RAMS Aren’t Enough! It’s Time We Start Calling Them MSRAs

Honestly, I think we need to stop calling them “RAMS” and start calling them:

Method Statements and Risk Assessments “MSRAs”.

Because if we start with the method, step by step, from the ground up, exactly how we’re building something, what materials we’re using, how we’re cutting, lifting, installing only then can we properly assess the risks.

That’s how I’m planning to do it moving forward.

And I wish I’d done it that way sooner.

🔄 Flip the Script: Method First, Risk Second

Most of the industry does it backwards. You get sent a generic RAMS, you scan for the high-risk headlines (working at height, electrical tools, manual handling…), but the method, the actual breakdown of how we’re doing the job, is vague or missing altogether.

And here’s the truth:

I’ve reviewed hundreds of RAMS as a site manager.

And far too many were cookie-cutter tick-box exercises with no method in sight.

If we’re serious about building safe environments, then planning the method before the risk assessment isn’t just logical, it’s essential.

📋 Every Site, Every Subbie, Every Time

Let’s be clear:

If your business has 5 or more people, and you’re doing construction work, you are legally required to carry out risk assessments.

No excuses. No shortcuts.

Risks to consider include (but are definitely not limited to):

• Working at height

• Operating plant/machinery

• Electrical work

• Hot works

• COSHH and hazardous substances

• Manual handling

• Hand tools

And here’s what someone once told me and it’s stuck with me ever since:

RAMS are your operative’s insurance policy.

If they’re working within the RAMS and an accident happens, your cover may stand.

But if they’re doing something outside the method or beyond what’s written, even with good intentions, insurance might not pay out.

Something very important to remember is for sub-contractors to check their insurance policy's! If it says they need RAMS and they are putting self employed operatives out to work and something happens, they will not be insured! it's just not worth it!

😰 Site Managers Are Holding the Risk

And who’s left holding the bag when it all goes wrong? The site manager!

I don’t think people outside the industry realise this:

If someone isn’t signed onto the RAMS and there’s an incident, you could be held criminally liable.

Under:

• The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974

• The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015

Failing to carry out or record a risk assessment could lead to:

• Unlimited fines

• Criminal charges

• Even imprisonment

And if that doesn’t keep a site manager up at night, I don’t know what will.

🤦‍♀️ I’ll Be Honest, I’ve Let Myself Down Too

On my most recent build, I didn’t do it the way I wanted to. I didn’t start with a full build methodology.I didn’t map out the materials or processes first. If I had, I would have:

• Spotted the risks earlier

• Made better planning decisions

• Kept things smoother and safer

And I won’t make that mistake again.

🏠 On Our Own Home? I’m a Total Hypocrite

My husband’s DIY game is strong. But PPE? An absolute nightmare.

I can’t count how many times I’ve told him:

“Don’t come crying to me when you’re sat in A&E with a screw in your eye because you didn’t wear goggles.”

But yesterday, something clicked. We looked up the systemic effects of one of the materials he was using.

Saw it right there in the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). Suddenly, the mask and goggles came out. Every decent building material will come with an MSDS. And those feed straight into your COSHH assessments.

LINK COMING on MSDS examples.

💛 I Care Deeply About Safety And I Always Will,

I’ve always cared. I cared about every single person on my site. And I’ll care about every single person who works for me in the future. That’s why if I run my own jobs:

• I’ll write full MSRAs

• I’ll induct every operative into them

• I’ll refresh them quarterly

• I’ll issue updates and amendments

• I’ll encourage questions and feedback

• I’ll send copies to keep on file

Because people should understand what they’re signing onto and they should have the right to say:

“This bit doesn’t make sense.”

🧠 Safety Isn’t Bureaucracy. It’s Humanity.

Everyone wants to go to work, do a good job, and get home safely.

MSRAs increase the chances of that happening.

It’s not red tape. It’s not overkill.

It’s planning, and it’s care.

Planning how the job will be done, well before boots hit the ground, keeps the job running safely, smoothly, and on programme.

💬 Final Thought

If you’re a homeowner hiring trades or a builder managing your own team, don’t just ask for a RAMS.

Ask for the method.

Make sure they know how they’re doing the job, and how they’re keeping people safe while doing it.

Because when the method comes first, safety isn’t just easier it’s embedded in the job from the start.

Let’s stop ticking boxes.

Let’s start building with intention.

📢 I’ll be publishing a free downloadable MSRA template soon. Want it? Let me know.

📹 And keep an eye on @TheUnfilteredFemaleSiteManager where I’ll be breaking this down in real site terms not corporate nonsense.

Safety is care. Let’s start treating it that way.