Top 10 High-Risk Construction Activities That Need Detailed RAMS

35 construction workers died on UK sites in 2024/25.

That's not a scare tactic. That's the HSE's latest RIDDOR data, published July 2025. Construction remains the deadliest industry in Britain - and it's not even close.

The thing is, most of these deaths were preventable. Not with better equipment or more training (though those help), but with proper planning. With someone sitting down beforehand and thinking through what could go wrong and what controls would stop it.

That's what RAMS are for. And some activities need them more than others.

Here are the 10 construction activities where cutting corners on risk assessments gets people killed.

The Quick List

If you're in a rush (and when aren't you?), here's what we're covering:

1. Working at Height - 35 deaths from falls last year
2. Excavation & Trenching - collapse buries workers in seconds
3. Demolition - structural failure is unforgiving
4. Electrical Work - you don't get a second chance
5. Confined Spaces - invisible atmosphere hazards
6. Hot Works - fires start faster than you think
7. Lifting Operations - 18 deaths from falling objects
8. Asbestos Work - the slow killer
9. Steel Erection - height plus heavy materials
10. Mobile Plant Operations - 14 vehicle strike deaths

Now let's get into each one.

1. Working at Height

Falls from height killed 35 workers across all UK industries in 2024/25. It's the single biggest killer on construction sites, and it has been for decades.

We're talking roof work, scaffolding, ladders, MEWPs, steel erection - anything where someone could fall more than 2 metres. The Work at Height Regulations 2005 are clear: you need to plan, organise, and document the controls.

What your RAMS must cover:

• Can the work be done from ground level instead?
• Edge protection systems (guardrails, toe boards)
• Fall arrest vs fall prevention - which is appropriate?
• Fragile surface identification and controls
• Rescue plan if someone does fall
• Weather conditions that stop work

The HSE won't accept 'workers will be careful' as a control measure. They want specifics.

2. Excavation and Trenching

Trench collapses are brutal. A cubic metre of soil weighs roughly 1.5 tonnes. When the walls come in, there's no digging yourself out.

The CDM Regulations 2015 specifically call out excavation as high-risk work requiring written procedures. Your RAMS need to be site-specific - what worked on clay soil last month might kill someone in sandy ground this week.

What your RAMS must cover:

• Ground conditions and stability assessment
• Shoring, battering, or benching requirements
• Underground service detection (CAT scanner, permits)
• Edge protection and barriers
• Spoil storage distance from edge
• Daily inspection regime and who signs off

3. Demolition

Demolition is controlled destruction. The problem is when the 'controlled' part fails.

BS 6187 sets out the standards, but the CDM Regulations require a written plan for any demolition work. Not a generic template - an actual engineered sequence showing how the structure comes down without taking workers with it.

What your RAMS must cover:

• Structural survey findings
• Sequence of demolition (which bits come down when)
• Exclusion zones and how they're enforced
• Pre-weakening procedures
• Hazardous material identification (asbestos, lead paint)
• Adjacent structure protection

4. Electrical Work

Electricity doesn't give warnings. Contact with live conductors kills instantly or causes burns that kill slowly. The HSE recorded 13 deaths from contact with machinery and electricity in 2024/25.

• Overhead line and underground cable detection

What your RAMS must cover:

• Isolation procedures and lock-out/tag-out
• Permit to work requirements
• Testing equipment and proving dead
• Competency requirements (who can do what)
• Emergency procedures if someone gets shocked
• Overhead line and underground cable detection

5. Confined Spaces

Manholes, tanks, silos, drainage systems, crawl spaces - anywhere with limited access and potential atmospheric hazards. The air looks fine. Then someone passes out and the person who goes in to rescue them dies too.

The Confined Spaces Regulations 1997 are explicit: don't enter unless you absolutely have to, and if you do, have a documented safe system of work.

What your RAMS must cover:

• Can the work be done without entry?
• Atmospheric testing (before and continuous)
• Ventilation requirements
• Rescue plan and equipment (don't rely on the fire service)
• Communication systems
• Permit to work and top-man requirements

6. Hot Works

Welding, cutting, grinding, brazing - anything that generates sparks or heat. Insurance companies hate hot works for good reason: it's one of the leading causes of construction site fires.

A spark can smoulder for hours before igniting. Your RAMS needs to account for that - including what happens after the welders go home.

What your RAMS must cover:

• Hot work permit system
• Fire watch duration (typically 60 mins after work stops)
• Combustible material removal or protection
• Fire extinguisher requirements and locations
• Spark containment (screens, blankets)
• Gas cylinder storage and handling

7. Lifting Operations

Being struck by a moving object killed 18 workers in 2024/25. A lot of those were things being lifted - loads slipping, rigging failing, cranes overloading.

