RAMS for working at height
Last updated 17 October 2026
A RAMS for working at height has to say how a fall will be prevented on this job, not only that harnesses are available.
A RAMS for working at height is the record of how this job will stop people and materials falling. It should say what the access is, who can be underneath, and what happens if the weather or the platform changes. A site-ready RAMS your principal contractor can review is specific enough to brief from, and it still has to be checked by a competent person.
The roofing and scaffolding templates start from those hazards. Open the wizard when you know which one matches the work.
Worked example
Replacing tiles along a rear pitch, with a pavement at the front and a garden at the back:
- The working platform is a scaffold with a guard rail to the eaves. The method does not say “harness if required”.
- Roof lights are treated as fragile and are covered before the gang walks that area.
- An exclusion under the hoist is in place before tiles move. The person watching the pavement can stop the lift.
- If the wind makes the pitch unsafe, work stops and the scaffold is left secure. Nobody “finishes the elevation” in conditions the assessment ruled out.
What the law is asking for
- Work at Height Regulations 2005. Avoid, prevent, then mitigate. Inspect scaffolding before use and at least every seven days, and after anything that could affect its safety.
- Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, where the work is construction. The RAMS supports the plan for this task. It is not the whole construction phase plan.
- Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. Significant findings are written down when the law requires a written record, and the controls are actually used.
- Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998, if materials are lifted to the work area.
Questions
Is “wear a harness” enough?
No. The Work at Height Regulations 2005 put collective protection, such as a guard rail or a scaffold, ahead of a harness. A harness is a last resort, and it needs an anchor, a rescue plan and people who know how to use it.
Does the RAMS replace the scaffold inspection?
No. A scaffold still has to be inspected before use and at the intervals the Work at Height Regulations require. The RAMS should say that the crew will not start until that inspection is in place.
Which template should I start from?
Use the roofing template when people are on a roof, and the scaffolding template when the job is the scaffold itself. A general template is a weaker start for either.