What is the difference between a risk assessment and a method statement?

A risk assessment identifies the hazards associated with a task, evaluates the likelihood and severity of harm, and sets out the control measures to reduce the risk to an acceptable level. It answers the question "what could go wrong and how do we prevent it?" A method statement describes the safe system of work — the step-by-step process for carrying out the task safely, incorporating the control measures identified in the risk assessment. It answers the question "how do we do this job safely?" Together, they form the RAMS document. The risk assessment comes first (you cannot write a safe method without understanding the risks), and the method statement is built on the risk assessment findings.

When do I need RAMS for electrical work?

In practice, RAMS are required for most electrical work on commercial and industrial sites, all CDM-notifiable projects, all work for principal contractors or main contractors who require them as a condition of site access, any work involving high-risk activities (live working, work at height, work in confined spaces), and any work where the client or building owner requests them. For simple domestic work, RAMS may not be formally required, but you should still have risk assessments in place as part of your general health and safety obligations under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. In practice, having a RAMS template that you adapt for each job demonstrates professionalism and protects you legally.

Can I use a generic RAMS template for all my jobs?

No. A generic RAMS that is not tailored to the specific job, site, and installation is not compliant with CDM 2015 or the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. Regulation 3 of the Management Regulations requires risk assessments to be "suitable and sufficient" — which means they must address the actual hazards of the actual work being done. An HSE inspector who sees a generic template that makes no reference to the specific site conditions, the specific installation, or the specific tasks being carried out will treat it as inadequate. You can start with a template, but you must customise it for every job — including the site address, the specific work scope, the hazards present, and the control measures being applied.

What format should a RAMS follow?

There is no single legally mandated format for RAMS. However, most principal contractors and clients expect a standard structure. The risk assessment section should include: the task being assessed, the hazards identified, the people at risk, the existing control measures, the risk rating (likelihood x severity), and any additional control measures. The method statement section should include: a description of the work, the sequence of operations, the equipment and materials to be used, the personnel and competencies required, the PPE required, emergency procedures, and any permits to work or isolations needed. Many contractors use a 5x5 risk matrix for scoring risks. The document should be dated, signed by the assessor, and reviewed by the responsible person before work begins.

How often should RAMS be reviewed?

RAMS should be reviewed before every new job (even if you are using a template from a similar previous job), whenever the scope of work changes during a project, whenever site conditions change (new hazards, different access arrangements), after any incident, near-miss, or safety observation, and at regular intervals during long-running projects (typically weekly or monthly). Under CDM 2015, the principal contractor is responsible for ensuring that RAMS remain current and relevant throughout the project. If you are a subcontractor, your RAMS should be reviewed and approved by the principal contractor before work starts, and any changes should be communicated and re-approved.

Can Elec-Mate generate RAMS for me?

Yes. Elec-Mate includes an AI Health and Safety Agent that can generate site-specific RAMS for electrical activities. You describe the job — the type of work, the site, the installation, and any specific hazards — and the AI produces a tailored risk assessment and method statement with proper hazard identification, risk ratings, control measures, and a step-by-step method. The output is professionally formatted and can be exported as a PDF. This is not a generic template — the AI generates content specific to your job description. You should always review the output and add any site-specific details that only you would know (for example, specific access restrictions or client requirements).

SAFETY GUIDE

RAMS for Electricians: Risk Assessments and Method Statements That Work

Every commercial job needs a RAMS. Every principal contractor demands one before you set foot on site. This guide shows you how to write risk assessments and method statements that are genuinely useful, compliant with CDM 2015 and the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, and specific to electrical work.

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12 min readUpdated 2026-06-10Andrew Moore, Founder of Elec-Mate

Written and reviewed by Andrew Moore, founder of Elec-Mate, against BS 7671:2018+A4:2026, IET Guidance Note 3 and the IET On-Site Guide.

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Key Takeaways

1RAMS (Risk Assessment and Method Statement) is the standard safety document required for electrical work on commercial, industrial, and CDM-notifiable projects.
2A risk assessment identifies hazards, evaluates the risk, and sets out control measures. A method statement describes the safe system of work step by step.
3The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 (EAWR) are the primary statutory duty-holder legislation for electrical safety at work. Regulation 16 requires that persons working on or near live electrical equipment are competent to prevent danger — your RAMS must demonstrate this competence.
4Under CDM 2015, principal contractors must ensure that RAMS are produced for all high-risk activities — including electrical work — and that they are communicated to all workers on site.
5Generic RAMS that are not tailored to the specific job, site, and installation are not compliant. Every RAMS must be site-specific and task-specific.
6A permit to work (PTW) is required in addition to RAMS for high-risk activities such as isolation of high-voltage equipment, work in confined spaces, and hot work. Proceeding without a completed permit is one of the most common and serious RAMS failings identified during site inspections.
7Elec-Mate AI Health and Safety Agent can generate site-specific RAMS for electrical activities in minutes — tailored to your job description, with proper hazard identification and control measures.

