RAMS by trade · UK
Landscaping and grounds RAMS
Create a site-specific landscaping or grounds maintenance RAMS online. Describe the job, review suggested risks and method steps, and download a professional PDF.
Typical scope
- Soft landscaping
- Tree works (basic interfaces)
- Mowing regimes
- Pesticide application
- Fencing
- Play equipment surrounds
Public parks and live campuses mean people will walk through your work area unless you stop them.
Quick answer
A landscaping RAMS covers plant/machinery, noise, pesticides/herbicides (COSHH), public interface in open spaces, and biological hazards such as litter sharps.
Primary topic: grounds maintenance method statement. 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.
Public not excluded
Temporary fencing/signage insufficient.
Chemicals casual
COSHH and weather windows for spraying.
Noise near buildings
Timing constraints.
Example
Campus soft-landscape phase
Built from one job description. You review and adjust every item before issuing it.
Job description
Planting and turf around the new student block at River College. Pedestrian diversion, mini-digger with banksman near paths, herbicide only in calm weather per COSHH.
Activities identified
- General site work
- Excavation
- Plant and vehicle movement
Method (7 steps)
- 1.Arrive and sign in. Arrive at River College east quad, report to the River College 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.Locate buried services. Review service drawings and scan the area with a CAT and Genny. Mark located services before breaking ground.
- 4.Excavate. Excavate by hand near located services, then by machine. Support or batter back excavations and keep spoil away from the edge.
- 5.Backfill and reinstate. Backfill in layers, compact, and reinstate the surface. Remove barriers once the area is safe.
- 6.Clear up and remove waste. Clear the work area, remove waste from site (including recovered refrigerant and hazardous waste) and leave the area safe.
- 7.Hand over and sign out. Hand over to the River College Estates site contact, report anything outstanding and sign out.
Main risks (3 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
What to get right on this document
Public interface
Physical barriers where practicable.
COSHH for chemicals
SDS, storage, spill kits.
Plant on slopes
Machine suitability and rollover awareness.
Quick answer
A landscaping RAMS covers plant/machinery, noise, pesticides/herbicides (COSHH), public interface in open spaces, and biological hazards such as litter sharps.
What good looks like on a UK site
Public parks and live campuses mean people will walk through your work area unless you stop them. 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 grounds maintenance method statement 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
- GuidesWhat is a RAMS?RAMS means risk assessment and method statement — usually one site-specific pack for a construction or maintenance job. Practical UK guidance for contractors — with links to free tools.
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- RAMS by tradeGroundworks RAMSCreate a groundworks or excavation RAMS online: buried services, trench collapse, plant movement and public interface. Review every suggestion before issue.
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- RAMS by tradeScaffolding RAMSCreate scaffolding rams online for UK sites. Suggested risks and method steps matched to the job — you review every item before issue.
Questions
- Tree work?
- Climbing/aerial tree work needs specialist RAMS — don't improvise.
- Sharps?
- Include litter protocols for public sites.
- Schools?
- Add safeguarding and timing constraints.