Approvals

RAMSdoc includes an approval workflow so documents are reviewed by a competent person before they are used on site. This page covers the full submit, review, and approve/reject process.

Document status flow

Every document moves through these statuses:

Draft → Pending Review → Approved
                       ↘ Rejected (returns to Draft for edits)

Once approved, a document can also be:

• Superseded — replaced by a newer version
• Archived — no longer in active use

Submitting for review

When you have finished editing a document and it is ready to be checked:

1. Open the document.
2. Click Submit for Review.
3. Select an approver — this must be someone with Manager, Admin, or Owner role in your organisation.
4. Add notes for the reviewer (optional) — highlight anything you want them to focus on or any decisions you made.
5. Click Submit.

[Screenshot: Submit for review dialog with approver dropdown and notes field]

The document status changes to Pending Review. You can no longer edit the document while it is under review.

The approver receives a notification (email and in-app) that a document is waiting for their review.

Tip

If your document was AI-generated, a compliance score runs automatically before submission. The reviewer will see this score alongside the document.

Reviewing a document

If you are the assigned reviewer:

1. You will see a notification on your dashboard and receive an email.
2. Click the notification or open the document from the Documents page (filter by Pending Review).
3. Read through the document carefully, checking:
   • Is the work scope accurate and complete?
   • Are the hazards appropriate for this work?
   • Are control measures practical and sufficient?
   • Does the method statement follow a logical sequence?
   • Are there any gaps in the operational sections?
   • If a compliance score is available, are the flagged issues addressed?

[Screenshot: Document in review mode showing the reviewer toolbar with approve/reject buttons]

Adding review comments

While reviewing, you can add comments to specific sections:

1. Highlight text or click the comment icon next to a section.
2. Type your comment.
3. Click Add Comment.

Comments are visible to the document author when the document is returned for edits.

Approving a document

If the document meets your standards:

1. Click Approve.
2. Add any approval notes (optional).
3. Click Confirm Approval.

The document is now:

• Locked — no further edits are possible on this version
• Version recorded — a snapshot is saved in the version history
• Available for use — it can be briefed on site, exported, and shared

The author receives a notification that their document has been approved.

Rejecting a document

If the document needs changes before it can be approved:

1. Click Request Changes.
2. Add a reason explaining what needs to be fixed. Be specific — “Risk assessment needs work” is not helpful. “Hazard 4 (working at height) needs a rescue plan added to controls” tells the author exactly what to do.
3. Click Send Back.

[Screenshot: Request changes dialog with reason field]

The document returns to Draft status. The author receives a notification with your comments and reason for rejection. They can then edit the document and resubmit.

Common approval scenarios

Multiple rounds of review

A document can go through multiple submit-review cycles. Each round is recorded in the document’s activity log, so you can see the full history of submissions, comments, and decisions.

Changing the approver

If the original approver is unavailable:

1. An Admin or Owner can reassign the review.
2. Open the document in Pending Review status.
3. Click Reassign Reviewer and select a different person.

Bulk approvals

If you have several documents to review:

1. Go to the Documents page.
2. Filter by Pending Review.
3. Open each document, review, and approve or reject.

There is no “approve all” shortcut — each document must be reviewed individually to maintain the audit trail.

Contractor submissions

When a subcontractor submits their RAMS for your review:

1. RAMSdoc runs an automatic AI compliance check and generates a report.
2. You see the submission in your Supply Chain dashboard with the compliance score.
3. Review the document and the AI report.
4. Approve or request amendments.

See Supply Chain for more on managing contractor submissions.

Approval audit trail

Every approval action is recorded with:

• Who submitted the document and when
• Who reviewed it and when
• Whether it was approved or rejected
• Any comments or notes from either party
• The compliance score at the time of review

This audit trail is included when you generate an HSE Investigation Pack and cannot be edited or deleted.