Risk Assessment · Excavations & Trench Work
Risk Assessment for Excavations & Trench Work
A standalone risk assessment following HSE's 5 steps: who might be harmed and how, and the controls that make the work safe. Below: what a Risk Assessment for excavation must contain, why they get rejected, and the hazards it has to cover, or generate one for your exact job in a couple of minutes.
What a compliant Risk Assessment must contain
- Hazards specific to the actual task, site and materials
- Who might be harmed and how, for each hazard
- The controls already in place PLUS any further action needed
- A before/after risk score and a review date
Why a Risk Assessment for excavation gets rejected
- Copied from a generic example (HSE: 'would not satisfy the law')
- Controls that don't match what the business actually does
- No record of who does the further actions, or by when
- An auto-fail hazard (confined space, asbestos, live electrical) wrongly marked 'N/A'
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Check yours freeExcavations & Trench Work hazards it must cover
Excavation, meaning digging trenches and pits by hand or machine for foundations, drainage and services, brings hazards a Risk Assessment has to address:
- trench collapse and burial
- striking buried services (HSG47)
- falls into excavations
- plant and vehicles working near the edge
- flooding and contaminated ground
Generate your Risk Assessment in minutes
Built to the correct published standard for excavation: specific controls, the right legal basis, a review date and a sign-off section you can operate.
Start your Risk AssessmentFAQ
Do you need a Risk Assessment for excavation?
A standalone risk assessment following HSE's 5 steps: who might be harmed and how, and the controls that make the work safe. For excavation, meaning digging trenches and pits by hand or machine for foundations, drainage and services, it is the document a client, principal contractor or inspector expects to see, grounded in MHSWR 1999 reg 3 (HSE): the 5-step method (INDG163).
What makes a Risk Assessment for excavation fail?
The usual reasons: Copied from a generic example (HSE: 'would not satisfy the law'); Controls that don't match what the business actually does; No record of who does the further actions, or by when. RAMSReady generates one to the correct published form and avoids these.
How fast can I get a Risk Assessment?
A couple of minutes. Describe the job, and RAMSReady writes a Risk Assessment for your exact excavation live against the correct standard, with a review date and a sign-off/records section.