How to Write a RAMS for Working at Height: UK Compliance Guide

If you work in construction, facilities management, or any trade that puts people above ground level, you already know that falls from height are the single biggest cause of workplace death in the UK. What you might not know is how many of those fatalities trace back to inadequate planning, specifically a missing or poorly written RAMS.

This guide walks you through everything you need to include in a RAMS for working at height. It covers the legal requirements, the hazards you must address, the control measures for every common access method, and the rescue plan section that most people forget entirely. Written for site managers, supervisors, and contractors who need to get this right, not for people who have time to read a textbook.

Falls from Height: The UK's Biggest Construction Killer

According to the HSE's annual fatal injury statistics, falls from height account for approximately 35 to 40 deaths per year in the UK. That figure has remained stubbornly consistent for over a decade. On top of that, more than 4,000 workers suffer non-fatal injuries from falls every year, many of them life-changing.

Construction accounts for the largest share of these deaths, but falls from height kill workers across every sector: facilities management, telecoms, warehousing, agriculture, and building maintenance. If someone can fall from one level to another and injure themselves, the Working at Height Regulations 2005 apply.

A critical point that many people get wrong: there is no minimum height threshold. The Regulations define "work at height" as any work in any place where a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury. That includes standing on a chair to change a light fitting. It includes stepping onto a flat roof to inspect guttering. If you could fall and get hurt, it counts.

This is exactly why every task involving height needs its own RAMS. Generic documentation does not cut it when a coroner is asking why your operative fell through a fragile roof light that was clearly visible from the ground.

What the Working at Height Regulations 2005 Require

The Working at Height Regulations 2005 replaced a patchwork of older rules and established a single, clear framework. The Regulations apply to all work at height where there is a risk of a fall liable to cause personal injury. They place duties on employers, the self-employed, and anyone who controls the work of others.

The core requirements, in order of priority:

1. Avoid work at height where it is reasonably practicable to do so. Can the task be done from ground level? Can components be pre-assembled at ground level and lifted into position? If yes, do that instead.
2. Where work at height cannot be avoided, use work equipment or other measures to prevent falls. This means existing safe places of work (properly guarded platforms, fixed walkways) or collective protection like guardrails, scaffolding, and safety netting.
3. Where the risk of a fall cannot be eliminated, minimise the distance and consequences of a fall. Personal fall protection (harnesses, lanyards, inertia reels) sits here. It is the last resort, not the first option.
4. Plan for emergencies and rescue. You cannot put someone in a harness without a plan for getting them down if they fall. Suspension trauma can kill a conscious person in 15 to 20 minutes.
5. Ensure that work at height is only carried out by competent persons (or those under the direct supervision of a competent person). Training records should be referenced in the RAMS.

Your RAMS for working at height must demonstrate that you have followed this hierarchy. An inspector or court will look at whether you considered avoidance first, then collective protection, then personal protection. If your RAMS jumps straight to "issue harnesses" without explaining why guardrails were not feasible, you have a compliance gap.

Key Hazards to Include in Your RAMS

Every working at height RAMS should address the following hazards as a minimum. Not all will apply to every task, but you need to actively consider each one and record why it does or does not apply.

• Falls from edges and openings including unprotected edges of scaffolding, flat roofs, mezzanine floors, stairwells under construction, and openings in floors or walls.
• Falls through fragile surfaces such as roof lights, fibre cement sheets, corroded metal decking, liner panels, and skylights. Fragile surface falls are disproportionately fatal because the person typically falls the full height of the building.
• Falling objects including tools, materials, fixings, and debris that can fall from working platforms onto people below. Toe boards, tool lanyards, and exclusion zones are the standard controls.
• Scaffold collapse or failure due to inadequate foundations, missing ties, overloading, or unauthorised alterations. More common than you would think, particularly on domestic projects.
• Ladder slips and falls from incorrect angle, unstable ground, overreaching, carrying materials while climbing, or using a damaged ladder.
• MEWP tip-over or ejection from soft ground, slopes, overhead obstructions, collision with other vehicles, or the operator being catapulted from the basket.
• Weather conditions including wind (most scaffold manufacturers specify a maximum wind speed, typically 17 m/s for general use), ice on working platforms, wet surfaces reducing grip, and reduced visibility in fog or heavy rain.

