Electrical RAMS for UK Sites

Typical activities to cover

• First-fix containment — tray, basket, trunking and conduit installation, often at height.
• Cable pulling, dressing and termination, including through risers and ceiling voids.
• Distribution board changes, consumer unit replacements and new circuit installation.
• Isolation, lock-off and proving dead before work on existing installations.
• Inspection, testing and certification, including any testing that cannot be done dead.
• Fault finding and reactive repairs on occupied premises.
• Temporary site supplies, generators and festoon or task lighting.
• Commissioning, energisation and handover.

Hazards and planning considerations

• Electric shock, burns and arcing from live or inadequately proved circuits.
• Unexpected re-energisation — who controls the isolation point and the lock-off keys.
• Working at height on steps, podiums, towers or MEWPs for containment and lighting.
• Hidden services in walls, floors and ceilings before drilling or fixing.
• Manual handling of cable drums, boards, trunking lengths and tool cases.
• Dust and noise from drilling and chasing, including silica-containing materials.
• Confined or restricted spaces such as risers, ceiling voids, plant rooms and ducts.
• Shared areas and other trades — occupied buildings, segregation and public interface.
• Loss of power to systems that others depend on, including life-safety systems.
• Permits and authorisations required by the client or principal contractor.

Site-specific information you need to provide

• Exact site address, access arrangements, working hours and any out-of-hours constraints.
• Who the client, principal contractor and your own supervisor are, and how they are contacted.
• The specific circuits, boards or systems involved and who authorises isolation.
• Whether the building is occupied and what has to stay live during the works.
• Access equipment available on site, and who is trained to use it.
• Permit requirements, induction arrangements and any client-specific rules.
• First aid and emergency arrangements, including the nearest A&E.
• Competence and qualification records for the operatives actually doing the work.

Illustrative outline sequence

Illustrative only. This is not a complete safe system of work. It must be adapted to your actual job, site and team, and reviewed and approved by a competent person before any work starts.

1. Site induction, permit obtained, work area agreed with the client's representative.
2. Area set out and segregated; access equipment inspected before use.
3. Isolation point identified, isolated, locked off and proved dead with approved test equipment.
4. Containment installed, cables pulled and dressed, terminations made.
5. Inspection and testing carried out and results recorded.
6. Circuits energised in a controlled way with the area clear and the client informed.
7. Area cleaned, waste removed, certification and handover documents issued.

How the builder helps

• Pick the activity groups relevant to your electrical works and the library brings in the recommended controls and risk ratings before and after controls.
• Add custom hazards for anything specific to the installation or building.
• Record COSHH items such as sealants, cleaners and adhesives, and attach data sheets.
• Complete manual handling assessments for cable drums and heavy equipment.
• Write the sequence of works yourself, dictate it, or ask the AI for a first draft to edit.
• Set your company details and brand colour, then export a PDF or editable Word document.

Not sure where to start? Read the step-by-step guide or draft a RAMS with AI from a short job brief.