Material deliveries RAMS: what contractors should include.

Material-delivery RAMS should identify the actual load, vehicle, arrival route, booking slot, unloading area, unloading equipment, competent people, exclusion arrangements, distribution route and storage location. They should explain who controls the vehicle, when responsibility passes from the driver to the site team, how the load will be checked before restraints are released, and what happens if the planned conditions are not available.

HSE advises suppliers, carriers and recipients to exchange information and agree safe delivery and unloading arrangements in advance. Under CDM 2015, contractors must also plan, manage and monitor their work and coordinate with other duty holders. A generic instruction to “use a banksman and unload safely” does not define a controlled delivery.

The method should align with the Construction Phase Plan, traffic-management plan, delivery-booking system, lifting arrangements, storage plan, temporary-works restrictions, floor-loading information and Principal Contractor rules.

Define the delivery and its boundaries

State what is being delivered, the supplier and carrier, vehicle type, load dimensions and weight, packaging, unloading method, delivery point, storage location and the route from storage to the workface. Separate routine deliveries from operations requiring a crane, complex lifting accessories, road occupation, structural loading checks or other specialist planning.

Identify the parties involved and their responsibilities. The supplier, haulier, Principal Contractor, receiving contractor, plant operator and driver may all hold different information. The RAMS should make clear who books the delivery, authorises entry, controls vehicle movement, checks the unloading area, directs the lift or mechanical handling, accepts the materials and releases the vehicle.

Keep the method within its assessed limits. A routine material-delivery method should not be stretched to cover abnormal loads, complex crane lifts, hazardous bulk substances, lifting people, work on a public highway, unstable or shifted loads, or unloading onto unverified structures without the additional competent planning those conditions require.

What information should be obtained before arrival?

Confirm, where relevant:

• the material description, quantity, unit and total weights, dimensions, centre of gravity, packaging, lifting points and supplier instructions;
• the vehicle type, length, height, width, axle loading, turning needs, tail-lift or vehicle-mounted equipment and driver contact details;
• the approved approach route, gate, booking slot, arrival and reporting process, speed limits and vehicle restrictions;
• the site route, turning area, gradients, overhead restrictions, ground bearing capacity, edge protection, excavations and pedestrian interfaces;
• the unloading zone, lighting, surface, drainage, clearances, exclusion boundary, driver safe area and emergency access;
• how reversing will be eliminated or minimised and, if it remains necessary, the agreed controls and authorised traffic marshal;
• the condition and security of the load, the safe order for removing restraints, and the process for a damaged or shifted load;
• the crane, telehandler, lift truck, hoist, pallet truck, accessories or other equipment, including capacity, configuration, examinations and competent operators;
• how the vehicle will be immobilised and stabilised and how premature departure will be prevented;
• the distribution route, lifts, temporary openings, ramps, floors, loading limits, lifting aids and workface access;
• the storage layout, racks, chocks, bearers, weather protection, stacking limits, segregation and fire or escape-route constraints;
• public, occupied-building, neighbouring-property and other-trade interfaces; and
• the stop-work, rejection, rescheduling, spill, dropped-load and emergency arrangements.

Do not invent plant capacities, floor-loading limits, sling configurations, stacking heights or exclusion distances. Obtain them from the approved lift plan, equipment information, design or temporary-works information, supplier instructions and the Principal Contractor's logistics arrangements.

Write the method in the order the delivery will happen

A project-specific sequence may cover:

1. confirming the purchase information, load details, vehicle, unloading method and booking slot;
2. sending the driver the route, reporting point, site rules, vehicle restrictions and contact information;
3. checking that the unloading zone, plant, accessories, storage area and competent team are ready;
4. meeting the vehicle at the agreed point and controlling access through the site;
5. positioning, immobilising and stabilising the vehicle, with unnecessary people excluded;
6. confirming the handover between driver and receiving team before anyone approaches the load;
7. inspecting the load and restraints for movement, damage or instability before release;
8. unloading in the planned order using the approved equipment, attachments and signals;
9. placing materials in the agreed stable location without exceeding structural or storage limits;
10. distributing materials to the workface using the planned mechanical aids and protected route;
11. checking the area, reconciling the delivery and releasing the vehicle only when people and equipment are clear; and
12. recording defects, rejected items, near misses and any change needed before the next delivery.

Critical controls to address in delivery RAMS

Pre-arrival coordination and a suitable unloading area

Send meaningful site information before dispatch: the permitted route and vehicle size, delivery window, reporting process, site plan, unloading location and rules the driver must follow. Confirm that the planned area is available, adequately lit and separated from people and unrelated vehicle movements.

Assess the surface, slope, potholes, soft ground, underground services, basement or slab capacity, nearby excavations, overhead obstructions and weather. A familiar unloading point can become unsuitable after excavation, temporary works, congestion, rain or a change of project phase.

Vehicle movement, reversing and the public

Design out reversing where reasonably practicable by using a one-way route, drive-through position or suitable turning area. Where reversing remains necessary, minimise it and use physical segregation, clear visibility and an agreed safe system. HSE states that banksmen should be used only where other controls are not possible and must be trained and authorised.

