Create and issue a job RAMS

A job RAMS records the hazards of this particular operation, the controls you are putting against them, and a named person’s decision that the residual risk is acceptable. Only an Issued revision satisfies the PDRA01_RAMS_ISSUED readiness check, and a revision is issued by a reviewer approving it — never by you.

Before you start

Decide where the RAMS is coming from. You can start blank, copy an organisation template, or copy a project RAMS. Whichever you choose, the job copy is independent from that moment on: editing it never changes the source, and a reusable project master on its own does not satisfy the readiness check.

Steps

1. Open the RAMS workspace

   Open the job, select Forms, and in the RAMS group choose RAMS workspace. Once the job already has one, that entry reads New RAMS instead.

2. Create the document

   Select Create RAMS. Give it a Name, choose a RAMS source — Blank RAMS, a Project RAMS · entry or an Organization template · entry — and set the Authorization route to Open category, PDRA01 or UK SORA / legacy OSC OA. Purpose and scope is optional context. Confirm with Create RAMS.

3. Write the method statement

   Under Details, check the RAMS name, Authorisation route and Purpose and scope. Then fill in Method statement — how the work will actually be carried out.

4. Add each hazard

   In Hazards and controls, select Add hazard. Every risk needs Hazard, Causes / unmitigated failures, Potential consequences and Mitigations. Use Supporting PDRA01 controls to reference the CAA baseline controls that back your mitigations.

5. Score it twice

   Set Initial likelihood and Initial severity for the unmitigated risk, then Residual likelihood and Residual severity for the risk once your controls are in place. The Initial and Residual chips show where each lands on the matrix, and Scoring reference explains the bands.

6. Record the decision

   Under Decision, name a Risk owner, switch on ALARP and Tolerable, and write the Decision rationale. Both switches are assertions a person makes; echoMike will not let the RAMS go to review without them.

7. Send it for review

   Watch the Readiness rail on the right — it lists what is still outstanding. When it clears, select Send for review, choose a reviewer and confirm. The dialog states that the working revision will be locked for review and that an approved review creates the immutable issued revision.

Options

Preview before you send

Preview PDF renders the RAMS exactly as a reviewer and an auditor will see it.

Promote it for reuse

Save as project RAMS copies a job RAMS up to the project as a reusable master. All RAMS lists every RAMS on the job.

Archive one you no longer need

Archive RAMS removes it from the job workspace. As the dialog says, Previously issued revisions remain immutable and available to audit exports.

What happens next

The RAMS moves through four states, shown beside its name in the rail.

Status	What it means	What you do next
Draft	You are still editing it.	Clear the Readiness list, then send it for review.
Awaiting review	Locked with a reviewer.	Wait. The Send for review button reads Awaiting review.
Changes requested	The reviewer sent it back with a note.	Fix what they asked for and resubmit.
Issued	A reviewer approved it. An immutable revision now exists.	Nothing — PDRA01_RAMS_ISSUED is satisfied.

There is no Issue button. Issuing happens automatically the moment a reviewer approves the review, which is what makes the issued revision trustworthy as evidence.

One detail worth knowing: PDRA01_RAMS_ISSUED is checked per job, not per document. Once any revision has been issued for that job the check stays satisfied, even if you later edit that RAMS and it returns to Draft on a new working revision.

Troubleshooting

Send for review is greyed out. Its tooltip reads Resolve the outstanding items in the readiness list first. The Readiness rail tells you which, in the organisation’s own words: Add a RAMS name., Add a method statement., Add at least one risk., or a per-risk line such as Risk 2 (Battery thermal runaway) needs its hazard, causes, consequences and controls.

“Confirm that every listed risk has been reduced as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP).” One or more risks has the ALARP switch off. Open each risk’s Decision section and switch it on, or add controls until you can.

“Confirm that every listed residual risk is tolerable before submitting for review.” Same shape, for the Tolerable switch.

“Reduce or add controls for each unacceptable residual risk before submitting for review.” A residual score has landed in an unacceptable band. Strengthen the Mitigations and re-score Residual likelihood and Residual severity — you cannot submit your way past this one.

“This RAMS changed while it was being submitted. Save the latest edits and try again.” Someone else saved the document between your last edit and your submit. Reload, check their change is what you want, and resubmit.

“This document is already awaiting review. Open the pending review instead of submitting it again.” A review is already open on this RAMS. Find it in the review inbox rather than submitting a second one.