Who signs a RAMS, and what each signature means

Pro Site Docs · Guide

A RAMS usually carries more than one signature, and they are not interchangeable. Confusing them is one of the quickest ways to end up with a document that looks complete and proves nothing.

The author

Whoever wrote it. This signature says the document describes the work as it is actually planned — the sequence, the hazards and the controls. On a small firm that is often the person running the job, which is fine; the point is that someone owns the content rather than the file having appeared from a template folder.

The approver — the one that carries the weight

This is the competent person confirming the assessment is suitable and sufficient. It is the signature that matters legally, because regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 requires the assessment to be suitable and sufficient, and competence is what makes that judgement meaningful. Ideally the approver is not the author — a second pair of eyes catches the generic hazard that got left in and the control that contradicts the programme.

The crew — the briefing record

The signature sheet at the back is not a formality. It is the evidence that the people doing the work were told what the plan was, before they started. A RAMS with no briefing record is a document that was never used, and in an investigation that is close to worse than having nothing, because it shows the risks were identified and the work went ahead anyway.

Does the client or principal contractor sign it?

Usually they accept it rather than sign it as approver. A principal contractor reviewing your RAMS is checking that it fits their site and coordinates with other trades — they are not taking on responsibility for whether your method is safe. Do not treat a principal contractor stamp as competent approval of your own work. It is not, and it will not be read that way afterwards.

Dates are part of the signature

Every signature needs a date, and the dates need to make sense: authored, then approved, then briefed, then work started. A briefing sheet dated after the first day on site is a common and very visible failure.

Get the documents ready-made

Our Method Statement Library and RAMS templates include the author, approver and briefing sections as part of the document, or you can pick up single documents.

General guidance only. This article explains how the rules generally work in UK construction. It is not advice for your specific site, task or project, and it is not legal advice. Your own risk assessment, method statement and arrangements must be prepared and checked by a competent person for the actual work being done.