10 Things to Check on a Contractor RAMS Before You Sign

Most site managers have signed a RAMS they barely read. Not because they are careless, because the document landed at 7:45 on a Monday morning, the contractor’s van was already in the yard, and the job needed to start. That is when things go wrong.

A RAMS review does not need to take an hour. If you know what you are looking for, fifteen minutes is enough to catch the problems that matter. Here are ten things worth checking before your signature goes on the document.

1. Does the scope match the actual job?

Read the first paragraph. Does it describe the work being done at your site, or does it sound like it could apply to any site in the country? Generic RAMS are written to cover everything and therefore adequately cover nothing. The scope should name the specific task, the location within your facility, and the planned dates.

2. Are the hazards specific or generic?

“Working at height” is not a hazard identification, it is a category. A proper RAMS will describe the specific height, the access method, the surface conditions, and what is underneath. If the hazard list reads like a copy-paste from a template, it probably is.

3. Do the control measures actually work on your site?

A control measure that assumes a 5-metre exclusion zone is worthless if your aisle is 3 metres wide. Check each control against the physical reality of where the work is happening. The contractor may never have visited the actual area.

4. Is the PPE requirement achievable?

If the RAMS calls for a specific type of respiratory protection, confirm the contractor has it, it is in date, and the operatives are face-fit tested. The same applies to harnesses, hot-work equipment, and anything else with a maintenance or certification requirement.

5. Do the emergency procedures reference your site?

The muster point, the first aid arrangements, the fire escape routes, these should be your site’s details, not a placeholder. If it says “as per site induction,” check that your induction actually covers those specifics.

6. Is there evidence of competency?

Certificates alone are not enough, but they are a starting point. Check that any required licences, such as IPAF, PASMA, hot works, or confined space, are current and apply to the class of equipment or environment being used. An IPAF card for a scissor lift does not cover a boom.

7. Are supervisory arrangements named?

“A supervisor will be present” is not an arrangement. The RAMS should name the supervisor, confirm they will be on site for the duration of the work, and describe what happens if they need to leave.

8. Have environmental conditions been considered?

Noise, vibration, dust, temperature, confined spaces. Whichever apply to the task should appear in the document. If your site has a noise-controlled area and the RAMS makes no mention of it, that is a gap worth closing before work starts.

9. Are permit requirements acknowledged?

If the work requires a hot-works permit, a confined space entry permit, or an electrical isolation, the RAMS should reference your permit system explicitly. A contractor who does not know you have a permit-to-work system is a contractor who has not done their site-specific preparation.

10. Is the document current and signed?

Check the review date. A RAMS from three years ago, resubmitted unchanged, is a flag. The contractor signature and date should correspond to this specific engagement, not a previous job on a different site.

What to do when something does not stack up

Send it back. That is not being obstructive, it is being diligent. Most contractors will correct a specific issue quickly if you tell them exactly what needs changing. Vague feedback produces vague revisions.

If you are reviewing RAMS regularly and finding the same gaps appearing, that is worth quantifying. The losses tool is useful for putting a number on what reactive incidents and non-compliance are actually costing you, which makes the case for tightening the process before something happens rather than after.

If your site is working through how to structure contractor management within a broader improvement programme, the /six/ framework gives you a way to think about where contractor oversight fits relative to your other operational priorities. It is not a compliance checklist in itself, but it puts the question in the right context.