01 · Safety Guide

What Is RAMS and Why Every Electrician Needs It

RAMS stands for Risk Assessment and Method Statement. It is a combined document that identifies the hazards associated with a specific task, evaluates the risks, sets out control measures, and describes the safe step-by-step process for carrying out the work.

For electricians, RAMS are required on virtually every commercial, industrial, and CDM-notifiable project. Principal contractors will not allow you on site without them. Clients expect them. Insurance companies require evidence that risk assessments are in place. And if something goes wrong, the HSE will ask to see them.

A RAMS is not just paperwork for the sake of paperwork. When done properly, it forces you to think through the job before you start — to identify what could go wrong and plan how to prevent it. The best electricians treat the RAMS process as a genuine planning tool, not a box-ticking exercise.

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02 · Safety Guide

Risk Assessment Structure

The risk assessment is the foundation of the RAMS. It follows a structured process to identify, evaluate, and control risks. Here is the standard structure used across the UK construction industry.

Step 1: Identify the hazards. What could cause harm? For electrical work, hazards include electric shock, arc flash, burns, fire, falls from height (when accessing distribution boards at height), manual handling (lifting heavy distribution boards or cable drums), and asbestos (in older buildings).
Step 2: Identify who might be harmed. The electrician carrying out the work, other trades working nearby, building occupants, and members of the public if the work is in an accessible area.
Step 3: Evaluate the risk. Use a risk matrix to score each hazard based on likelihood (1 to 5) and severity (1 to 5). The risk score = likelihood x severity. Scores of 1 to 6 are low risk, 8 to 12 are medium risk, and 15 to 25 are high risk.
Step 4: Set out control measures. For each hazard, describe the specific measures that will reduce the risk. Follow the hierarchy of control: eliminate, substitute, engineering controls, administrative controls, PPE.
Step 5: Record and communicate. Document the assessment, share it with all workers involved, and ensure everyone understands the control measures before work begins.

The risk assessment must be specific to the job. "Electrical work" is not a hazard — "contact with live conductors during isolation of the main distribution board" is a hazard. The more specific the assessment, the more useful it is and the more compliant it is with the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.

03 · Safety Guide

Method Statement: The Step-by-Step Safe System

The method statement takes the control measures from the risk assessment and incorporates them into a step-by-step description of how the work will be carried out safely. It should be detailed enough that a competent person could follow it and carry out the work safely.

Project details: Site address, client name, project reference, date, and the name of the competent person producing the method statement.
Scope of work: A clear description of what work is being carried out — for example, "replacement of consumer unit and associated testing" or "periodic inspection and testing of the fixed electrical installation."
Sequence of operations: The step-by-step process, including preparation, safe isolation, the work itself, testing, commissioning, and reinstatement.
Equipment and materials: What tools, test instruments, materials, and access equipment will be used?
Personnel and competencies: Who will carry out the work and what qualifications and experience do they have?
PPE requirements: The specific PPE required for the task — insulated gloves, safety glasses, arc-rated clothing if working near live equipment.
Emergency procedures: What to do if something goes wrong — electric shock first aid, fire evacuation, reporting procedures.

A well-written method statement demonstrates to the principal contractor, the client, and the HSE that you have planned the work properly. It also protects you legally if an incident occurs — you can demonstrate that a safe system of work was in place.

04 · Safety Guide

CDM 2015 Requirements for RAMS

The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015) apply to all construction work in Great Britain, including electrical installation, maintenance, and testing. Under CDM 2015, several duty holders have responsibilities related to RAMS.

Principal contractor: Must plan, manage, and monitor the construction phase. This includes ensuring that RAMS are produced for all high-risk activities, are site-specific, and are communicated to all workers. The principal contractor reviews and approves subcontractor RAMS before work starts.
Contractors (including electrical subcontractors): Must plan, manage, and monitor their own work to ensure it is carried out safely. This includes producing RAMS for their activities, ensuring their workers are competent, and cooperating with the principal contractor.
Designers: Must consider how the design affects health and safety during construction and in the finished building. Electrical designers should identify hazards that will affect the installation team and communicate them through the pre-construction information.
Workers: Must cooperate with the contractor and principal contractor, follow the safe system of work described in the RAMS, and report any problems or concerns.

