Blog
Guidance for people running construction sites
Practical writing on CDM 2015, RAMS and RIDDOR reporting, from the team building BuildOptix.
What happens if a subcontractor turns up without a RAMS?
A principal contractor is entitled to refuse site access — and doing so consistently, rather than making exceptions under time pressure, is what actually keeps the requirement meaningful.
Spreadsheets versus compliance software: when it's actually time to switch
A well-maintained spreadsheet can genuinely serve a small operation for longer than the software industry likes to admit — the useful question is what specifically breaks first as you grow.
How much time do site managers lose to paperwork?
Every site manager has a strong opinion about this and few can back it with a number they'd stand behind — which is itself worth noticing.
A practical subcontractor onboarding checklist for site managers
Most onboarding problems trace back to information being requested for the first time at the gate, on the morning work is due to start — a short pre-arrival checklist catches nearly all of them earlier.
Site management software: what to actually look for before you buy
A feature list that looks comprehensive in a demo can still fail on a real site if it doesn't fit how compliance work actually happens day to day — here's what's worth prioritising.
Managing subcontractor compliance across multiple sites
The same subcontractor working across three sites shouldn't mean three separate, disconnected compliance checks — but that's exactly what tends to happen without a shared record.
RAMS quality versus box-ticking: what a genuinely good one looks like next to a bad one
Two RAMS can look identical in format and length while one genuinely protects the people doing the work and the other exists purely to be filed — the difference isn't obvious from a skim.
What site inspection records actually need to show
A record that says an inspection happened is weaker than one that shows what was found — and what was found is what actually protects you if something goes wrong later.