Risk assessment
Electrical risk assessments for UK electricians
An electrical RAMS has to describe this installation, not a generic board change. The usual failures are working live because isolation was awkward, missing asbestos in an old cupboard, and re-energising before inspection and test.
The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require electrical work to be done in a way that prevents danger, so far as is reasonably practicable. Dead working is the plan for these tasks. BS 7671 is the usual technical standard, not an Act. In a dwelling in England, some electrical work is notifiable under the Building Regulations 2010, Part P. None of that is a claim that a finished PDF is sufficient for a particular job.
No law requires a document called a RAMS. The duty is to assess risk under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, regulation 3, and to plan the work safely.
What to decide before the job
- How the supply will be isolated, locked off, and proved dead, including a proving unit.
- Whether medical equipment, alarms, or a vulnerable occupier cannot lose power without a plan.
- Asbestos in a pre-2000 consumer unit, flash guards, or the fabric around the board.
- Who will inspect and test, and what happens if a circuit cannot be identified.
Every hazard below is from the RAMSPack library and is marked draft – awaiting competent review. Use it as a starting list, then change it for the site. It is not HSE approved.
Worked example: Consumer unit replacement
Replace a consumer unit in an occupied dwelling or similar premises, including safe isolation, reconnection of existing final circuits, inspection and test, and a handover to the occupier.
Order of work
- Agree the scope, the circuit schedule, and how long the power will be off. Warn the occupier and identify medical or alarm equipment that must not lose power unexpectedly.
- Look for asbestos and other concealed hazards before opening the installation. Stop if asbestos may be disturbed.
- Prove the voltage indicator, isolate the supply, lock it off, post notices, and prove dead at the point of work.
- Remove the existing consumer unit only after it is proved dead. Identify and label conductors before disconnection.
- Fit the replacement consumer unit, dress the cables, and reconnect the final circuits to the agreed schedule.
- Inspect and test before re-energising. Record the results and correct defects found by the tests.
- Re-energise, carry out functional checks, label the installation, and explain the new arrangement to the occupier.
- Remove waste under the duty of care and leave the work area safe.
Electric shock or burns from live conductors
Who might be harmed: Operatives doing the work, other workers, occupiers and visitors
Before controls: 20 High. After controls: 5 Low. These scores are a prompt. Score the job yourself.
- Treat the installation as live until it is proved dead.
- Isolate, lock off, and prove dead. Prove the voltage indicator before and after the test.
- Do not work live. Live work is permitted under the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 only where it can be justified and suitable precautions are in place. This task is planned as dead work.
- Use insulated tools and keep the work area dry.
- If the supply cannot be isolated, stop and reassess. Do not improvise.
Regulations that fit this hazard: Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974; Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999; Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015; Electricity at Work Regulations 1989; Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (as amended 2022); Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981.
Disturbing asbestos in an older consumer unit, flash guards, or the fabric of the building
Who might be harmed: Operatives doing the work, other workers, occupiers and visitors
Before controls: 15 High. After controls: 5 Low. These scores are a prompt. Score the job yourself.
- Ask for any existing asbestos information before intrusive work. In a pre-2000 building, assume asbestos is possible until there is evidence otherwise.
- Do not drill, scrape, or break suspect materials. Stop and leave the area if asbestos is found or suspected.
- Only people with the right category of asbestos training and, where required, a licence may work on asbestos-containing materials.
Regulations that fit this hazard: Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974; Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999; Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015; Electricity at Work Regulations 1989; Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (as amended 2022); Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981; Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.
Fire from a poor connection, overloaded device, or incorrect protective device
Who might be harmed: Occupiers, neighbours and operatives
Before controls: 15 High. After controls: 5 Low. These scores are a prompt. Score the job yourself.
- Select protective devices to suit the circuits being reconnected. Do not guess conductor sizes or protective-device ratings.
- Terminate conductors to the manufacturer's instructions and check tightness.
- Do not re-energise until inspection and test are complete and defects are corrected.
- Tell the occupier to switch off and call a competent person if they later smell burning or see heat damage.
Regulations that fit this hazard: Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974; Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999; Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015; Electricity at Work Regulations 1989; Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (as amended 2022); Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981.
Manual handling of the consumer unit and tools in a restricted space
Who might be harmed: Operatives
Before controls: 9 Medium. After controls: 4 Low. These scores are a prompt. Score the job yourself.
- Plan the lift. Get help for an awkward or heavy unit rather than forcing it.
- Clear the route and provide lighting.
- Keep the work at a height that avoids overreaching. Use a suitable platform if the unit is high.
Regulations that fit this hazard: Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974; Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999; Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015; Electricity at Work Regulations 1989; Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (as amended 2022); Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981; Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992.
Start this consumer unit replacement RAMS
Other electrician tasks in the library
New circuit installation
Install a new final circuit from an existing consumer unit or distribution board to new points, including containment, terminations, inspection and test.
- Electric shock while working in a live board or from striking a concealed cable. Isolate and prove dead before removing covers that expose live parts.
- Breathing masonry dust while chasing or drilling. Prefer a route that avoids heavy chasing.
- Fall from a ladder or hop-up while running cable at height. Avoid work at height where the route can be changed.
- Noise and hand-arm vibration from drilling. Choose a lower-vibration tool and a sharp bit. Limit trigger time and rotate the task.
Fault finding and repair
Find and repair a fault on a low-voltage final circuit, such as loss of power, tripping, or mechanical damage, then test before returning the circuit to service.
- Electric shock during diagnosis, especially if live testing is attempted. Prefer dead testing. Justify any live testing against regulation 14 of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989.
- Burns or shock from damaged equipment, capacitors, or a backfeed such as a generator or solar inverter. Ask about generators, solar PV, battery storage, and UPS equipment before isolation.
- Fire or further damage from re-energising a faulty circuit. Leave the circuit isolated and labelled if the fault is not found or the repair cannot be proved.
- Harm to occupiers from an unexpected loss of power, including stair lighting and medical equipment. Ask about medical equipment, stair lifts, alarms, and people who need light or power.