How to create a Task Specific RAMS with Guided RAMS

Feature: Guided RAMS. This guide is about Guided RAMS, the Intuety feature for building a Task Specific RAMS (Risk Assessment and Method Statement) step by step inside Intuety. It does not cover uploading an existing RAMS for review. You only see Guided RAMS if your organisation has the Guided RAMS module turned on.

Guided RAMS walks you step by step through building a Task Specific RAMS (Risk Assessment and Method Statement), using your organisation's standards, hazards and controls. This guide is for Authors, Approvers and Project Admins in organisations that have the Guided RAMS module turned on.

Who can use this?

Authors, Approvers and Project Admins, only if your own organisation has the Guided RAMS module turned on. This applies to suppliers too: the module must be on for the supplier's own organisation.
Client Admins who also have the Author, Approver or Project Admin role can see and delete any Guided RAMS in the list.
If you cannot see Guided RAMS in the left-hand menu, your organisation may not have the module. Ask your Client Admin.

Before you start

Have your method of work ready as a Word or PDF document, or be ready to write one in the Document Creator.
Your Client Admin needs to have added your organisation's standards documents and hazards in the Risk Matrix first. See How to manage the Risk Matrix for Guided RAMS (Link).

How is Guided RAMS different from uploading a RAMS?

Guided RAMS is a separate feature from creating a job and uploading a RAMS.

Guided RAMS: you build a new Task Specific RAMS in Intuety, step by step, from your organisation's Risk Matrix, COSHH Library and HAV Library. You start it from Guided RAMS in the left-hand menu or New Guided RAMS. Its statuses are Draft, Ready, Task Active and Job Complete.
Uploading a RAMS: you upload a RAMS you have already written, using New Job / Risk Assessment. Intuety checks it, suggests improvements, and it goes to reviewers for acceptance. It uses the job stages, such as Awaiting Review and Accepted.

Where do I find Guided RAMS?

Select Guided RAMS in the left-hand menu, under the Guided RAMS heading. The Task Specific RAMS page lists every Task Specific RAMS you can see, with its reference, task, project, created date, author and progress.

Use the search box to search by reference, task or project. Use Sort by, Status and My RAMS to narrow the list.

How do I start a new Task Specific RAMS?

Select Create Task Specific RAMS at the top of the Task Specific RAMS page. You can also select the Create button and choose New Guided RAMS.
Choose the project from the list (Select a project for this Guided RAMS).
In the New Guided RAMS window, enter the Task Name and Reference. Choose an Assignee if needed (optional).
Select Create. The Guided RAMS steps open.

Your work is saved as a Draft as you go. You can leave and come back later by selecting Resume or the row in the list.

What are the Guided RAMS steps?

The steps change depending on your answers. The step bar at the top shows where you are, for example Step 2 of 6. Use Next and Back to move between steps.

Method Of Work: choose how to add your method of work:
- Upload a method of work: upload an existing Word or PDF document (.pdf, .doc, .docx).
- Create a method of work: build a new method of work in the Document Creator. Select Edit in Document Creator to open it.
- Choose from template: start from one of your organisation's method statement templates.
Select Operational Standards: tick the standards that apply to this task. In the same step, answer the health screening questions (Yes or No), for example whether the team will use hand-held vibrating tools. Your answers decide which health hazards apply.
High Energy Hazards: hazards are filled in from your selected standards and your organisation's Risk Matrix. Select the hazards that apply, then select controls for each one. If none apply, turn on No relevant High Energy Hazards for this Method of Work.
High Health Impact Hazards: shown only if you answered Yes to a health screening question.
High Environment Impact Hazards.
Confined Spaces: shown only if you selected a confined spaces standard.
HAVS Calculator (HAVS: hand-arm vibration syndrome): shown when a selected hazard needs a hand-arm vibration calculation, unless you confirmed all sources of HAVS have been eliminated. See How do I use the HAVS Calculator? below.
COSHH Assessment (COSHH: Control of Substances Hazardous to Health): shown when a selected hazard involves hazardous substances. Select the substances and work activities from your organisation's COSHH Library.
Review & Finalise: check the summary, add detail to each control and select Finalise.

How do I choose controls for a hazard?

