Arborist Guides

Arborist RAMS Framework (UK)

A structured approach to RAMS for arborists working on UK commercial sites — built around what contractors, councils and principal contractors actually expect to see.

This guide explains how a professional arborist RAMS framework should be structured, what it must include, and why generic templates consistently fall short on real commercial work.

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What is it?

Core components of a commercial arborist RAMS system:

Hazard-based risk assessments for key tree work operations
Step-by-step method statements following the work sequence
Site-specific information for every job
COSHH assessments for substances used on site
Equipment pre-use check records (PUWER)
Site safety briefing records
Near miss and incident reporting
Competence declarations and operator qualifications
Emergency arrangements and local A&E details

The four pillars

Core components of a commercial arborist RAMS framework

A complete RAMS framework for UK commercial tree work brings together four types of documentation. Each serves a distinct purpose and together they form the coherent submission that commercial clients and principal contractors expect.

Risk assessments

Hazard-based assessments covering the key activities in commercial tree work. Each hazard should include persons at risk, initial risk rating, control measures and residual risk after controls are applied.

Chainsaw use — ground and aerial
Climbing operations and rigging
Machinery — chipper, stump grinder
Manual handling and exclusion zones
Public interface and site access

Method statements

Method statements explain how the work will actually be carried out in practice. For arboriculture, this should follow the real sequence of operations on site — not a generic description of tree work in general.

Site setup, access and exclusion zones
Equipment checks before work begins
Climbing or MEWP access method
Cutting, lowering and rigging techniques
Site clearance and completion

Site-specific information

Every job requires site-specific information that turns a generic RAMS into a usable, job-specific document. This is the section most commonly missing or insufficiently completed in generic templates.

Location, access arrangements and hazards
Nearby roads, buildings and utilities
Public safety and weather considerations
Emergency access and nearest A&E
Client or site-specific requirements

Supporting safety records

On commercial sites, RAMS documents are rarely accepted in isolation. Supporting records demonstrate that safety is being managed in practice — not just written down.

COSHH assessments
Equipment pre-use check sheets
Site safety briefing records
Near miss and incident reports
Competence declarations

ArbDesk in practice

What a professional arborist RAMS system looks like

The ArbDesk RAMS system is structured for quick review by contractors and principal contractors — clear hazard identification, risk scoring, method statements and supporting records all built around how commercial tree work is actually carried out on site.

Preview of ArbDesk arborist RAMS documents showing risk assessment, method statement and supporting records

ArbDesk RAMS system — structured for UK commercial tree work and designed for fast contractor review.

Why templates fail

Why generic RAMS templates consistently fall short

Most generic RAMS templates look reasonable at first glance. They cover the basic hazards, describe the work in broad terms and give the appearance of a completed document. On a domestic job or a straightforward private site, they may pass without question. On commercial work — council contracts, principal contractor sites, schools, estates — they consistently cause problems.

Too generic to be credible

A RAMS that reads identically for every job signals that it has not been considered for this job. Commercial reviewers spot this immediately.

Hazards without proper controls

Listing hazards is only half the requirement. Generic templates often fail to link each hazard to meaningful, site-specific control measures with a clear risk rating.

Vague method statements

Steps like “carry out tree work” or “ensure site safety” don’t describe anything. Method statements must follow the actual sequence of operations on the specific site.

Missing supporting documents

Commercial clients increasingly expect COSHH assessments, equipment pre-use checks and site briefing records alongside RAMS. Templates rarely address this.

No site-specific detail

Generic templates leave site-specific sections blank or minimal. Emergency arrangements, access routes and local hazards must be completed for every job.

No legislative framework

Commercial clients expect RAMS to reference the relevant legislation and guidance — PUWER, Management of H&S Regs, AFAG, CDM. Generic templates rarely do this.

UK Legal Framework

The legislation behind arborist RAMS

RAMS documents are not just a contractual formality — they are how arborists demonstrate legal compliance with their duty to manage health and safety at work. For UK commercial tree work, a properly structured RAMS framework needs to reflect the following legislation and guidance:

Management of H&S Regulations 1999

Requires employers and the self-employed to carry out suitable and sufficient risk assessments. For commercial arborists, this means assessing all significant hazards associated with the work — not just chainsaw use.

CDM Regulations 2015

Applies when arborists work as subcontractors on construction-type sites. Principal contractors require RAMS submissions before work can begin under CDM — the framework must meet this standard.

PUWER 1998

Requires that all work equipment including chainsaws, chippers and stump grinders is suitable, maintained and operated by trained, competent persons. Pre-use checks form part of PUWER compliance.

COSHH Regulations 2002

Requires assessment of substances hazardous to health used in the work — including chainsaw fuel and bar oil, wood dust, and any pesticides or herbicides applied on site.

