How to write a RAMS for scaffolding in the UK (2026 guide)

What HSE actually expects from a scaffolding RAMS

If you have ever had a generic scaffolding RAMS template handed back to you with a red pen through it, you already know that "having a RAMS" and "having a RAMS that survives an HSE site visit" are not the same thing. The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 do not prescribe a fixed RAMS format. What they require is that the document is suitable and sufficient for the specific work being done. A copy-paste template that mentions ladders for a job that is all system scaffold, or that sets generic wind limits for a coastal site exposed to sea-state weather, is not suitable and is not sufficient.

The HSE scaffolding guidance sets the baseline. On top of that the working documents are NASC's TG20:21 (tube and fitting design), SG4:22 (preventing falls during scaffolding work), TG4:19 (anchorage systems and ties) and SG6:15 (manual handling). Every scaffolding RAMS in 2026 should reference these by name and number, not as wallpaper but because the controls in the RAMS are derived from them.

A good way to test whether your RAMS is fit for purpose is to ask a simple question: if a different scaffolder, who has never been to this site, picked up your RAMS, could they get the job done safely without further verbal briefing? If the answer is no, the document is too generic. That is the bar.

The 8 sections every scaffolding RAMS must contain

HSE inspectors are not looking for a particular structure. They are looking for content that proves you have thought about this specific job. The eight sections below are the ones that consistently come up in inspection. If your document is missing one of them, expect an awkward conversation.

1. Activity and scope of works

This is not "we are erecting a scaffold". This is what type of scaffold (tube and fitting access, system scaffold, birdcage, hanging scaffold, mobile tower), what it is for (re-roof, repointing, window replacement, render), the height and footprint, the load class under TG20:21, and the duration of the contract. Inspectors read this section first to understand whether the rest of the RAMS is plausible. A vague scope hides a vague risk assessment.

2. Description of works

A short prose summary, not a copy of the sequence. Mention the design route used (TG20:21 compliance sheet or bespoke design and who calculated it), the tie strategy (chemical anchors, ring bolts, drilled and resin-fixed, friction ties), the access strategy (internal ladders, external staircase tower), and any non-routine elements such as cantilevers, bridges over openings, debris fans or temporary roofs. If your job has any of those, they need to appear in this section and again in the sequence below.

3. Sequence of events

This is the longest section and the one inspectors scrutinise most. Break the work into discrete phases: arrival and pre-start, material delivery and laydown, erection, daily inspection and handover, alteration during the contract, dismantle, and end-of-shift. Each phase gets numbered steps. The steps must be specific to the job, not boilerplate. If your sequence says "follow SG4:22" without explaining how, you will be marked down. If it says "operatives clip on at all times when above 4 metres in line with SG4:22, with lanyards attached to a sound ledger or transom and never to a guardrail", you have shown you understand SG4:22.

4. Plant and equipment

Every piece of equipment used on site needs three things in this section: what it is, what it is used for, and the special requirements that apply. For a gin wheel that is "raising and lowering scaffold components", "6-monthly thorough examination under LOLER 1998, pre-use check, SWL clearly marked". For a circular saw used to cut boards, "wood only, never metal, PUWER 1998 inspection, guards functional, 110V supply via RCD, operator trained". This section is also where any anemometer, tie testing equipment and harnesses are listed. If you list equipment without standards or certificates, inspectors assume you do not have them.

5. Safety responsibilities

Name the roles, not the people, unless the people are required to be named. Principal Contractor, Employer's Director, Contracts Manager, Site Supervisor (with CISRS Supervisor card), Lead Scaffolder, scaffolders to appropriate CISRS level. If the job is rail-adjacent, name a COSS. If it is near water, name a water rescuer. If you have a scaffold alarm fitted, the alarm system supplier is a named role. The point of this section is to make the chain of responsibility unambiguous.

6. PPE required

List by EN standard. Helmet to EN 397 with chinstrap when working at height. Footwear to EN ISO 20345 with 200J toe and penetration resistance. Hi-vis to EN ISO 20471 (specify Class 2 or Class 3). Gloves to EN 388 with the cut level. Eye protection to EN 166. Harness to EN 361 with lanyard to EN 354/355, daily pre-use check, six-monthly thorough examination. Hearing protection to EN 352 when using power tools. Dust mask or RPE to EN 149 FFP3 when cutting tube or boards, face-fit tested. The "face-fit tested" part is what most generic templates miss.

