NEBOSH Diploma · CertIOSH · 35 Years UK Construction
Method Statements & Risk Assessments That Get Accepted
Bespoke RAMS written for your site, not pulled from a template. If the principal contractor has already rejected yours, send it over with their comments — rewriting rejected documents and getting them through is what this service is built for.
Why RAMS get rejected by principal contractors
Almost every rejected RAMS fails for the same underlying reason: the document describes the trade, not the job. It could have been submitted on any site in the country, and the reviewer can tell within a page.
That problem is getting worse, not better. Template packs and AI RAMS generators produce documents quickly and cheaply, and they read plausibly — but they cannot see your access constraints, your interfaces with other trades, the services in the ground, or the principal contractor's own standing rules. Site teams are receiving more of these every month, and rejecting more of them.
These are the findings that come up again and again on the reviewing side:
Common reasons for rejection
The cost of a rejection is rarely the document. It is the labour standing down, the programme slipping, and the main contractor forming a view about whether you are worth engaging next time. Getting it right at the second attempt matters more than the fee.
Written to the standard used to review them
Every document produced here is quality assured against the same 18-point compliance standard applied when reviewing submissions on behalf of principal contractors. That is the difference between a document that reads well and a document that clears review — it is written by someone who has spent years deciding whether submissions were good enough.
Site specificity
- Actual site address, programme dates and working hours
- Access, egress and delivery routes as they exist on that job
- Buried and overhead services identified and addressed
- Interfaces with other trades and site logistics
- Neighbouring occupiers, boundaries and public interface
Regulatory compliance
- CDM 2015 contractor duties addressed
- MHSWR 1999 suitable and sufficient risk assessment
- Activity-specific regulations applied (LOLER, WAH, COSHH, PUWER)
- Principal contractor site rules and phase plan referenced
- Statutory inspection and certification evidence cited
Risk assessment quality
- All foreseeable hazards identified for the actual activity
- Controls proportionate, workable and specific
- Initial and residual risk ratings shown
- Vulnerable persons and third parties considered
- Stop-work triggers and weather limits stated
Method workability
- Step-by-step sequence that matches how work is really done
- Every control from the risk assessment carried into the method
- Plant, equipment and materials specified with certification
- Named supervision and clear lines of responsibility
- Emergency, rescue and first aid arrangements
- Signed, dated and under revision control
Three ways to use this service
Every engagement is fixed-price and agreed before work starts. Send the scope and you will have a quote the same day.
Rejection recovery
Your RAMS has been returned by the principal contractor and work cannot start. Send the document and their comments — we diagnose why it failed and rewrite it to be accepted.
- Written diagnosis of every rejection point
- Full rewrite against your site information
- Resubmission support until accepted
- We can deal with the reviewer directly
Pre-submission review
You have a document but you are not confident it will pass. We review it against the 18-point standard and return written findings so you can fix it in private.
- Lowest-cost option
- Findings you can action yourself
- Protects your standing with the main contractor
- Upgrade to a full rewrite if needed
Written from scratch
No document yet, or the activity is complex, high-risk or unfamiliar. We write the full RAMS package from your scope and site information.
- Risk assessment and method statement as one package
- COSHH assessments where substances are used
- Issued in your branding, under revision control
- Lifting operations planned by a CPCS A61 AP
How it works — and how fast
From a rejected document to an accepted one, typically inside 48 working hours.
Send it over
Email the rejected document, the reviewer’s comments and whatever site information you hold. If you have nothing yet, send the scope of works.
Diagnosis
We establish exactly why it failed and what the principal contractor needs to see. If anything is missing we tell you before we start writing.
Written & QA’d
The document is written site-specific, then run through the full 18-point compliance standard before it leaves us. You receive it ready to submit.
Until accepted
If further comments come back, we address them. Resubmission support is included in the fee — we are not finished until the document is accepted.
Work already stood down? Call 07803 808093 rather than emailing — same-day turnaround is often possible.
Trades and activities covered
Lifting operations are a specialism, not a limit. Each trade below has its own page setting out the activities covered, the hazards the assessment must address, the regulations that apply, and the reasons documents in that trade get rejected. If your trade is not listed, it is still covered — call and ask.
