RAMS review: check your own RAMS or a subcontractor’s
Find the points to raise before work starts, each marked on the page and words it comes from.
PDF with text, up to 60 pages and 10 MB. Quick review free, no account. See a sample review
Example RAMS review: what to raise
A sample scaffolding RAMS, reviewed the way yours will be. Open a point to see its words on the page. Dismiss one and the status follows.
SCAFFOLDING LTDFSL-RAMS-0042 · Rev B
Page 2 of 4
Erect the scaffold in lifts of 2 metres from the ground.
Check the scaffold tag before use.
A mobile elevating work platform (MEWP) will be used to install the upper ties at roof level.
Check the scaffold tag before use.
Work at height – rescue plan: see Appendix C.
Risk assessment| Hazard | Who | Controls | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Falls from height | Scaffolders | Advanced guardrail system; harness clipped on. | Med |
| Falling objects | Public | Toe boards and brick guards; tools tethered. | Med |
| MEWP overturning | Operator | Ground checked; outriggers on spreader plates. | Med |
| Overhead cables | All | None on the rear elevation; checked on survey. | Low |
Must change2
A MEWP is used for the upper ties but no rescue arrangement is given; the rescue plan is only referred to.
Ask Add the MEWP rescue plan or include Appendix C.
Settle before work starts4
Could be better1
How to review subcontractor RAMS
Start with the method, not the page count. Seven steps, in the order a reviewer works.
RAMS review checklist
Answer each check for the RAMS in front of you, or print it. Not evidenced means the document doesn’t show it, which is a point to raise.
| Check | What to establish | Point to raise when it isn’t there | Answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Identity and scope | Right site, work area, task, boundaries, revision and dates. | The cover names one site and the sequence another. Ask for the scope to be corrected. | |
| Method and risk assessment agree | The steps are workable, and the hazards and controls follow the actual work. | The method uses a MEWP and the controls describe a scaffold. Ask which access is intended. | |
| Interfaces | Other trades, occupied premises, the public, traffic and live or buried services. | Ask for the exclusion arrangement and who coordinates it. | |
| Controls | Specific, practicable controls, with who does them and any hold points. | “Wear PPE” does not say how exposure is controlled. Ask for the method. | |
| Competence and supervision | Training and supervision match the risky parts of the task. | A general training statement does not show task competence. Ask for the evidence. | |
| Plant and supporting information | Equipment matches the method; inspections, drawings, lifting plans and COSHH assessments are supplied. | A lifting plan is referred to and not supplied. Record it as not evidenced. | |
| Emergency and rescue | An arrangement for this task and location, with the people and equipment it needs. | “Call 999” leaves a rescue from height unplanned. Ask for the rescue plan. | |
| Briefing and change | The right revision reaches the workers, and what makes them stop and review. | Ask how a revised control will be re-briefed. | |
| Decision and conditions | Your decision, the points still open, and the evidence you need before work starts. | A score is not a decision. Record the conditions in your own words. |
Vibration or noise in the method? Check the exposure with the HAVS calculator or the noise exposure calculator.
The RAMS review form you send back
A PDF in your company’s name. Your outcome on the cover, then each comment numbered, with its page, the quoted words, the action asked and space for the contractor’s reply.
- Edit, dismiss or add points before it is made
- Download a draft before you choose the outcome
- Your logo on Pro and Team
Who reviews and accepts RAMS?
The project’s arrangements name who reviews. Accepting a RAMS is a decision about the document.
- Principal contractor
- Plans, manages and coordinates the construction phase, including how each contractor’s work fits with the rest. Usually receives and reviews subcontractor RAMS. CDM 2015 regulation 13
- Contractor
- Plans and manages its own work and writes the RAMS. Its duties stay with it after the RAMS is accepted. CDM 2015 regulation 15
- Client’s reviewer
- Checks RAMS for the client when the project’s arrangements say so.
- Specialist
- Checks what needs specialist competence: lifting, temporary works, isolations, confined spaces and rescue.
The contractor answers each comment, and you check the answers before work starts.
Permits, briefings and the site itself are authorised separately.
Before work starts
A review reads the document. These are checked where the work happens. A signed briefing sheet shows who attended, not what they understood.
- The location and access are as written
- Other trades and the public are kept apart as planned
- The named people are there, with their competence evidence
- Plant matches the method and has been inspected
- Controls are in place, not only listed
- Permits and isolations are issued
- Rescue equipment and people are ready
- The accepted revision is the one on site
- Workers have been briefed on it
When to review or revisit RAMS
No law sets an expiry date. A RAMS is reviewed again when something it relies on changes.
- Before work startsThrough the project’s review and acceptance route.
