RAMS by trade · UK
Groundworks RAMS
Create a site-specific groundworks RAMS online. Describe the job, review suggested risks and method steps, and download a professional PDF.
Typical scope
- Drainage connections
- Foundations and footings
- Ducting and trenching
- Kerbing and paving
- Service connections
- Car park works
Groundworks RAMS live or die on buried services, excavation support and plant.
Quick answer
A groundworks RAMS is a site-specific excavation document. Service location should come before breaking ground, with trench support, plant/people segregation and spoil management written for that dig.
Primary topic: groundworks rams. UK contractors — review every document before you issue it. SafeForJob does not replace competent judgement or HSE guidance.
What usually goes wrong
These are the operational gaps that make generic Word RAMS fail on the next site.
Services assumed clear
CAT/Genny and trial holes missing from the method.
Trench treated as shallow forever
Collapse controls needed whenever people enter.
Public interface ignored
Car parks and footpaths need segregation, not hope.
Example
Drainage trench in a live car park
Built from one job description. You review and adjust every item before issuing it.
Job description
Excavate a 25m drainage trench in the customer car park at Riverside Medical Centre using a mini digger. Locate buried services first, support the trench where people enter and keep the public away from plant.
Activities identified
- General site work
- Excavation
- Plant and vehicle movement
- Occupied premises or public areas
- Outdoor or exposed work
Method (8 steps)
- 1.Arrive and sign in. Arrive at Riverside Medical Centre car park, report to the Riverside Healthcare Estates site contact, sign in and complete any site induction.
- 2.Brief the team. Brief all operatives on this RAMS, the COSHH assessments and the emergency arrangements. Record attendance.
- 3.Set up the work area. Set up barriers and signage around the work area and keep it clear of other people.
- 4.Locate buried services. Review service drawings and scan the area with a CAT and Genny. Mark located services before breaking ground.
- 5.Excavate. Excavate by hand near located services, then by machine. Support or batter back excavations and keep spoil away from the edge.
- 6.Backfill and reinstate. Backfill in layers, compact, and reinstate the surface. Remove barriers once the area is safe.
- 7.Clear up and remove waste. Clear the work area, remove waste from site (including recovered refrigerant and hazardous waste) and leave the area safe.
- 8.Hand over and sign out. Hand over to the Riverside Healthcare Estates site contact, report anything outstanding and sign out.
Main risks (5 in total)
Excavation collapse and falls into excavations
Residual MediumWho: Operatives, public
- Excavations battered back or supported (trench boxes/shoring) where people enter
- Spoil and plant kept away from the edge
- Edge protection and barriers around open excavations
- Excavations inspected at the start of each shift by a competent person
Striking buried services
Residual MediumWho: Operatives, public
- Service drawings obtained before digging
- Area scanned with a CAT and Genny by a trained operator; services marked
- Trial holes dug by hand near located services (safe digging practice)
Moving vehicles and plant
Residual MediumWho: Operatives, public, site staff
- Pedestrians segregated from vehicle and plant routes
- Plant operated by trained, authorised operators only
- Banksman used for reversing and manoeuvring
- High-visibility clothing worn
Members of the public and building occupants
Residual LowWho: Public, customers, staff, residents
- Work area segregated with barriers and clear signage
- Work timed for quieter periods where possible, agreed with the site
- Tools and materials never left unattended in public areas
- Site contact informed of work areas and any disruption
+ 1 more risks in the full RAMS.
What to get right on this document
Services before breaking ground
Drawings, CAT/Genny, hand-dug trial holes first.
Collapse and falls into excavations
Support or battering, spoil away from edges, barriers, inspections.
Plant and people
Banksman and segregation where plant reverses near people.
Quick answer
A groundworks RAMS is a site-specific excavation document. Service location should come before breaking ground, with trench support, plant/people segregation and spoil management written for that dig.
What good looks like on a UK site
Groundworks RAMS live or die on buried services, excavation support and plant. Name the site, the people at risk, and the sequence that keeps them safe. Generic paragraphs that could apply anywhere are the first thing a principal contractor rejects.
How SafeForJob helps
- Describe the job in plain English and get suggested activities, risks and method steps
- Edit every line before you download or issue
- Reuse a previous RAMS and catch old client or site names
- Attach or create COSHH assessments where hazardous substances appear
What this page is not
This page is not HSE approval, legal advice or a substitute for competent judgement. It helps you draft a clearer groundworks rams document for a named job. You remain responsible for reviewing and issuing it.
Related reading
See what a RAMS is, the free RAMS generator, and HSE guidance on managing risks.
Related pages
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Questions
- Do I need a permit to dig?
- Many sites require one — add your client's rules to the method.
- Can I add a lift plan?
- Describe lifting and attach detailed lift plans separately.
- Suitable for principal contractors?
- Built for contractors preparing package RAMS.