7. Relevant legislation

Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, CDM 2015, Work at Height Regulations 2005, PUWER 1998, Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, PPE at Work Regulations 1992 (as amended 2022), COSHH 2002, Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (especially on pre-2000 buildings), RIDDOR 2013, Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005, Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992. Then the NASC documents: TG20:21, TG4:19, SG4:22, SG6:15. Then the HSE guidance notes that apply (INDG455 for ladders, INDG401 for risk assessment).

8. Worker sign-off

A blank table for name, signature and date is the minimum. Better is a QR code that opens a sign-off page on your phone, with a record of who has read the RAMS and when. Inspectors increasingly expect to see digital sign-off because paper sign-off sheets are easy to fake and easy to lose. If you can produce a list of every worker who has read this specific RAMS within the last seven days, you are well ahead of the bar.

Site-specific modifiers: when generic isn't enough

The same scaffold spec on a different site is not the same job. A 20-metre access scaffold on a quiet industrial unit and a 20-metre access scaffold on a Victorian school during term time are radically different from a risk perspective. The RAMS has to reflect that. The way to do it is through site-specific modifiers - additional sections that activate when particular site conditions apply.

The conditions that consistently change the risk profile, and therefore consistently need to be called out in the RAMS, include:

Rail-adjacent work. If any part of the scaffold is within topple distance of an operational Network Rail or Transport for London boundary fence, you are working under NR/L2/OHS/00130. The RAMS must include the Network Rail emergency number (03457 11 41 41), a tethered tools rule on the rail-adjacent elevation, tighter wind limits (Beaufort Force 4 instead of the default), a no-incursion rule with explicit COSS/Sentinel attendance, and a collapse radius calculation in the appendix.
Overhead lines and OLE proximity. Any work within Table 1 distances of energised electrical infrastructure needs the voltage and infrastructure owner identified, a permit-to-work referenced, and exclusion zones drawn on a site plan in the appendix.
Public route or pavement scaffolds. If pedestrians pass under or beside the scaffold, the RAMS needs a debris fan or fan tube specification, brick guards on the working platforms, signage compliant with the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996, and lighting at gantry openings.
Schools, hospitals and other sensitive premises. Work that overlaps with school hours or hospital outpatient times needs a separation strategy: hoarding, screening, working hours that avoid public movement, and a communication plan with the premises management.
Possible asbestos (pre-2000 buildings). Any pre-2000 UK building is presumed to contain asbestos until proven otherwise under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. The RAMS needs the refurbishment and demolition survey referenced, the licensed contractor named if any ACMs are present, and a stop-work trigger if suspect material is encountered.
Occupied domestic property. The customer is a guest in their own home. The RAMS needs working hours that respect the household, a daily walk-round agreement, dust and noise controls, and a complaints process.
Listed or heritage buildings. Tie methods must be reversible (no chemical anchors into limestone), the listed building consent should be referenced, and any non-standard fixings need conservation officer sign-off.
Confined access. Tight alleys, internal courtyards, working over a basement light well - the RAMS needs the access route walked and described, restrictions on tube length on noted, and any banksman positions specified.
Near water. Quayside, riverside or dock work needs a water rescuer named, throw-bags positioned, life jackets to ISO 12402-3 issued, and a man-overboard procedure with the marine emergency number (999, ask for Coastguard).
Scaffold alarm fitted. If you are using a security alarm system (Smartwater, Combi-Safe or similar), the RAMS needs a dedicated section covering the system name, camera and siren count, monitoring arrangement, daily check responsibility, response procedure, false-alarm tolerance, and dismantle handover with the supplier.

None of these sections are optional padding. Each one represents a real risk factor that has caused incidents in the past. Inspectors look for them not because they are checking boxes but because they want to see that you have thought about your specific job, not pulled the same RAMS off the shelf you used last month.

What inspectors actually pull you up on

From conversations with HSE inspectors and CDM coordinators across the south-west and London, the common findings on scaffolding RAMS in 2025 and 2026 fall into a small handful of categories.

Wind limits that match the trade default but not the site. Beaufort Force 6 is the default stop limit for routine work. On a coastal site, on top of a tower block, or on a rail-adjacent elevation, that is too high. If your site is exposed and your RAMS still says "stop at Force 6", you have not done a site-specific assessment.

