RAMS — Site set-up, welfare, housekeeping, slips & trips

What you need to know

The plain-English guidance that comes with this document.

• Welfare isn't optional — it's a CDM requirement from day one. Toilets, washing facilities (with hot and cold water), somewhere to take breaks and dry off, and drinking water must be there from the start of the job, not "once we're set up". It's a legal duty and it's basic decency.
• A tidy site is a safe site. Slips, trips and being struck by badly stored materials are among the commonest site injuries, and they're almost all housekeeping. Clear walkways, managed leads and hoses, prompt spill clean-up and regular waste removal do more for safety than any poster.
• Keep the public — and children — out. An unsecured site is a magnet for kids and a serious liability. A proper boundary, locked access, clear signage and making the site safe at the end of each day are non-negotiable, especially near homes and schools.
• Separate people from plant. Most struck-by injuries are people and machines sharing space. Plan routes so they don't, and use a banksman where they must.
• Set up the emergency basics first. First aid, fire points, the muster point and the exact site address to give 999 should be sorted before the work ramps up — not improvised after an incident.
• Starting point — get it signed off. Edit for the specific site and have a competent person review it. This one underpins all the others — a well-set-up site makes every task RAMS easier to follow.