- The method, site or crew changesA new sequence, plant, location or team.
- A new hazard appearsWeather, ground, services or another trade nearby.
- After an incident or near missBefore the work carries on.
- A control is not workingSeen on site, in an inspection or in a complaint.
- At a planned reviewWhen the project sets one for long-running work.
What this RAMS checker can and cannot check
It reads the words in the document and nothing else. You see what was read before anything is sent.
Reads
- A PDF with text, up to 60 pages and 10 MB
- Every line of text on those pages, tables included
- Steps that contradict the risk assessment
- Appendices and plans referred to and not supplied
- Controls too vague to check
Cannot see
- Scanned pages and drawings: they are named before you start
- Word files: save them as PDF first
- The site itself, or anything not in the document
- Whether people are competent in practice
Where your document goes
- Your browserReads the PDF. The file stays here.
- Page text onlySent to our server and on to Microsoft, OpenAI or Anthropic, who may keep it up to 30 days and don’t train on it.
- Points backKept in your account for 30 days (12 months on Pro and Team) until you delete them. Signed out, deleted within 24 hours.
Quick reviews are free. Full and Max use credits.
One set of credits for every paid ComplyOnSite tool. Monthly, cancel any time.
The main points, to see what a review finds.
Approximately 30 seconds · No account, 3 a dayA thorough review, for a RAMS you will send comments on.
Approximately 1–2 minutes · With an accountThe most thorough review, for high-risk or long RAMS.
Approximately 1–2 minutes · With an accountStarter
£0
Free, with an account
- 5 credits when you sign up
- 5 quick reviews a day
Pro
£30a month
Up to 75 full reviews a month
- 75 credits a month
- Unlimited quick reviews
- Your logo on review forms
Team
£120a month
Up to 300 full reviews a month
- 300 credits a month
- Unlimited quick reviews
- Your logo on review forms
- 3 reviews at once
RAMS review questions
How do I review a subcontractor’s RAMS?
Check the scope against the job you know, read the method as a sequence, and check each hazard has a control that fits the method. Chase anything it refers to and does not include, send specific comments, and record your decision. Before work starts, check the arrangements on site.
Who is responsible for reviewing RAMS?
On a CDM project the principal contractor plans, manages and coordinates the construction phase, which includes checking that contractors’ arrangements work together. The contractor stays responsible for its own work. Who reviews and signs is set by the project’s arrangements. HSE: principal contractors
Do I need to be an expert in the subcontractor’s trade?
You need competence for what you are checking, and to know when to ask a specialist. Lifting, temporary works, isolations and rescue need someone competent in that work.
Does reviewing RAMS mean approving the work?
No. Your decision is about the document and its conditions. Permits, briefings and checks of the actual site are what let the work start.
What should a RAMS review checklist include?
Scope, a workable sequence, hazards matched to controls, interfaces with other work, competence and supervision, plant and supporting documents, emergency and rescue arrangements, briefing, and your decision. The checklist on this page covers each one.
What if the RAMS is generic or contradicts itself?
Comment against the passage, say what needs changing or explaining, and ask for a revised version. Keep the review form with the revision it applies to.
How often should RAMS be reviewed? Do they expire?
No law sets an expiry date. Review before work starts, when the work, site or people change, after an incident or near miss, and when a control is not working. Follow any planned review the project sets.
Are RAMS a legal requirement in the UK?
Risk assessment is. Employers with five or more employees must record its significant findings. No law sets a RAMS format; a method statement is the usual way to show how the work will be done safely. HSE: managing risk
Can AI approve or certify a RAMS?
No. The review lists points for you to check, each tied to the words it comes from. It cannot see the site, test competence or watch the work. The decision on the form is yours.
Does it read scanned PDFs or Word files?
It reads a PDF with text, up to 60 pages and 10 MB. Pages that are images, such as scans and drawings, are named before you start and are not read. Save a Word file as PDF first.
What do I send back to the contractor?
A PDF review form in your company’s name: your outcome, then numbered comments with the page, the quoted words, the action asked and space for the contractor’s reply. You edit the points before you download it.
What happens to my document?
The PDF is read in your browser and stays on your device. Only its page text is sent to our server and on to Microsoft (Azure OpenAI) or OpenAI (Quick and Full review) or Anthropic (Max review). Signed in, reviews are kept in your account for 30 days (12 months on Pro and Team) until you delete them, then deleted from our servers within 24 hours; signed out, the result is deleted within 24 hours. Microsoft, OpenAI and Anthropic may keep the text up to 30 days and don’t train on it. We use de-identified information to run and improve the service. Privacy policy
Review a RAMS now
Choose the PDF. It is read on this device before anything is sent.