For projects that are CDM-notifiable (lasting more than 30 working days with more than 20 workers simultaneously, or exceeding 500 person-days), the RAMS process is more formal. The construction phase plan must include the RAMS for all high-risk activities, and the HSE notification must be displayed on site.

05 · Safety Guide

Electricity at Work Regulations 1989: The Primary Statutory Duty

CDM 2015 governs construction project management, but the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 (EAWR) are the primary legislation imposing direct duties on anyone who carries out electrical work. Every electrician's RAMS must demonstrate compliance with EAWR — not just CDM — because it is EAWR that HSE inspectors will cite if something goes wrong on an electrical job.

Regulation 4 — Systems, work activities and protective equipment: All electrical systems shall be of such construction and maintained as to prevent danger, so far as reasonably practicable. Your RAMS must describe how the installation or system being worked on meets this duty.
Regulation 13 — Precautions for work on equipment made dead: Where it is possible that electrical equipment may become live again unexpectedly, suitable precautions must be taken (lock-off, warning notices, proving dead). Your method statement must detail these steps explicitly.
Regulation 14 — Work on or near live conductors: No person shall work on live conductors unless it is unreasonable for the equipment to be made dead, the work is justified, and suitable precautions are taken. Live working must be explicitly risk-assessed and justified in the RAMS — it cannot be the default.
Regulation 16 — Competence to prevent danger or injury: No person shall engage in electrical work unless they are competent to do so, or are under close supervision by a competent person. GN3 (9th ed, A4:2026) explicitly references Reg 16 as the legal basis for restricting live diagnostic and testing work to suitably competent persons. Your RAMS must identify the competence of each person carrying out the work — qualifications, trade body registration, and relevant experience.

HSE HSG85 — Electricity at Work: Safe Working Practices

The HSE publication HSG85 'Electricity at Work: Safe Working Practices' is the authoritative guidance document underpinning every safe isolation procedure described in this guide. The On-Site Guide (OSG, Reg 12.5) states: “UK requirements for working safely on electrical systems can be found in HSG85.” GN3 (Reg 1.1) recommends that before commencing electrical work, a system of rules and procedures for the site is established as recommended by HSG85. HSE inspectors expect to see HSG85 referenced or followed in RAMS for any work on or near live electrical systems. HSG85 is a free download from the HSE website.

Permit to Work (PTW) — When RAMS Alone Is Not Sufficient

A RAMS describes the planned safe system of work. A permit to work (PTW) is a formal, signed authorisation that a specific isolation has been completed and work may safely proceed. PTW is required in addition to RAMS for:

Isolation of high-voltage equipment or busbar trunking feeders
Work in confined spaces (e.g. cable ducts, plant rooms)
Hot work near cable routes or electrical panels
Any isolation where a lock-off/tag procedure alone is insufficient

Proceeding without a completed PTW where one is required is one of the most serious failings identified during electrical site inspections. Your RAMS should state explicitly whether a PTW will be required for each activity, and who is authorised to issue it. See the safe isolation procedure guide for the full isolation sequence.

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06 · Safety Guide

Common Electrical Hazards for RAMS

When writing RAMS for electrical work, these are the hazards you should always consider and address. This is not an exhaustive list — every job will have site-specific hazards that must be identified during the planning stage.

Electric shock: Contact with live conductors. Control measures: safe isolation procedure, lock-off, proving dead, GS38-compliant test equipment, insulated tools, warning notices.
Arc flash: Short-circuit or arcing fault at high fault levels. Control measures: arc-rated PPE, risk assessment of fault levels, working on de-energised equipment wherever possible.
Fire: Overloaded circuits, loose connections, damaged cables. Control measures: fire extinguisher on site, hot work permit if required, thermal inspection before re-energising.
Working at height: Accessing distribution boards, cable trays, or lighting at height. Control measures: step-up platforms, tower scaffolds, MEWP as appropriate; fall prevention measures.
Manual handling: Lifting heavy distribution boards, cable drums, transformers. Control measures: mechanical lifting aids, two-person lift, manual handling assessment.
Asbestos: Older buildings may contain asbestos in cable routes, behind distribution boards, or in ceiling voids. Control measures: check the asbestos register before starting work, do not disturb suspect materials, stop work and report if asbestos is suspected.

07 · Safety Guide

Tips for Writing Effective RAMS

The difference between compliant RAMS and paperwork that will get you in trouble comes down to specificity and accuracy. Here are practical tips for writing RAMS that actually work.