Your RAMS should also consider the people at risk. This is not just the operatives working at height. It includes anyone who might be below the working area, anyone who might access the area outside of working hours, and members of the public if the work is near a public space.

Control Measures by Access Method

Different access methods bring different risks. Your RAMS needs to specify the exact access equipment being used and the control measures specific to that equipment. Here is what to cover for the most common methods.

Scaffolding

Scaffolding is the preferred access method for most sustained work at height because it provides a stable working platform with collective fall protection. Your RAMS should specify:

• The scaffold will be erected, altered, and dismantled by a competent scaffolder holding a CISRS card (Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme).
• The scaffold will be designed in accordance with NASC (National Access and Scaffolding Confederation) guidance, specifically TG20 for tube and fitting scaffolds or manufacturer's instructions for system scaffolds.
• Inspections will be carried out before first use, after any event likely to affect stability (such as high winds), and at intervals not exceeding 7 days. Results will be recorded on an inspection register.
• All working platforms will comply with SG4 (Preventing Falls in Scaffolding Operations): double guardrails at 950mm and 470mm, toe boards at 150mm minimum, and close-boarded platforms.
• Loading limits will be clearly displayed and not exceeded. Materials will be evenly distributed across the platform.
• Scafftags or equivalent handover systems will be used to prevent access to incomplete scaffolds.

Ladders

Ladders should only be used as a means of access to a working platform, or for light, short-duration work (up to 30 minutes) where the risk assessment confirms a ladder is the most appropriate option. They are a last resort, not a default. Your RAMS should cover:

• Ladders will be set at a 75-degree angle (1:4 ratio: for every 4 metres of height, the base should be 1 metre from the wall).
• Three points of contact will be maintained at all times while climbing. No materials will be carried while ascending or descending.
• Ladders will extend at least 1 metre above the landing point (or suitable handhold provided) and will be secured at the top, or footed by a second person if securing is not practicable.
• Pre-use visual inspection will check for cracked stiles, missing rungs, damaged feet, and corrosion. Defective ladders will be taken out of service immediately.
• Ladders will be placed on firm, level ground. Ladder levellers or leg extensions may be used on uneven ground, but packing with loose materials (bricks, blocks) is prohibited.

MEWPs (Mobile Elevating Work Platforms)

Cherry pickers, scissor lifts, and boom lifts are increasingly common on construction sites and in facilities management. They offer excellent reach and a stable working platform, but they introduce their own hazards. Your RAMS should include:

• Only IPAF-trained and licenced operators will use the MEWP. The licence category must match the machine type (3a for scissor lifts, 3b for boom lifts).
• A daily pre-use check will be completed before each shift, covering controls, safety devices, outriggers, tyres, and structural integrity.
• Outriggers will be fully deployed on firm ground with spreader plates before the platform is elevated. No operation on slopes exceeding the manufacturer's stated limit.
• Operators in boom-type MEWPs will wear a full body harness with a short restraint lanyard attached to the designated anchor point inside the basket. This prevents ejection, not free fall.
• A rescue plan for basket failure will be documented. This must cover how a stranded operator at height will be brought down if the machine loses power or the controls fail. Options include a second MEWP on standby, ground-level override controls, or a fire service call-out arrangement.
• An exclusion zone will be established beneath the working area to protect people from falling objects.

Roof Work

Roof work is one of the highest-risk activities in construction. Falls from roofs, and particularly falls through fragile roof materials, are consistently among the most common causes of fatal falls. Your RAMS must address:

• Edge protection compliant with EN 13374 (temporary edge protection systems) or equivalent permanent protection. Class A (static loads) for flat roofs, Class B (low-pitched), or Class C (steep roofs) as appropriate.
• All fragile surfaces (roof lights, liner panels, fibre cement sheets) will be identified, marked with warning signs, and either covered with walk boards rated to support the load or protected by nets below.
• Safety netting will be installed below the working area where practicable, in accordance with EN 1263 (safety nets). Nets are collective protection and are preferred over harnesses.
• Harness and lanyard systems are a last resort for roof work, used only where edge protection and netting are not reasonably practicable. Where used, suitable anchor points must be identified (minimum 12 kN capacity) and the system must limit free fall to 2 metres maximum.
• Crawling boards or roof ladders will be used on sloping roofs to spread the load and provide a secure working position.

