RAMS Templates

RAMS Templates

RAMS templates allow organisations to create reusable document blueprints for common activities, dramatically reducing the time needed to produce compliant risk assessments and method statements. Rather than starting from scratch for every project, teams can apply a proven template and customise it to the specific site conditions.

Template Concept

A template captures the standard hazards, control measures, method statements, and emergency procedures for a particular type of activity. When applied to a new project, the template auto-populates the RAMS document with all relevant content, which the author then tailors to the specific circumstances.

System Templates

NexusRMS includes a library of pre-built system templates covering common rental and event industry activities. These templates are marked with the is_system_template flag and are read-only — they cannot be edited or deleted by users. System templates are maintained and updated by NexusRMS to reflect current industry best practice and regulatory requirements.

Custom Templates

Organisations can create their own custom templates tailored to their specific operations. Custom templates are fully editable, can be archived when no longer needed, and can be shared across the organisation. There is no limit on the number of custom templates an organisation can create.

Template Fields

Field	Description
Name	Descriptive template name, e.g. "Rigging — Indoor Arena"
Description	Summary of the activity and when to use this template
Activity Type	Category of work such as rigging, electrical, loading, or general
Template Data	JSONB structure matching the full RAMS document format — hazards, controls, method statements, and emergency procedures
Tags	Searchable keywords for quick filtering
Risk Level	Overall risk classification of the templated activity

Template Inheritance

Templates support a hierarchy through the parent_template_id field. A child template inherits all content from its parent and adds or overrides specific sections. This is useful for creating activity variants — for example, a base "Electrical Work" template with children for "Temporary Power Distribution" and "Permanent Installation".

Creating a Document from a Template

When creating a RAMS document from a template, the createFromTemplate method automatically populates:

• Project information — name, project number, client, venue, and dates
• All template hazards with their risk ratings and control measures
• Method statement sections and step-by-step procedures
• Emergency procedures and contact details

The author reviews the auto-populated content and adjusts it for the specific project conditions before submitting for review.

Usage Tracking

NexusRMS tracks how frequently each template is used. The usage_count increments every time a document is created from the template, and the last_used_at timestamp records the most recent utilisation. This data helps organisations identify their most valuable templates and retire those that are no longer relevant.

Template Management

The template management page provides a comprehensive interface for organising your template library:

• List all templates with name, activity type, risk level, and usage count
• Search templates by tags or keywords
• Filter by activity type and risk level
• Toggle between active and archived templates
• Sort by name, usage frequency, or last used date

Template Suggestions

When creating a new RAMS document, NexusRMS can suggest relevant templates based on the project type, activity description, and historical usage patterns. This AI-assisted suggestion helps authors select the most appropriate starting point for their assessment.

Best Practice Tips

• Create templates for activities your organisation performs repeatedly — rigging, electrical work, loading and unloading, working at height
• Always customise a template after applying it; no two sites are identical
• Review and update custom templates quarterly to reflect lessons learned from incidents and near misses
• Use tags consistently across templates to make searching more effective
• Archive outdated templates rather than deleting them to preserve the audit trail