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Manual handling RAMS Builder
Manual handling risk assessment and method statement
Prepare RAMS for carrying, lifting, lowering and team handling of loads by hand, with trolleys and other manual aids.
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What makes the load difficult?
More details
Say if it is bulky, unstable, hard to grip, sharp, hot or too large to see over.
Manual handling RAMS template
A blank manual handling RAMS to fill in: job details, method statement, risk assessment and briefing record.
Risk assessment and method statement
Manual handling 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
Manual handling RAMS example
The same RAMS, filled in for one job.
Risk assessment and method statement
Manual handling, 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.
- 2Avoid carrying where you canHave the supplier drop the load close to where it is needed. Use a machine or handling aid where it suits the load and route.
- 3Check the load and the taskFind out the load weight, grip, route, lift height and how often it will be handled. Change the plan when the load or route changes.
- 4Confirm the weight before liftingRead the supplier or package information where it is available. If the weight or centre of gravity is unknown, stop and find it out.
- 5Control an awkward or unstable loadUse proper handholds, a team carry or an aid that keeps the load stable and the route visible. Keep sharp and hot surfaces protected and do not carry a load that blocks the route from view.
- 6Clear and hand back the areaRemove tools, waste and unused materials. Check the area is clean and ready to use. Tell the person in charge when the work is complete.
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.
Strain from carrying a load that could have been delivered or moved another way
Everyone moving materials
Agree the drop point and handling method before the move starts.
Strain or a sudden drop from an unknown or awkward load
The people lifting, carrying or lowering it
Assess the task, load and place before lifting. Do not assume a weight is safe for every person or route.
The person commits to a load that is heavier or less balanced than expected
The person or team handling the load
Keep load information with the delivery or work pack. Choose an aid or another method when the information is not enough.
The load shifts, cuts or burns someone, or hides a trip hazard
The people handling the load and anyone nearby
Stop if the grip, balance or temperature is not known. Use a second person or a different method where the load needs it.
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.
What a Manual handling RAMS covers
Carrying, lifting, lowering and team handling of loads by hand, with sack trucks, trolleys and other manual aids. Not covered: moving loads by forklift, telehandler, hoist or crane.
Suggested steps and hazards for Manual handling
Suggested for manual handling before any questions are answered.
Avoid carrying where you can
- Have the supplier drop the load close to where it is needed.
- Use a machine or handling aid where it suits the load and route.
Hazard
Strain from carrying a load that could have been delivered or moved another way
Who might be harmed and how
Everyone moving materials
Controls in place
- Agree the drop point and handling method before the move starts.
Avoiding a hand carry removes the handling risk from that part of the move.
Construction physical ill health risks: Manual handling Check the load and the task
- Find out the load weight, grip, route, lift height and how often it will be handled.
- Change the plan when the load or route changes.
Hazard
Strain or a sudden drop from an unknown or awkward load
Who might be harmed and how
The people lifting, carrying or lowering it
Controls in place
- Assess the task, load and place before lifting.
- Do not assume a weight is safe for every person or route.
Checking the actual load and task prevents an unknown handling demand becoming an injury.
Construction physical ill health risks: Manual handling Confirm the weight before lifting
- Read the supplier or package information where it is available.
- If the weight or centre of gravity is unknown, stop and find it out.
Hazard
The person commits to a load that is heavier or less balanced than expected
Who might be harmed and how
The person or team handling the load
Controls in place
- Keep load information with the delivery or work pack.
- Choose an aid or another method when the information is not enough.
Knowing the weight and centre of gravity prevents an unexpected commitment to the lift.
HSE: Manual handling at work Set up the work area
- Confirm the work area and scope before starting.
- Keep other people outside the active work area.
- Keep entrances and escape routes clear.
Hazard
People entering the work area or tripping over materials
Who might be harmed and how
Workers, occupants and visitors
Controls in place
- Mark or barrier the active work area.
- Store tools and materials away from access routes.
A clear boundary protects other people and prevents work in the wrong area.
HSE: Steps needed to manage risk
What the builder asks about Manual handling
Your answers decide which steps, hazards and controls it suggests.
The job
- What makes the load difficult?
Where
- What is the carrying route like?
How it’s done
- What will you stand on to reach the work?
- Can you avoid carrying the load?
- How often will you repeat the handling?
What your Manual handling 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.
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. 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 the PDF is made on your device.
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.