Groundworks RAMS Template: What UK Contractors Need to Include
A groundworks RAMS template gives you a working starting point — but it only protects your workers and your business if it reflects the actual hazards on your specific site. Here's what a properly constructed groundworks RAMS must contain, and why each element matters.
What Is a RAMS and When Is One Required?
A RAMS is a Risk Assessment combined with a Method Statement. The risk assessment element is required under Regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, which requires every employer (and self-employed person) to carry out a suitable and sufficient assessment of risks to workers and others who may be affected.
The method statement describes how the work will be carried out safely — in sequence, with controls in place. Together they demonstrate that hazards have been identified and managed before the first machine breaks ground.
For most groundworks on a notifiable project, CDM 2015 also applies. The Principal Contractor must ensure work is planned, managed and monitored, and that contractor RAMS align with the Construction Phase Plan.
Part 1: The Risk Assessment
A groundworks risk assessment must be site-specific, not a cut-and-paste document. A template gives you the structure; your site survey, drawings and local knowledge fill in the substance.
Core hazards to assess
| Hazard | Typical population at risk |
|---|---|
| Struck by buried services (gas, electric, water, telecoms) | Excavator operators, labourers |
| Excavation collapse / unsupported sides | Workers in and around the excavation |
| Plant and vehicle movement on site | All site personnel and members of the public |
| Groundwater ingress and flooding | Workers in excavations |
| Manual handling of heavy materials | Groundworkers throughout |
| Exposure to contaminated ground or made ground | All operatives |
| Working in proximity to existing structures | Operatives and neighbours |
| Overhead power lines | Plant operators |
For each hazard, assess likelihood and severity before controls, apply your control hierarchy, then reassess residual risk. The hierarchy runs: eliminate > substitute > engineering controls > administrative controls > PPE — PPE sits at the bottom, never as a first response.
Buried services — the detail that matters most
Striking a buried service is one of the most common causes of serious injury in groundworks. Your risk assessment must record:
- Confirmation that service drawings have been obtained from utility providers
- Use of a competent CAT and Genny operator to locate live services before any excavation
- Trial holes dug by hand within the safe zone of identified services
- Tool restrictions near confirmed service lines (no power tools within specified tolerances — refer to HSG47 Avoiding Danger from Underground Services)
Part 2: The Method Statement
The method statement turns your risk assessment into an ordered sequence of work. For groundworks, structure it around the actual phases of the operation.
Typical groundworks method statement sequence
- Mobilisation and site set-up — welfare, compound, signage, site rules briefed to all operatives
- Utilities survey and service clearance — CAT scan, utility drawings reviewed, trial holes as required
- Topsoil strip — plant type, direction of travel, spoil management
- Bulk excavation — machine type and reach, exclusion zones (minimum 6 m recommended around operating plant), method of battering or shoring excavation sides
- Excavation support — confirm whether sides are to be battered back to a safe angle, or whether trench boxes, sheets or proprietary support systems will be used. Never leave excavations unsupported where persons could enter
- Inspection regime — under Regulation 9 of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 (which also covers excavations — note that "work at height" in UK law includes work below ground level), inspections must be carried out by a competent person at the start of each shift and after any event that may have affected stability, with results recorded
- Dewatering — pump capacity, discharge point, environmental permit considerations
- Backfill and compaction — material specification, layer depths, compaction plant, testing requirements
- Reinstatement — surface finish, temporary or permanent, statutory requirements for reinstatement of public highway if applicable
Competence and Authorisation
Every RAMS must name or describe the competencies required:
- Plant operators: CPCS or NPORS card relevant to the machine category
- Supervisor responsible for checking inspections are completed
- First aider details and nearest A&E location
Sign-off boxes should capture the author, reviewer (your supervisor or site manager), and the date. Workers must be briefed on the RAMS content before work starts — a signature record provides evidence of that briefing.
Common Mistakes with Groundworks RAMS Templates
- Generic controls that don't match site conditions — "follow safe systems of work" is not a control
- No reference to site-specific service drawings — obtained drawings must be referenced by date and revision
- Missing excavation inspection records — the risk assessment is not the inspection; you need a separate daily record
- Treating PPE as the primary control — hard hats and boots are necessary but they do not prevent excavation collapse
- Not updating the RAMS when scope changes — if you encounter unexpected ground conditions or contamination, review and reissue before continuing
Using a Template Effectively
A well-built groundworks RAMS template provides the correct headings, prompts the right questions and saves time on structure. What it cannot do is substitute for a site walk, a utility search, or genuine competence in identifying what could go wrong on your site on that day.
Fill every section with real information. Date it, brief the team, and keep it live — revisit it whenever conditions or scope change.