Professional RAMS for Steel Erection Contractors

LOLER 1998 Regulation 8 requires that every lifting operation is properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised, and carried out in a safe manner. For structural steel erection, 'properly planned' means a distinct Lifting Plan for each lift category (routine, non-routine, or complex), produced or reviewed by the Appointed Person (AP). The RAMS method statement must reference the Lifting Plan, not replace it. A RAMS that describes the crane and sling arrangement in the method statement but has no corresponding LOLER Lifting Plan is a common compliance gap — the two documents must exist together and cross-reference each other.

The temporary state during steel erection — the period between the first piece being installed and the structure becoming self-stable — is the highest-risk phase of the entire project. The National Structural Steelwork Specification (NSSS) 7th Edition Clause 3.2 requires that the method statement addresses: the sequence of erection that ensures stability at each stage; the temporary bracing, guys, or propping arrangements and their design loads; the holding down bolt procedure and bolt tightening sequence; the wind loading constraints on erection; and the inspection requirements before the crane is released from each lift. A RAMS that simply lists 'erect steelwork as per drawings' without addressing the temporary state fails this requirement.

For working at height on steel, the Work at Height Regulations 2005 require a hierarchy of controls: eliminate the risk (design for ground-level assembly where possible), then collective protection (safety nets, birdcage scaffolds, mobile platforms), then personal protection (fall restraint or fall arrest harnesses). Your RAMS must document the hierarchy analysis and demonstrate why the selected access method represents the lowest reasonably practicable risk. Safety nets are the preferred collective protection for open steelwork and your RAMS must reference the net installation sequence, the net certification under BS EN 1263, and the rescue plan for an operative who falls into a net.

For on-site welding during erection, the 2019 HSE update on welding fumes as a Group 1 carcinogen requires that your COSHH assessment within the RAMS specifies Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) for indoor welding and documents the RPE standard (minimum FFP3) as a secondary control. A generic 'welding mask' specification is no longer adequate and will attract HSE enforcement.