Each selected hazard shows Direct controls and Secondary controls. A row turns green (Valid) when it has enough controls. Next stays disabled until every selected row in the section is green.

For High Energy Hazards, High Environment Impact Hazards and Confined Spaces: select at least 1 direct control, or 2 secondary controls, for every selected hazard.
For High Health Impact Hazards: select a direct control where available. If not, complete the required supporting assessment (HAVS or COSHH) or select suitable secondary controls.

Secondary controls are listed in the order Barrier, Monitor, Reminder.

Can I add a hazard that is not in the list?

Yes. Under Other hazards, select Add other hazard, enter the Hazard name, choose an Energy type or Category, then select Add hazard. Add controls to it with Add control.

How do I use the HAVS Calculator?

Select Add process and choose the Tool and Task. The vibration magnitude comes from your organisation's HAV Library. Use Add other process for a tool that is not in the library.
Enter the Exposure Duration in hours and minutes.
Add the people doing the work under Operatives and assign them to each row.
Check the Daily exposure m/s² A(8) and Total exposure points. A warning shows if exposure exceeds the EAV (exposure action value, 2.5 m/s²) or ELV (exposure limit value, 5.0 m/s²).

You can add up to 6 tool or process rows. If an operative exceeds their permitted exposure, a Permit to Deviate must be obtained before the work starts.

What do I do on the Review & Finalise step?

Check the Summary: the number of hazards and controls, and whether HAVS and COSHH are included.
For each highlighted control, describe who is responsible, what action they take, when it is performed and where it applies. You can also select Attach image or Choose from library to add a photo (images up to 5 MB).
If a control repeats another one, select Mark as Duplicate so its details are taken from the original.
Select Finalise.

What happens next?

Your RAMS moves from Draft to Ready, and other people in your organisation can now open it. The Status filter and list use Draft, Ready, Task Active and Job Complete. The progress bar on each row shows the same four points as Draft, Ready for Briefing, Task Active and Task Complete.

From the list, if you created the RAMS:

Once it is Ready, turn on Active when the work starts. Its status becomes Task Active.
When it is Task Active, select Complete Job when the work has finished. Its status becomes Job Complete. This cannot be undone.

You can also mark the job active or complete from the job's three-dot menu in the project jobs list.

How do I export a Task Specific RAMS?

Open the finalised RAMS from the list.
Select Export Completed RAMS.
In Choose sections to include, tick the sections you want, such as Overview & controls summary, HAVS Calculator, COSHH Assessment, Revision History and Acknowledgement / Sign-off.
Select Export PDF.

The export is a single PDF. The Acknowledgement / Sign-off page gives a table for the team to print their name, sign and date.

How do I revise, copy or delete a Task Specific RAMS?

Open the three-dot menu at the end of the row. The menu shows on your own RAMS, and on every RAMS for Client Admins.

Create Revision: creates a new draft revision of a finalised RAMS. You can add a reason. Only the person who created the RAMS can do this, once it is finalised.
Duplicate: the person who created the Guided RAMS, or a Client Admin, can select Duplicate. It creates a new, separate draft copy with "(Copy)" added to the reference. You can choose a different project with Duplicate to project.
Delete: deletes the RAMS. This cannot be undone. You can delete your own RAMS. Client Admins who also have the Author, Approver or Project Admin role can delete any Guided RAMS.

Common questions

I cannot see Guided RAMS in the menu: your organisation may not have the module, or you may not have the Author, Approver or Project Admin role.
I cannot open someone else's RAMS: other people's RAMS can be opened only once they are finalised.
Next is greyed out: every selected hazard row must be green. Add more controls, or mark the section as not applicable.
There are no standards to select: ask your Client Admin to add standards documents in the Risk Matrix.
The HAVS Calculator says no tools are available: ask your Client Admin to add tools in the HAV Library.
No substances show in the COSHH step: ask your Client Admin to add substances in the COSHH Library.

How to manage the Risk Matrix for Guided RAMS (Link)
How to manage the HAV Library for Guided RAMS (Link)
How to manage the COSHH Library and COSHH baskets for Guided RAMS (Link)
How to use the Image Library (Link)
What is the create button? (Link)

Still need help?

Ask our live chat, email support@intuety.io or call 02922 710 527. Include the Job ID (shown in Job Quick View) if your question is about a specific job.