Groundworks & Excavation
Bulk and reduced-level excavation · Trench and pit excavation for drainage and foundations · Buried service location, exposure and diversion
Method statements & RAMSDemolition & Soft Strip
Pre-demolition asbestos and refurbishment survey review · Soft strip of fixtures, fittings and non-structural elements · Structural demolition — mechanical, high reach and progressive
Method statements & RAMSRoofing & Work at Height
Flat and pitched roof coverings · Single ply, felt, liquid and hot melt systems · Sheeting, cladding and rooflight installation
Method statements & RAMSMechanical & Electrical Installation
Containment, tray and basket installation · Cable pulling, termination and testing · Distribution board and switchgear installation
Method statements & RAMSSteel Erection
Setting out and holding-down bolt verification · Column, beam and bracing erection · Temporary bracing and stability arrangements
Method statements & RAMSConcrete Works & Temporary Works
Formwork and falsework erection and striking · Reinforcement fixing and placement · Concrete placement — pump, skip and direct discharge
Method statements & RAMSCladding & Facades
Curtain walling and unitised panel installation · Rainscreen and rendered facade systems · Insulation and cavity barrier installation
Method statements & RAMSConfined Space Working
Chambers, manholes and drainage systems · Tanks, vessels and silos · Deep excavations meeting confined space criteria
Method statements & RAMSSite Logistics & Deliveries
Delivery scheduling and booking systems · Vehicle routing, marshalling and turning · Offloading by crane, forklift and lorry loader
Method statements & RAMSScaffolding & Temporary Access
Scaffold design, erection and dismantling · Tube and fitting and system scaffold · Loading bays and material platforms
Method statements & RAMSFit-Out & Finishes
Partitioning, dry lining and ceilings · Joinery and second fix carpentry · Flooring, tiling and screeding
Method statements & RAMSPlant & Machinery Operations
Excavator and 360° machine operations · Telehandler and forklift operations · Dumper and dozer operations
Method statements & RAMSLifting operations RAMS are produced by a CPCS A61 Appointed Person and can be paired with a full LOLER compliant lift plan. For background see our guide to lifting method statements and RAMS.
Who uses this service?
Subcontractors
You are good at the work but the paperwork keeps bouncing, and every rejection costs you days you cannot recover.
- Documents that clear review first time
- Labour on site instead of standing down
- Reputation protected with the main contractor
Small and growing contractors
No in-house health and safety resource, but tier 1 clients expect tier 1 paperwork from day one.
- Competent-person capability without a salary
- Documents issued in your own branding
- Credibility on PQQs and prequalification
Principal contractors
Drowning in subcontractor submissions of wildly varying quality, and needing a consistent, defensible standard applied to all of them.
- Independent review against a fixed standard
- Documented due diligence under CDM 2015
- Retained arrangements available
What you receive
A complete, submission-ready package in editable and PDF format, issued in your own branding where you want it.
- Site-specific risk assessment with initial and residual risk ratings
- Step-by-step method statement matching the actual sequence of work
- COSHH assessments where substances are used
- Plant, equipment and lifting accessory schedules with certification references
- Named personnel, competencies and supervision arrangements
- Emergency, rescue and first aid arrangements
- Revision control, signature blocks and issue record
- Author and reviewer identified separately on the face of the document
Method statement & RAMS FAQs
Why do RAMS get rejected by principal contractors?
The most common reason by far is that the document is generic — written for the trade rather than for the site. Principal contractors reject RAMS for: no site-specific hazards (the actual access, services, neighbours and interfaces on that job), a method statement whose sequence does not match how the work will really be done, risk assessments with generic controls and no residual risk rating, missing or out-of-date competencies and training records, no COSHH assessment where substances are used, no reference to the principal contractor’s own site rules or construction phase plan, missing emergency and rescue arrangements, and unsigned or undated documents with no revision control. A document can look professional and still fail every one of those tests.
My RAMS has been rejected twice — can you fix it?
Yes, that is the core of this service. Send the document you submitted and the rejection comments you were given. We identify why it failed, rewrite it properly against the site information, and issue a version built to be accepted. If the principal contractor comes back with further comments, we address them at no extra charge until the document is accepted.
How quickly can you turn a rejected RAMS around?
Standard turnaround is 24 to 48 working hours from receipt of the document, the rejection comments and the site information. Where work is already stood down and labour is waiting, call 07803 808093 rather than emailing — same-day turnaround is often possible where the information is available.
What is the difference between a risk assessment and a method statement?
A risk assessment identifies the hazards in an activity, who might be harmed, and the control measures that reduce the risk to an acceptable level. A method statement sets out, step by step, how the work will actually be carried out safely — sequence, plant, personnel, supervision and emergency arrangements. Together they are usually called RAMS. A principal contractor expects the two to be consistent: controls identified in the risk assessment must appear in the method, and the method must not introduce activities the risk assessment never considered.