Stepladders

Stepladders are appropriate only for light, short-duration work where the user can maintain three points of contact and does not need to overreach. They should never be used for heavy or prolonged tasks. Your RAMS should state:

• Stepladders will be fully opened with all locking devices engaged.
• Work will face the stepladder (not side-on) and operatives will not stand on the top two steps unless the stepladder is designed for that purpose.
• Maximum duration of 30 minutes per task. If the work takes longer, a more suitable platform (scaffold tower, podium step) should be used instead.
• Stepladders will be placed on firm, level ground and positioned so the user does not need to overreach (belt buckle stays within the stiles at all times).

The Rescue Plan: The Section Most People Forget

This is the section that separates a competent RAMS from a box-ticking exercise. Regulation 4 of the Working at Height Regulations 2005 explicitly requires that emergency and rescue procedures are in place before work at height begins. Not "considered." Not "available if needed." In place.

If a worker falls while wearing a harness and is left suspended, they are at risk of suspension trauma (also called harness hang syndrome). Blood pools in the legs, circulation is compromised, and without rescue the person can lose consciousness within minutes and die within 15 to 20 minutes. This is not a theoretical risk. It happens.

Your rescue plan should address:

• Who is the designated rescuer? They must be named or identified by role, present on site during all height work, and trained in the rescue method.
• What rescue equipment is available? This could be a rescue descent device, a second MEWP, a rescue kit with pulleys and slings, or a pre-rigged retrieval system. The equipment must be on site, accessible, and the rescuer must know how to use it.
• What is the target rescue time? Best practice is to achieve rescue within 5 to 10 minutes of a fall. If your plan relies on the fire service, understand that response times in rural areas can be 20 minutes or more, which may be too late.
• Never work at height alone. At minimum, a second person must be present who can raise the alarm and initiate rescue or call emergency services.

If your RAMS says "in the event of a fall, call 999" and nothing else, it is not a rescue plan. It is a hope. Write out the actual steps: who does what, with what equipment, in what order.

Sample Hazard Entry

A good hazard entry in your RAMS should be specific, not generic. Here is an example of what a properly written entry looks like for a common working at height scenario:

Hazard: Fall from edge of flat roof during gutter replacement

Who is at risk: Roofers working at the roof edge, operatives and pedestrians at ground level (from falling tools/materials)

Risk level before controls: High (Likelihood 4 x Severity 5 = 20)

Control measures:

1. Scaffold with full guardrails erected to roof edge perimeter by CISRS-carded scaffolder
2. Scaffold inspected before first use and every 7 days thereafter
3. Toe boards and brick guards fitted to prevent tools and materials falling to ground level
4. Exclusion zone at ground level with barriers and signage
5. All operatives briefed on rescue plan before work begins
6. Weather check before each shift; work to stop if wind exceeds 17 m/s

Risk level after controls: Low (Likelihood 2 x Severity 5 = 10)

Notice how the severity stays at 5 (a fall from a roof can still kill regardless of controls), but the likelihood drops significantly because the controls are specific and practical. This is how a well-written RAMS demonstrates that risk has been reduced to as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP).

Generate Your Working at Height RAMS in 2 Minutes

Writing all of this from scratch takes hours. You know what needs to go in it, but assembling the hazard entries, control measures, legislative references, and rescue plan into a properly formatted document is the part that eats your evening.

SwiftRMS uses AI to generate task-specific RAMS that include every section covered in this guide. Describe your working at height task (the access method, the location, what you are doing up there) and the automated risk assessment engine produces a full RAMS with:

• Hazards specific to your access method (scaffolding, MEWP, ladder, roof work)
• Control measures that follow the hierarchy of control
• Working at Height Regulations 2005 references (and any other applicable legislation)
• A rescue plan section with designated rescuers and equipment
• Risk ratings before and after controls
• Digital sign-off so every operative acknowledges the document before starting work

You review it, add any site-specific details, and sign off. The whole process takes about 2 minutes. Try it free and see for yourself.

Related Guides

Working at height RAMS do not exist in isolation. Here are guides that cover the broader documentation framework you should have in place:

• What is a RAMS Document? - The fundamentals of risk assessment and method statements, who needs them, and what they must contain.
• CDM Regulations Guide - How the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 affect your documentation requirements.
• Construction Phase Plan - Required for every construction project under CDM 2015, and how it links to your task-level RAMS.
• How to Write a Method Statement - Step-by-step guide to the method statement half of your RAMS.