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RAMS & Workplace Compliance

Risk assessments, method statements and the law, in plain English

Practical guidance on risk assessments, method statements, RIDDOR and the workplace safety law every employer has to meet.

All topics
Getting the paperwork right is where safe work starts. These guides walk through risk assessments and method statements (RAMS), risk registers, RIDDOR reporting and the everyday hazards that put people and compliance at risk, written the way our consultants explain them on site.

21 Articles

rams-workplace-compliance 4 min read

10 Hazards That Are Instant Killers in the Workplace

Ten workplace hazards that can kill in seconds, from moving machinery to toxic fumes, plus the practical controls employers use to prevent fatal injuries.

Gavin Coyle
rams-workplace-compliance 3 min read

How Safety Can Be Achieved on a Budget

Balancing safety and cost is a challenge, not an impossibility. Low-cost measures that target your biggest risks can keep a workplace safe on any budget.

Gavin Coyle
rams-workplace-compliance 9 min read

Good Housekeeping Can Prevent Falls in the Workplace

Falls are among the most common workplace injuries. Good housekeeping, from clear walkways to prompt spill clean-ups, is a simple way to prevent them all.

Gavin Coyle
rams-workplace-compliance 5 min read

Hazards in the Office and How to Spot Them

The office isn't always the safest place. Learn to spot common hazards, from slips and trips to poor air quality, and the steps that reduce the risks.

Gavin Coyle
rams-workplace-compliance 4 min read

How to Stop Hot Spillages in the Office Environment

Hot fluids cause scalds, burns and even fires in the office. Six simple habits, from lidded cups to stable surfaces, keep hot spillages under control.

Gavin Coyle
rams-workplace-compliance 5 min read

How Data Tracking Improves Your Safety Standards

Safety Management Systems track incidents, training, and compliance. Learn eight ways data tracking improves safety, plus four steps to make it count.

Gavin Coyle
rams-workplace-compliance 3 min read

Powered Gate Safety: Devices, Signs and Daily Checks

Powered gates cut costs and add security, but they can trap or crush. Learn the devices, signs, and daily checks a responsible person must keep in place.

Gavin Coyle
rams-workplace-compliance 7 min read

How to Build a Safety Budget for UK Employers

Build a safety budget UK employers can defend: why indirect costs run 200–400% higher than direct spend, plus 9 practical steps to cut injury costs.

Gavin Coyle
rams-workplace-compliance 3 min read

The True Cost of Workplace Accidents

Occupational deaths still happen. Weighing the true cost of accidents, including the hidden ones, against prevention shows why prevention always wins.

Gavin Coyle
rams-workplace-compliance 3 min read

The Expanding Role of Today's Safety Professionals

Today's safety professionals assess hazards, build safety programmes, train teams, and advise management. Explore their expanding roles, duties, and value.

Gavin Coyle
rams-workplace-compliance 3 min read

How Modern Safety Teams Balance Law, Plant and People

Modern health and safety teams juggle shifting laws, plant conditions, and staff wellbeing. Learn how commitment and resources build a team that pays off.

Gavin Coyle
rams-workplace-compliance 5 min read

Heinrich Triangle: 1-29-300 Ratio & Domino Theory

See Heinrich's 1-29-300 accident triangle and five-domino chain, plus Bird's updated 1-10-30-600 ratio, so you can judge whether it still fits your UK site.

Gavin Coyle

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a RAMS document and when is one required?

A RAMS is a combined Risk Assessment and Method Statement. The risk assessment identifies hazards and controls; the method statement sets out how the work is done safely, step by step. UK employers must record the significant findings of their risk assessment once they have 5 or more employees, and RAMS are the practical way most contractors and clients evidence that on higher-risk work.

What has to be reported under RIDDOR?

RIDDOR covers work-related deaths, specified injuries (fractures beyond fingers and toes, amputations, loss of sight, and similar), injuries that stop someone working more than 7 consecutive days, dangerous occurrences, and defined occupational diseases. The deadlines are 10 days from the incident for most reports and 15 days for over-7-day injuries.

Do small businesses need a written risk assessment?

Every employer and self-employed person must assess the risks in their work. Once you employ 5 or more people, the significant findings must be recorded in writing. Below that, a written record is still recommended because it is the easiest way to prove that a competent risk assessment was actually done.

What is a risk register and how does it differ from a risk assessment?

A risk assessment is the process of identifying hazards, evaluating risk and choosing controls for a specific activity or workplace. A risk register is the live document that tracks those risks over time, with owners, review dates and residual scores, so directors and safety leads can see the whole risk picture in one place.

Compliance you can stand over

Coyle Group has delivered over one million hours of safety work across regulated, high-risk industries. Our founder is a Chartered member of IOSH.