CDM 2015 and RAMS
Reviewed September 2026 · Written by Complys and checked against HSE and legislation.gov.uk guidance (sources below).
CDM 2015 is the regulation people mean when they say RAMS are "required for construction". It's worth being precise: CDM 2015 never uses the word "RAMS". It requires planning and a construction phase plan — and RAMS are the practical documents that meet those duties.
What CDM 2015 actually says
The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 don't mention "RAMS" or, for general work, "method statements". They set duties on the client, principal designer, principal contractor and contractors to plan, manage and monitor construction so it's carried out safely.
The construction phase plan (regulation 12)
For every construction project, there must be a construction phase plan setting out the health and safety arrangements, site rules and specific measures for higher-risk work. On multi-contractor projects the principal contractor draws it up. RAMS are the task-level documents that populate and support that plan.
Contractors' duties (regulation 15)
Every contractor must plan, manage and monitor their own work — and the work of anyone under their control — so it's carried out without risks to health and safety, so far as is reasonably practicable. Producing task-specific RAMS is how most contractors demonstrate they've discharged this duty.
Where RAMS fit
So the chain is: CDM sets the duties → the construction phase plan captures the site-wide arrangements → each contractor's RAMS show how their particular tasks will be done safely and feed into that plan. RAMS are the mechanism, not the legal object.
The written-arrangements exception
For certain high-risk work, written arrangements are specifically required before work starts — most notably the arrangements for demolition or dismantling. So while method statements aren't a blanket legal requirement, for some activities a written safe method genuinely is.
Stop writing RAMS from scratch
Complys builds a complete, CDM-ready RAMS for your trade in minutes — hazards, controls, PPE, legislation, sequence of works and plant register — as a branded PDF you can share.
Sources
- CDM 2015, reg 12 (construction phase plan)
- CDM 2015, reg 15 (duties of contractors)
- HSE — Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015
- HSE — Construction: managing safety (method statements)
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Health and safety law and HSE guidance change over time — always check the current HSE and legislation.gov.uk guidance for your work.
CDM 2015 and RAMS — FAQs
Does CDM 2015 require RAMS?
CDM 2015 doesn't use the word 'RAMS'. It requires a construction phase plan and that contractors plan, manage and monitor their work. RAMS are how contractors meet those duties in practice.
What is a construction phase plan?
A document required for every construction project setting out the health and safety arrangements, site rules and measures for higher-risk work. The principal contractor draws it up on multi-contractor projects.
Who is responsible under CDM 2015?
Duties fall on the client, principal designer, principal contractor and contractors. Each contractor plans and manages their own work; the principal contractor coordinates the site and holds the construction phase plan.