The driver and traffic marshal should understand the signals, remain visible to one another and stop if communication is lost. Keep pedestrians outside the movement zone. Where the delivery affects a pavement, road or public access, plan the specific interface and obtain any permissions or traffic-management arrangements required before the vehicle arrives.

Immobilisation, driver position and handover

Position the vehicle on suitable ground, apply the brake and use the required stabilisers, restraints or other measures. Define how premature drive-away will be prevented. Do not begin unloading merely because the vehicle has stopped.

Agree a clear point when the driver permits the site team to approach and who has control during unloading. Provide the driver with a safe waiting or observation position away from vehicle movements and falling loads. Release the vehicle only after the responsible person confirms that people, plant, restraints and equipment are clear.

Load condition, restraints and unstable materials

Inspect the load from a safe position before opening curtains, gates or restraints. Consider whether materials have shifted, packaging or pallets are damaged, or components may fall when the restraint is released. Do not stand in the potential fall zone or try to correct an unstable load without a planned method.

If a load has shifted dangerously, stop and isolate the vehicle while the site and carrier agree a safe recovery or unloading plan. The planned unloading order should maintain stability; removing one pack, band or brace must not release another item unexpectedly.

Lifting equipment and mechanical handling

Match the lifting equipment and accessories to the load, reach, radius, configuration, ground and placement point. HSE states that lifting operations involving lifting equipment must be properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised and carried out safely. The complexity of the plan should reflect the lift.

Check that equipment is suitable, within its marked capacity and supported by the required inspection and thorough-examination records. Operators and signallers must be competent for their roles. Establish an exclusion area and keep people away from suspended loads and trapping points. Delivery RAMS do not replace a required lift plan.

Falls from vehicles and access to the load

Eliminate the need to climb onto the vehicle or load where possible by changing packaging, restraint, sheeting or unloading arrangements. Where access remains necessary, specify suitable safe access and fall-risk controls. Do not climb on wheels, side guards, forks, unstable packs or parts not intended to support a person.

Distribution, manual handling and storage

Plan to deliver materials as close as reasonably practicable to the point of use and retain access for cranes, telehandlers, hoists, trolleys or pallet trucks. HSE advises avoiding hazardous manual handling where reasonably practicable, assessing what cannot be avoided and reducing the risk.

Assess the task, load, route, environment and people involved. Consider stairs, gradients, restricted doors, poor grip, team handling, repeated movements and final positioning. Store materials on a verified surface in a stable arrangement with the required bearers, chocks, racks, stacking limits, weather protection and access. Do not block fire points, escape routes or inspection access.

Change, refusal and emergency arrangements

Give the driver, operator and receiving team authority to stop if the vehicle, load, ground, plant, weather, lighting, route or unloading zone differs from the plan. A late delivery or programme pressure is not a reason to improvise with unsuitable equipment or an unprepared area.

State how to respond to a dropped load, vehicle strike, instability, damaged packaging, spill, collision, service contact or medical emergency. Keep people clear, make the area safe and obtain competent assistance rather than attempting an uncontrolled recovery.

How should the RAMS be briefed and reviewed?

Brief the people controlling entry, vehicle movement, unloading, signalling, distribution and storage. They should understand the delivery-specific load, vehicle, roles, sequence, exclusion areas, communication method, stop-work conditions and emergency arrangements. Confirm that visiting drivers receive the relevant site information in a form they understand.

Review the RAMS if the load, vehicle, arrival time, access route, unloading point, plant, operator, ground, storage location, public interface or weather changes. Pause the operation while the changed risks are assessed and the affected people are re-briefed.

The contractor and Principal Contractor retain their applicable duties. A supplier's delivery note, a booking confirmation or another party's acceptance does not by itself demonstrate a safe unloading and distribution method.

Can a material-delivery RAMS template be used?

A relevant template can provide a useful structure, but it cannot know the actual vehicle, load, restraints, ground, unloading equipment, storage capacity, traffic route, public interface or project rules.

The IMERI H&S Partners Material Deliveries, Unloading & Distribution RAMS template is currently available as a digital product. A competent person must confirm that its scope matches the work, assess the actual delivery, adapt the sequence and controls, coordinate it with the site logistics and lifting arrangements, and brief everyone involved.

Buying or downloading a template does not make it approved, suitable for the project or ready to issue. It does not replace the site traffic plan, supplier information, equipment checks, lift plan, temporary-works information, structural-loading confirmation, permits or Principal Contractor review.

When is project-specific RAMS support useful?

Support may be useful where access is restricted, the public or occupants are close to the route, materials are long or unstable, mechanical lifting is required, storage capacity is limited, several contractors share the area or previous deliveries have exposed coordination gaps.

For projects in Watford, Hertfordshire, London and the South East, send the load schedule, supplier and vehicle information, site logistics plan, unloading and storage details, plant and lifting arrangements, programme and Principal Contractor requirements. IMERI H&S Partners can then confirm an appropriate scope for project-specific RAMS support.