Working at Height Regulations 2005

All climbing and aerial operations must be properly planned, supervised and carried out by competent persons. The RAMS framework should reflect how aerial access is controlled throughout the job.

AFAG Guidance

Arboriculture and Forestry Advisory Group guidance sets out best practice for tree work operations. Commercial clients expect RAMS to align with AFAG safe systems of work — it is the industry standard.

Built from real commercial work

Written by a practising arborist

The ArbDesk RAMS framework was built by Christian, a working arborist with direct experience submitting RAMS to principal contractors, local authorities and commercial clients across the UK. The system is not based on generic H&S templates — it is built around what actually gets reviewed on commercial sites and what causes documents to be sent back.

After years of rebuilding RAMS from scratch for every commercial job, and watching colleagues lose contracts or face resubmissions over poorly structured paperwork, the ArbDesk system was developed to solve the problem properly — with a framework that reflects how commercial tree work actually runs on site.

Every document in the system has been used on real UK commercial sites, including council tree work, principal contractor submissions and estate management contracts.

“Proper system built around how arborist work actually runs. Not just a generic template.”

Alexander AG Arborcare — Commercial Arborist, Surrey

How RAMS get reviewed

How arborist RAMS are actually used on commercial sites

Understanding how RAMS are reviewed on commercial sites changes how you approach them. In most cases, the person reviewing your submission is not an arborist — they are a site manager, a principal contractor’s H&S coordinator, or a local authority procurement officer. They are looking at the documents quickly and checking specific things.

Can they understand the work?

The method statement must explain clearly what will happen on site — from arrival to completion — in terms a non-arborist can follow.

Are the key risks identified?

Chainsaw use, public exclusion, overhead lines, machinery — reviewers scan for the hazards they expect to see. If they are missing, the submission fails immediately.

Are the controls realistic?

Control measures that are vague or generic — “ensure safety at all times” — are flagged immediately. Controls must be specific to the task and the site.

Is emergency planning in place?

Local A&E location, first aid arrangements, rescue plan for a climber — these are almost universally checked. Missing these causes instant rejection.

As one experienced arborist noted on ArbTalk, RAMS often only get picked apart properly if they end up in court after an accident. At that point, a half-attempt at documentation is the last thing you want your name on.

Common questions

Arborist RAMS — frequently asked questions

RAMS stands for Risk Assessment and Method Statement. In tree surgery and commercial arborist work, a RAMS document combines a hazard-based risk assessment with a step-by-step method statement describing how the work will be carried out. It is submitted to clients, councils and principal contractors before work begins as part of the health and safety approval process.

The legal duty to carry out risk assessments is a requirement under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. RAMS as a combined document is a commercial and contractual expectation rather than a specific legal requirement in itself — but for any arborist carrying out work for principal contractors, councils or commercial clients, submitting RAMS is effectively unavoidable. CDM Regulations 2015 also require method statement-style documentation on many commercial sites.

A risk assessment identifies the hazards associated with the work, the people at risk, the control measures and the residual risk after those controls are applied. A method statement explains how the work will actually be carried out in practice — the sequence of operations, the equipment used, and how the site will be managed throughout. RAMS combines both into a single submission.

The core structure of your RAMS — the hazards, control measures and method statement sequence — can remain consistent between jobs, since the fundamental risks of commercial tree work do not change significantly from site to site. What must be adapted for every job is the site-specific information: the location, the client, the specific tasks, access arrangements, exclusion zone details, emergency planning and any unusual conditions. A well-built framework makes this adaptation straightforward rather than a full rewrite.

On many commercial sites, RAMS alone is not sufficient. Principal contractors and local authority procurement teams increasingly expect to see supporting records submitted alongside the main RAMS document. This typically includes COSHH assessments for substances used on site, equipment pre-use check records as required by PUWER, site safety briefing records, near miss and incident reporting systems, competence declarations and copies of relevant qualifications. The ArbDesk system includes all of these.

The most common reasons RAMS get rejected by principal contractors are: documents that are too generic and don’t reflect the specific site or job; missing site-specific information such as emergency access and local A&E details; vague or absent control measures; method statements that don’t follow the actual work sequence; and no supporting records. A structured RAMS framework that addresses all of these from the outset, adapted for each job, is the most reliable way to achieve first-time acceptance.

There is no fixed length requirement. As noted by experienced arborists, overly long and detailed RAMS are often cut and pasted without being read — with reviewers checking specific elements like the local A&E address, sign-on records and pre-use checks rather than reading every line. A well-structured RAMS that is clear, specific and complete is more effective than a lengthy generic document. The goal is not length — it is clarity and completeness in the areas reviewers actually check.

ArbDesk

See how a professional arborist RAMS framework is structured

Download the free sample to see the document layout before committing. The ArbDesk system includes structured RAMS, supporting safety records and editable Word documents — built by a practising arborist for UK commercial tree work.