Written for the trade
Fabrication, workshop and site welding, steel erection, deliveries, and the day-to-day coordination that decides whether RAMS actually get used on the job.
Fabora resources
Steelwork guidance, written plainly.
Written for UK steel fabricators, site welders, steel erectors, and the metal trades around them. Plain English, tied to the jobs you actually run in the shop and on site. Guidance, not legal advice.
What are the Fabora resources?
The Fabora resources are free, plain-English guides for UK steelwork teams. They cover RAMS drafting, welding fume and LEV, hot works permits, COSHH, RIDDOR, PUWER and LOLER for steel fabricators, site welders and steel erectors. Each page is general guidance, not legal advice, so final review stays with your business.
What this section is for
- Answer the buyer and project questions clearly
- Point back to current HSE and official sources when it helps
- Help you draft sharper RAMS without overclaiming
General guidance only. Final review, suitability, and sign-off stay with the customer's business.
How to use it
Guidance first, sales second
Each page stands on its own as a reference: workshop work, site welding, RAMS drafting, RIDDOR reporting, equipment checks, lifting, COSHH, and hot works coordination. Where Fabora RAMS gets a mention, it's a drafting tool. It doesn't replace a competent person signing off the work.
Plain English, no filler
Each page answers the questions buyers and project teams actually ask. No copied legal notes, no padding to hit a word count.
Honest about what it is
We don't dress these guides up as legal sign-off. They're here to help you understand the topic, backed by current HSE and official sources where they earn their place.
Current guidance pages
Pick the topic closest to what you're after. Each page links across to related guidance and to Fabora RAMS when that's the sensible next step.
RAMS basics
RAMS guide
What RAMS mean in practical terms, who normally uses them, what a workable pack covers, and where steelwork teams often go wrong.
RAMS template
Free RAMS template UK guide
A practical UK RAMS template guide for steel fabrication, site welding, steel erection, and related site-working metal trades.
Method statements
Method statement template
A practical guide to method statement templates for steelwork, welding, steel erection and site installation work.
Welding risk assessment
Welding risk assessment template
A welding risk assessment template guide for steel fabrication and site welding: hazards, fume, hot works, PPE, COSHH and how it fits the RAMS pack.
Toolbox talks
Toolbox talk topics
Toolbox talk topics for welding, fabrication, steel erection, hot works, COSHH, lifting, PPE and site work: short, task-specific briefings.
Steel fabrication RAMS
Steel fabrication RAMS guide
Practical guidance for UK steel fabrication businesses covering workshop RAMS, site RAMS, hazards, method statements, and job-specific review.
Site welding RAMS
Site welding RAMS guide
Practical guidance for UK site welders and steelwork teams covering hot works, fumes, permits, PPE, fire controls, method steps, and job-specific review.
Steel erection RAMS
Steel erection RAMS guide
Steel erection RAMS for UK steelwork contractors: lifting, access, work at height, the erection sequence, temporary stability and the bits a principal contractor actually reads.
RAMS software buyer guide
Best RAMS software for steel fabricators
Practical buyer guidance for steelwork businesses comparing editable RAMS software, generic templates, pricing, issue control, and trade fit.
RAMS software comparison
RAMS software comparison
Templates vs generic RAMS software vs full EHS suites vs Fabora RAMS: a fair comparison for UK steelwork businesses.
New customers
Getting started guide
A practical first-use path for company setup, reusable libraries, first drafting, internal review, and issue.
Workshop welding
Welding fume and LEV
A practical summary of workshop welding fume control, LEV, extraction setup, maintenance, training, housekeeping, and where RPE still matters.
LEV records
LEV logbook guide
A practical guide to LEV logbooks, registers, inspection records, testing records, corrective actions, and organised extraction asset history.
LEV testing
LEV testing records guide
A practical guide to LEV testing records, thorough examination records, inspection findings, corrective actions, due dates, and asset history.
Welding fume records
Welding fume extraction records
A practical guide to keeping welding fume extraction records organised, including asset IDs, routine checks, LEV testing records, service history, filters, and corrective actions.
Hot works
Hot works permits
Plain-English guidance on hot works permits, welding fire risk controls, fire watch, site welding checks, and how permits connect with RAMS.
RAMS drafting
Workshop RAMS vs site RAMS
Why workshop and site RAMS need different detail, where one generic draft goes wrong, and how trade teams can choose a better starting point.
COSHH
COSHH and consumables
A practical overview of COSHH for steelwork teams dealing with fumes, gases, consumables, cleaners, sprays, and related material handling.
RIDDOR
RIDDOR for steelwork businesses
Current practical guidance on RIDDOR for fabrication shops, site welders, and steel erectors, including reportable categories, record keeping, and common grey areas.
Enforcement
HSE prohibition notice explained
What a prohibition notice means, how it differs from an improvement notice, and what a fabrication or welding business should do next.
PUWER
PUWER checks for fabrication shops
Practical guide to PUWER for fabrication shops, focused on machinery control, guarding, inspection, maintenance, training, and common warning signs.
LOLER
LOLER and lifting operations
Practical guide to LOLER for steelwork businesses handling beams, fabricated items, slings, chains, hoists, cranes, gantries, and lifting attachments.
Welding basics
Types of welding explained
Plain-English overview of the main welding processes, where they fit, what buyers and supervisors should understand, and how workshop and site use often differ.
What the section is built around
Trade-specific by design. It sticks to the drafting and control questions steelwork teams hit week after week, in the shop and out on site.
RAMS drafting
What RAMS actually are, who relies on them, and what separates a pack people use from one that gets filed and forgotten. Plus why shop and site work rarely start from the same page.
Workshop controls
Welding fume, LEV and extraction, housekeeping, and supervision on the shop floor. How to think these controls through properly instead of bolting them on after the fact.
Site delivery and coordination
Hot works permits, site welding, fire precautions, and the interfaces with other trades. And the gap between fixed shop conditions and a live site that changes by the hour.
Reporting, machinery, and lifting
RIDDOR and HSE notices, PUWER on workshop plant, and LOLER for lifting. Aimed at steelwork firms running machinery, shifting loads, and supervising the work day to day.
Resource FAQ
Short answers on scope and intent
How the hub is meant to be used, and how it sits alongside the Fabora RAMS product pages.
Are Fabora resource pages legal advice?
No. They're written to help UK steelwork teams understand a topic and frame the job properly. They're general guidance, not legal advice, and the final review and approval stay with your business.
Who are these guides written for?
Steel fabricators, site welders, steel erectors and the related metalwork trades. The examples come from workshop jobs and live site delivery, not generic construction admin.
How do these pages relate to Fabora RAMS?
The guides explain RAMS, workshop control, permits and COSHH in plain English. Fabora RAMS is the software itself. It helps you build editable RAMS faster from reusable company content.