Reactive Maintenance RAMS Guide for UK Contractors

Key Topics in a Reactive Maintenance RAMS

Dynamic risk assessment on arrival

Reactive callouts often provide limited advance information about site conditions. The operative arrives with a generic RAMS covering the task category but must carry out a dynamic risk assessment before starting work — confirming the building layout, identifying building users present, checking the asbestos register (where accessible), confirming the scope of the defect, and assessing whether the task can be safely completed with the resources and equipment available. If conditions on arrival indicate the task cannot be completed safely (e.g. ACMs present, confined space with no permit, electrical fault beyond the operative's competence), the operative stops, notifies the client, and arranges appropriate resources.

Unknown building hazards

Reactive maintenance frequently involves buildings or areas the contractor has not visited before, with no pre-visit survey. The RAMS must acknowledge that unknown hazards may be present and set out a precautionary approach: treat all pre-2000 materials as potentially containing asbestos until checked; confirm electrical supplies are isolated before work on cables or fittings; confirm no live services run through the work area before any drilling or cutting; and report any unexpected hazardous materials to the client without disturbing them. Asbestos assumptions in reactive work must be conservative: the burden of proof is that the material does not contain asbestos, not the reverse.

Gas and electrical emergency response

Reactive maintenance involving gas or electrical faults requires specific emergency protocols in the RAMS. For gas: isolate at the emergency control valve, ventilate, evacuate, do not use electrical switches, call the National Gas Emergency Service (0800 111 999) if the leak cannot be controlled. For electrical: do not touch the casualty until the supply is confirmed isolated, use a fully insulated stick to move the casualty from a live conductor if necessary, call 999, apply first aid when the casualty is safe. The RAMS must name the emergency contact numbers for the site and confirm that the operative carries the appropriate emergency response equipment.

Short-notice documentation requirements

Reactive callouts can create pressure to start work before adequate RAMS are in place. This pressure does not override the legal requirement under MHSWR 1999 to carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment before work begins. A generic RAMS covering the task category is acceptable for reactive work, provided it genuinely covers the hazards present. If the task falls outside the scope of any available RAMS, the operative must carry out a site-specific risk assessment — even a brief written assessment — before starting. Verbal briefings alone are not sufficient for notifiable construction work under CDM 2015.