
Mark or barrier the active work area. Store tools and materials away from access routes.
Wind or rain takes the drone out of control or out of sight
The pilot and people below
Allow more battery in wind and cold. Land if the weather turns during the flight.
Flying without the IDs or outside the category that covers the flight
The pilot and everyone under the flight
Keep the IDs and any certificate with you on the job. Not sure of the category: do not fly until you are.
Flying over a crowd, or flying a C1 drone after the date changes
People below
Fly beside people, not over them, whenever you can. Land if people gather under the drone.
The drone flies into restricted airspace or meets another aircraft
The pilot, people below and other aircraft
Do not trust the map in the drone alone. Get written permission from the airfield before flying in its zone.
Someone walks into the drone as it lands or trips over the kit
The team, site workers and the public
Have someone stop people walking into the spot while the drone is in the air. Keep it clear until the drone is shut down.
Losing sight or control of the drone, or meeting a low aircraft
The pilot, people below and other aircraft
Use an observer if you need to look at the screen a lot. Land if you lose sight of the drone.
A loose prop, low battery or lost link brings the drone down
The pilot and people below
Do not fly with damage, warnings or an update you have not tested. Change batteries on the ground, never mid-job.
Nobody reacts when a person or vehicle walks into the flight area
The pilot, observer and people below
One person can stop the flight and everyone knows who. No phone calls to the pilot while the drone is up.
Filming people or private places without a reason
Neighbours, site workers and the public
Tell people nearby you are filming if it is practical. Delete footage you do not need for the job.
The drone hits the building, a cable or a crane
The pilot, the drone and people below
Do not fly into a gap or behind a wall where you lose sight of it. Re-take blurred shots while it is still safe, not at the end of the battery.
Carrying on when the ground or the air no longer matches the plan
The pilot and people below
Do not take off again until you know what went wrong. Report a serious incident to the CAA.
Debris, tools or unfinished work left in the area
Workers, occupants and visitors
Remove waste by the agreed route. Record and protect any unfinished work.
Drone surveys, Unit 3, Canal Side Business Park, Stockport
- Company
- Hollins & Reed Contracting Ltd
- Site and work area
- Unit 3, Canal Side Business Park, Stockport
- Planned dates
- 12 to 14 October 2026
- In charge on site
- Dan Hollins
- Team
- Two operatives: Dan Hollins leads and checks the area each morning; Priya Shah works with him.
Method statement
- 1Set up the work areaConfirm the work area and scope before starting. Keep other people outside the active work area. Keep entrances and escape routes clear.
- 2Check the wind and weatherCheck the wind at roof height, not just on the ground, against the drone limits. Do not fly in rain, fog or low sun that hides the drone.
- 3Check your IDs and which category you fly inThe Operator ID goes on a label on the drone; the pilot needs a Flyer ID. Work out which category this flight is in: A1, A2, A3 or Specific. Paid work does not need extra permission; the drone and where you fly decide the category.
- 4A1: near people is fine, never over a crowdUnder 250 g or C1 you can fly close to people and over them if you have to, never over a crowd. C1 drones count as A1 until 31 December 2027, so check the CAA page if that date is near.
- 5Check the airspace on the dayCheck a drone app for restricted zones, airfields and temporary restrictions before every flight. Look for cranes, masts, wires and other aircraft near the route.
- 6Set up a clear take-off and landing spotPick a flat spot away from people, plant and traffic, and barrier it off. Keep cases, cables and batteries out of walkways.
- 7Keep it in sight and under 120 mKeep the drone where you can see it with your own eyes the whole flight. Stay below 120 m (400 ft) above the ground under the drone. Set the height limit and return-to-home in the controller before you take off.
- 8Check the drone before take-offCheck the props, body, camera mount, battery levels and controller link. Make sure the battery covers the flight with enough left to get back.
- 9Brief the team and the site contactAgree the route, who watches for people, where you land in an emergency and the word that means stop. Tell the site contact when you are flying and when you have finished.
- 10Only film what the job needsPoint the camera at the building or site you are surveying, not at homes, gardens or people. Keep the files safe and only send them to the client by the agreed route.
- 11Fly the inspection shotsWork through the shot list, keeping a safe gap from the roof, walls, cables and moving plant. Zoom in rather than fly closer.
