The risk assessment answers ‘what can harm people?’
The assessment starts with hazards and exposure. It identifies who may be harmed, describes the potential harm, considers current precautions and decides what more must be done. It should support action, not merely fill a scoring table.
The output includes the significant findings and controls that the planned work must deliver. It may also identify actions that must be completed before work starts.
The method statement answers ‘how will we do the work?’
The method statement turns the plan into a logical sequence. It explains preparation, access, equipment, isolations, installation of controls, the task itself, checks, emergency arrangements and how the area will be left safe.
HSE describes method statements as an effective and practical management tool, especially for higher-risk, complex or unusual work. They also help communicate the safe system of work to the people carrying it out.
The most important review is between the two
A common weakness is that the risk assessment and method statement are individually plausible but do not match. A control may be listed but never implemented in the sequence, or the method may introduce equipment and hazards that were never assessed.
Review both directions: every significant hazard needs an adequate control, every control needs a place in the method where relevant, and every important method step should be covered by the assessment.
Neither document replaces supervision
RAMS communicates the agreed plan. It does not guarantee that conditions remain as expected or that the method is followed. Competent supervision, worker involvement, stop-work decisions and review when conditions change remain part of managing the risk.
Sources
Read the full guidance for more detail.