How is this different from a RAMS template or an AI RAMS generator?
Templates and AI tools produce a generic document quickly, which is exactly what principal contractors are rejecting in growing numbers. They cannot see your site, your access constraints, your interfaces with other trades, or the main contractor’s own standing rules. This service produces a site-specific document written from your actual job information, then quality assured against the same 18-point compliance standard used when reviewing submissions on behalf of tier 1 contractors.
What information do you need to write a RAMS?
The scope of works, the site address and programme dates, the plant and equipment being used, the substances involved if any, the number and competency of operatives, any drawings or site layout information you hold, and the principal contractor’s site rules or construction phase plan if you have been issued with them. If a document has already been rejected, also send the rejection comments. Where information is missing we will tell you what we need rather than making an assumption and hoping it passes.
Do you write RAMS for trades other than lifting?
Yes. Method statements and risk assessments are written across construction trades and activities — groundworks, demolition and soft strip, steelwork and cladding, roofing, concrete works, mechanical and electrical installation, temporary works, plant operations, working at height, confined spaces and site logistics. Lifting operations are a specialism, not a limit.
Who writes the documents?
Ricky Marsh — NEBOSH National Diploma, CertIOSH, MIIRSM, CPCS A61 Appointed Person, with 35 years in UK construction including time as a contracts manager. That reviewing-side experience is the point: these documents are written by someone who has spent years on the other side of the desk deciding whether submissions were good enough.
Will you deal with the principal contractor directly?
If you want us to, yes. Where a document has bounced more than once it is often quicker for us to speak to the reviewer directly, establish exactly what they need to see, and close it out. Many subcontractors prefer this — it removes the back-and-forth and gets the job moving.
Can you review our RAMS before we submit it?
Yes, and it is usually the cheapest option. A pre-submission review returns written findings against the 18-point standard so you can correct problems in private rather than having the document bounced back through the site team. It protects your standing with the main contractor, which matters on the next job as much as this one.
How much does a bespoke RAMS cost?
It depends on the complexity of the activity and how much information already exists. A pre-submission review with written findings is the lowest cost option; a full bespoke rewrite of a rejected document sits above that; a complete RAMS written from scratch for a complex or high-risk activity is quoted individually. Every quote is fixed-price and agreed before work starts — no hourly surprises. Call 07803 808093 or send the scope for a same-day quote.
Do you provide RAMS review for principal contractors as well?
Yes. The same 18-point standard is applied on the reviewing side for main contractors receiving subcontractor submissions — the direct equivalent of our lift plan checking service, applied to the wider RAMS package. To avoid any conflict, we do not write documents for subcontractors on projects where we hold the reviewing role.
Is a method statement a legal requirement?
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require a suitable and sufficient risk assessment, and CDM 2015 requires contractors to plan, manage and monitor their work so it is carried out without risks to health and safety. A written method statement is the normal way of demonstrating that for construction work, and principal contractors require one as a condition of access under their CDM duties. In practice, no accepted RAMS means no start on site.
What stands behind the document
- NEBOSH National Diploma in Occupational Health & Safety
- CertIOSH — IOSH chartered-track grade
- MIIRSM — International Institute of Risk & Safety Management
- 35 years in UK construction, including as a contracts manager
- CPCS A61 Appointed Person for the lifting element
- Constructionline Gold member
Documents are reviewed on behalf of tier 1 contractors as well as written for subcontractors — the standard applied is the same in both directions. Client testimonials →
Send us your RAMS for a same-day quote
07803 8080933 fields, 30 seconds. We reply within 4 working hours.
Browse by trade
Every trade page covers the activities, hazards, applicable regulations and the specific reasons documents in that trade get returned by principal contractors.
Groundworks & Excavation
ViewDemolition & Soft Strip
ViewRoofing & Work at Height
ViewMechanical & Electrical Installation
ViewSteel Erection
ViewConcrete Works & Temporary Works
ViewCladding & Facades
ViewConfined Space Working
ViewSite Logistics & Deliveries
ViewScaffolding & Temporary Access
ViewFit-Out & Finishes
ViewPlant & Machinery Operations
ViewRejected RAMS holding up the job?
Send the document and the reviewer's comments. You will have a fixed-price quote the same day and a rewritten document inside 48 working hours.
Available across the UK
Method statements and risk assessments are produced remotely from Warrington and delivered UK-wide. Site visits are arranged where the activity requires it. Pick your nearest city or call 07803 808093 to discuss your project.