LOLER (Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998) requires every lift to be planned by a competent person. That plan needs to be documented.

What your RAMS must cover:

• Load weights and centre of gravity
• Crane capacity vs lift requirements
• Rigging and slinging arrangements
• Exclusion zones during lifts
• Communication signals between slinger and operator
• Ground conditions for crane setup

8. Asbestos Work

Asbestos kills around 5,000 people per year in the UK. Not immediately - it takes 15-60 years for mesothelioma to develop. But every exposure increases the risk, and there's no safe level.

The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 set out exactly what's required. Licensed work needs notifying to HSE. Non-licensed work still needs documented procedures.

What your RAMS must cover:

• Asbestos type and condition assessment
• Licensed vs non-licensed work determination
• Enclosure requirements
• RPE and PPE specifications
• Decontamination procedures
• Waste disposal route and documentation

9. Steel Erection

Steel erection combines two killers: working at height and being struck by heavy objects. Steelworkers routinely work on unfinished structures with minimal edge protection, handling beams that weigh tonnes.

• Fall protection strategy (nets, airbags, harnesses)

What your RAMS must cover:

• Erection sequence and temporary stability
• Fall protection strategy (nets, airbags, harnesses)
• Safe access routes at each stage
• Connection bolt torque requirements
• Wind speed limits
• Exclusion zones below active work

10. Mobile Plant Operations

Being struck by a moving vehicle killed 14 workers last year. Excavators, dumpers, telehandlers, rollers - heavy machines with limited visibility and workers who assume the driver can see them.

Most plant strikes happen during reversing. Your RAMS needs to separate people from machines, not just tell people to 'be aware'.

What your RAMS must cover:

• Traffic management plan (one-way systems, pedestrian routes)
• Reversing controls (banksmen, cameras, sensors)
• Operator competency (CPCS, NPORS cards)
• Daily inspection checklist
• Exclusion zones during operations
• Ground conditions and stability

How to Prioritise Your RAMS

Not every activity needs the same depth of documentation. Here's how to think about it:

If someone could die or be seriously injured, the RAMS needs to be detailed and site-specific. Generic templates won't cut it. You need to show you've thought about THIS job, on THIS site, with THESE workers.

For lower-risk activities, a well-adapted template can work. But even then, someone competent needs to review it against the actual conditions.

The CDM Regulations don't just ask 'do you have a RAMS?' They ask 'is it suitable and sufficient?' An HSE inspector can tell the difference between documentation that was written for this job and boilerplate that's been recycled for the tenth time.

Making High-Risk RAMS Less Painful

Here's the reality: writing proper RAMS for high-risk activities takes time. Time you probably don't have between managing sites, chasing materials, and dealing with client demands.

That's why we built swiftRMS. You describe the job - including the specific hazards and site conditions - and the AI generates a complete RAMS with appropriate control measures. It cites the right legislation. It includes the specifics that HSE inspectors actually look for.

It's not a template. It's a document generated for your specific activity, on your specific site.

See real examples of what swiftRMS generates for high-risk activities, or try it yourself.

FAQ

What makes a construction activity "high-risk"?

High-risk activities are those with potential for death or serious injury. The CDM Regulations 2015 specifically list several - including work at height, excavation, demolition, work with asbestos, and confined spaces. But any activity where controls failing could kill someone should be treated as high-risk.

Do I need separate RAMS for each high-risk activity?

It depends on the project. For complex jobs with multiple high-risk activities, separate task-specific RAMS make sense. For simpler jobs where activities are interconnected, a comprehensive RAMS covering all activities can work - but it needs to address each hazard specifically. The key is that every significant hazard has documented controls.

Who should write RAMS for high-risk work?

Someone competent in that specific type of work. For licensed asbestos removal, that means a licensed contractor. For demolition, someone who understands structural engineering principles. For lifting operations, someone trained in lift planning. Generic health and safety knowledge isn't enough for high-risk activities.

How often should high-risk RAMS be reviewed?

Before work starts (obviously), but also whenever conditions change. New hazards discovered? Review. Weather conditions change? Review. Different workers on site? Brief them. Near miss? Review. The RAMS is a living document, not something you write once and file away.

What happens if HSE finds inadequate RAMS for high-risk work?

Best case: an improvement notice requiring you to stop work until documentation is sorted. Worse case: a prohibition notice shutting down the activity immediately. If someone's been hurt, inadequate RAMS become evidence of negligence in court. Fines for CDM breaches can reach unlimited amounts, and directors can face personal prosecution.