Be specific. "Install consumer unit in kitchen" is better than "electrical installation work." "Isolate supply at main switch, lock off with personal padlock, prove dead at each outgoing way using GS38-compliant voltage indicator" is better than "safe isolation."
Match the method to the risk assessment. Every significant hazard in the risk assessment should have a corresponding control measure in the method statement. If the risk assessment identifies "working at height to access cable tray," the method statement should specify the access equipment and precautions.
Use plain language. RAMS should be understandable to everyone who needs to follow them. Avoid jargon where possible and be clear about what needs to happen at each step.
Include emergency procedures. What happens if someone receives an electric shock? Where is the nearest first aid kit? Who is the first aider on site? What is the emergency evacuation procedure?
Review and sign. The RAMS should be signed by the person producing it, reviewed and approved by the responsible person (or principal contractor), and briefed to all workers before work begins. Keep a record of the briefing.

08 · Safety Guide

Review and Approval Process

RAMS are not a write-once document. They go through a review and approval process that ensures they are accurate, complete, and understood by everyone involved.

Internal review: Before submitting to the principal contractor, review the RAMS internally. Check that all hazards are identified, control measures are adequate, and the method is accurate and complete.
Principal contractor review: The principal contractor will review your RAMS against the construction phase plan. They may request changes, additional detail, or confirmation of specific control measures.
Toolbox talk / briefing: Before work starts, brief all workers on the RAMS. Ensure everyone understands the hazards, the control measures, the safe method, and the emergency procedures. Record attendance.
Ongoing review: If conditions change during the job — new hazards, different access, scope changes — update the RAMS and re-brief the team.

09 · Safety Guide

AI-Generated RAMS: A Faster Way to Get It Right

Writing RAMS from scratch for every job takes time — time that most electricians would rather spend doing the actual work. This is where AI tools can help. Elec-Mate's AI Health and Safety Agent is purpose-built for generating site-specific RAMS for electrical activities.

Describe the job: Tell the AI what work you are doing, where, and what the installation involves. For example: "Consumer unit replacement in a 3-bedroom semi-detached house. Existing TN-C-S supply. Asbestos flash pad behind existing board."
AI generates the RAMS: The AI produces a tailored risk assessment with proper hazard identification, risk ratings, and control measures, plus a step-by-step method statement incorporating the control measures.
Review and customise: Check the output, add any site-specific details the AI could not know (access restrictions, client requirements, specific equipment), and sign off.
Export as PDF: Send the finished RAMS to the principal contractor or client as a professional PDF document.

AI-generated RAMS are not a replacement for your professional judgement — they are a starting point that saves time and ensures you do not miss standard hazards. You must always review the output and add the site-specific knowledge that only you have.

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How to Write a Risk Assessment for Electrical Work

The standard 5-step risk assessment process used across the UK construction industry, applied to electrical work.

Identify the hazards

List every hazard associated with the specific task and site — electric shock, arc flash, fire, work at height, manual handling, and asbestos in older buildings.

Identify who might be harmed

Consider the electrician, other trades, building occupants, and members of the public in accessible areas.

Evaluate the risk

Score each hazard using a 5x5 risk matrix: likelihood (1–5) multiplied by severity (1–5). Scores of 1–6 are low, 8–12 medium, 15–25 high.

Set out control measures

For each hazard, apply the hierarchy of control: eliminate, substitute, engineering controls, administrative controls, then PPE as a last resort.

Record, communicate, and review

Document the completed assessment, brief all workers before work starts, obtain signatures, and review whenever conditions or scope change.

Frequently Asked Questions About RAMS for Electricians

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RAMS for Electricians: Risk Assessments and Method Statements That Work

Key Takeaways

What Is RAMS and Why Every Electrician Needs It

Get the BS 7671 A4:2026 Cheat Sheet — free

Risk Assessment Structure

Method Statement: The Step-by-Step Safe System

CDM 2015 Requirements for RAMS

Electricity at Work Regulations 1989: The Primary Statutory Duty

Generate RAMS in minutes

Common Electrical Hazards for RAMS

Tips for Writing Effective RAMS

Review and Approval Process

AI-Generated RAMS: A Faster Way to Get It Right

Generate RAMS in minutes with AI

How to Write a Risk Assessment for Electrical Work

Identify the hazards

Identify who might be harmed

Evaluate the risk

Set out control measures

Record, communicate, and review

Frequently Asked Questions About RAMS for Electricians

What is the difference between a risk assessment and a method statement?

When do I need RAMS for electrical work?

Can I use a generic RAMS template for all my jobs?

What format should a RAMS follow?

How often should RAMS be reviewed?

Can Elec-Mate generate RAMS for me?

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