- 12Land if anything changesLand or move away if people, vehicles or another aircraft come into the flight area. Stop after any fault, lost link or near miss.
- 13Clear and hand back the areaRemove tools, waste and unused materials. Check the area is clean and ready to use. Tell the customer or whoever runs the site when the work is complete.
What a drone surveys RAMS covers
Flying a small drone to inspect a roof or structure, or to capture images for a mapping survey. Not covered: flying inside a structure or beyond visual line of sight.
- Aerial inspection
- Photogrammetry mapping
Suggested steps and hazards for drone surveys
Suggested for aerial inspection before any questions are answered.
Check the wind and weather
- Check the wind at roof height, not just on the ground, against the drone limits.
- Do not fly in rain, fog or low sun that hides the drone.
Hazard
Wind or rain takes the drone out of control or out of sight
Who might be harmed and how
The pilot and people below
Controls in place
- Allow more battery in wind and cold.
- Land if the weather turns during the flight.
Wind at the top of a building is often twice what it is on the ground.
Making every flight safe (points 10 to 20) Check your IDs and which category you fly in
- The Operator ID goes on a label on the drone; the pilot needs a Flyer ID.
- Work out which category this flight is in: A1, A2, A3 or Specific.
- Paid work does not need extra permission; the drone and where you fly decide the category.
Hazard
Flying without the IDs or outside the category that covers the flight
Who might be harmed and how
The pilot and everyone under the flight
Controls in place
- Keep the IDs and any certificate with you on the job.
- Not sure of the category: do not fly until you are.
The CAA can fine or prosecute a pilot who flies without the IDs or outside the rules.
Flying drones for work Check the airspace on the day
- Check a drone app for restricted zones, airfields and temporary restrictions before every flight.
- Look for cranes, masts, wires and other aircraft near the route.
Hazard
The drone flies into restricted airspace or meets another aircraft
Who might be harmed and how
The pilot, people below and other aircraft
Controls in place
- Do not trust the map in the drone alone.
- Get written permission from the airfield before flying in its zone.
Restrictions change daily and flying in a restricted zone is a criminal offence.
What the builder asks about drone surveys
Your answers decide which steps, hazards and controls it suggests.
The job
- What drone are you flying?
- What do you have for this flight?
- What does the client want from the mapping?
Where
- Who will be near the flight?
- Where is the flight?
How it’s done
- What will you stand on to reach the work?
What your drone surveys RAMS includes
Method statement
The work in order, step by step.
Risk assessment
Each hazard, who could be harmed, the controls in place and any further action.
The method statement and risk assessment in one A4 PDF. Your logo on Pro and Team.
What the law asks for
What a RAMS is
A risk assessment and method statement. The risk assessment records what could cause harm on the job, who could be harmed and how, and the controls that keep the risk down. The method statement sets out how the work will be done, step by step, in the order it happens.
A client or main contractor will usually ask for one before you start. RAMS is a site term, not a legal one: the law asks for the risk assessment and for the work to be planned, and a method statement is the usual way to show that plan for one job.
What the law asks for
- Employers, and self-employed people doing construction work, must make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to their own people and to anyone else affected by the work (Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, regulation 3).
- An employer with five or more employees must record the significant findings and any group of employees it finds especially at risk. The assessment must be reviewed if there is reason to think it is no longer valid, or the work has changed significantly.
- Every contractor must plan, manage and monitor its work so that, so far as is reasonably practicable, it is done without risks to health and safety, and must give its workers the information and instructions they need, including the hazards the risk assessment found (Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, regulation 15).
HSE guidance: the steps to manage risk and what contractors must do under CDM. This is the law in Great Britain; Northern Ireland has its own equivalent regulations.
What the builder does
You choose the work and answer questions about how the job will be done, such as what you will stand on and what else is going on nearby. Your answers decide which steps, hazards and controls it suggests.
Many suggestions link to the HSE guidance they draw on. Your work is kept in this browser and, signed in, on your account with its photos; the PDF is made on your device. A briefing you send to phones goes through your account.
Separate documents
A COSHH assessment, lifting plan, permit to work, asbestos survey and the principal contractor’s construction phase plan are separate from the RAMS.
Reviewing a RAMS before work starts
RAMS review reads a RAMS PDF, yours before you send it or one a subcontractor sends you, and lists the points to raise, each marked on the page it comes from. Quick reviews are free.