Risk Assessment vs Method Statement: What's the Difference?

Risk assessment

A risk assessment identifies hazards, who might be harmed and how, and the controls needed. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require employers to carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment, and to record the significant findings if they employ five or more people.

Method statement

A method statement explains, step by step, how a task will be done safely — putting the risk assessment's controls into practice. It isn't named in law, but principal contractors routinely ask for one.

RAMS

RAMS simply combines the two into one document, so the workers carrying out the task can see the risks and the safe method together.

Tips for good RAMS

• Make them task and site specific — not generic
• Write them for the people doing the work
• Brief the team and record their sign-off
• Review when the task, site or team changes