Tie density specified as a number, not a calculation. Tie density should reference the TG20:21 exposure class, the bay length, the lift height and the cladding (sheeted or open). A bare statement of "ties at 4-metre centres horizontally and every other lift vertically" without the underlying assumptions is not a tie strategy, it is a guess.

SG4:22 mentioned without the actual safe system being described. Saying "operatives will work in line with SG4:22" is meaningless. Saying "operatives clip on at all times when above 4 metres, with the lanyard attached to a ledger or transom and never a guardrail or toeboard, and use the advance guardrail system on the lift above" describes the actual safe system.

No emergency procedure. Every scaffolding RAMS should specify what to do if there is a fall, a tube falling from height, a structural movement, or a member of the public encroaching. If your RAMS has a generic "call 999" line without an evacuation point, a muster location and a named First Aider, it will not pass.

Generic PPE without standards. "Gloves" is not PPE. "Cut-resistant gloves to EN 388 minimum cut level C" is PPE. The standards must be cited.

Out-of-date equipment dates. If your gin wheel was last thoroughly examined 14 months ago, you have a LOLER problem before you have a RAMS problem. Get the dates right. Inspectors will ask to see certificates.

How long should writing a proper scaffolding RAMS take?

Honestly? Done by hand from a blank sheet, including site visit notes, calling the Principal Contractor for project context, looking up the right NASC clauses and writing all 8 sections to the standard above, a competent supervisor takes between 4 and 8 hours per RAMS. That is the realistic figure, not the figure the office likes to hear.

Done from a generic Word template, with the site-specific bits crossed out and the wrong things crossed in, it takes 30 minutes. That is also why those documents fail inspection.

Done with a tool that knows the canonical TG20:21 / SG4:22 / SG6:15 hazards, knows the trade defaults, takes your project context as input, knows which modifiers apply, and writes site-specific controls based on your answers - 5 to 10 minutes, including review and edit. That is the time saving Complys was built around. The RAMS the AI produces is not generic because the AI does not work from a generic template - it works from the specific job you described, applying the modifiers you ticked.

Practical workflow for getting it right every time

Whether you write your RAMS by hand or use a tool, a consistent workflow saves time and stops you missing things:

Site visit before writing. Walk the access route. Note the wind exposure, the public interface, the ground conditions, the proximity to anything that changes the risk (rail, overhead lines, water, occupied premises). Take photos. The 20 minutes you spend walking the site saves an hour of generic writing later.
Compliance sheet or bespoke design first. Decide whether the scaffold falls within TG20:21 compliance (most do) or whether it needs a bespoke design from a structural engineer. The RAMS references whichever route you take. Do not write the RAMS before this is decided - the controls depend on it.
List your modifiers. Before you write a word of the RAMS, list every site-specific factor that applies. Rail? Overhead lines? Public route? School? Pre-2000 building? Listed? Confined? Near water? Alarm fitted? Each of these adds a section to the RAMS.
Write the sequence first, controls second. Get the sequence of events right before you start writing controls. The controls flow out of the sequence. If you write controls first, you end up retrofitting the sequence to the controls instead of the other way around.
Reference everything by document and clause. Not "in line with NASC guidance". Specifically TG20:21, SG4:22 section 4.2, TG4:19 Table 6. Inspectors notice the difference.
Get it briefed and signed. A RAMS no one has read does not protect anyone. Brief it before work starts, get the QR-code or paper sign-off, and keep the briefing record on site.
Update when the job changes. If the scope expands, the height changes, the trade interface shifts, or any modifier becomes newly applicable, the RAMS gets a revision. Date the revision and rebrief.

The bottom line

A scaffolding RAMS that passes HSE inspection in 2026 is one that proves you have thought about your specific job, references the actual NASC documents that apply, names the roles and certifications, lists PPE by EN standard, and adapts to the site-specific modifiers that apply. It takes time done properly. It is worth the time because the alternative is a prosecution, an HSE improvement notice, a contract cancellation, or worse.

If you are still writing scaffolding RAMS by editing last month's Word document, you are losing days per month and producing documents that do not survive scrutiny. The shift to AI-assisted, modifier-aware, trade-specific RAMS generation is one of the few areas in scaffolding where the technology genuinely earns its keep. Five minutes of focused input produces a document that is more site-specific, more current with NASC guidance, and more inspection-ready than anything generic templates will produce.