Groundworks RAMS Template Guide

Topics a Groundworks RAMS Commonly Covers

Buried service identification (dial-before-you-dig)

Utility plan requests from all relevant utilities before excavation starts. CAT/Genny scan by a trained and competent operative before any machine excavation. Safe dig zone — typically 500mm either side of mapped services. No-machine-dig zone for high-risk buried services. Hand digging to expose all unknown services before machine excavation continues.

Excavation and trench stability

Ground condition assessment by competent person before excavation begins. Trench support method where required: trench box (drag box or pre-framed), battering, or sheet piling. Minimum compaction and bedding specification for services. Daily inspection of excavations by competent person — documented. No person to enter an unsupported trench exceeding 1.2m depth without trench support or assessment by a geotechnical competent person.

Plant and vehicle movements

Plant types: 360 excavators, dumpers, telehandlers, concrete mixers. CPCS-certified operators. Pre-use inspection records. Pedestrian/plant segregation barriers. Banksman required near site entrance and when reversing near public highway.

Groundwater management

If ground conditions are wet: pumping arrangements for trench dewatering; discharge points for dewatered groundwater — not to adjacent private land or watercourse without environmental permit.

Concrete placement

COSHH assessment for cement and concrete (skin sensitiser, eye irritant). PPE: waterproof gloves, safety glasses, face shield for pump work. No washing of concrete tools or lorries to drain; washout bays well away from any watercourse or drain.

Environmental controls

Bunded fuel storage for plant refuelling. Spill kits on site. No cement washings, concrete water, or fuel to nearby drains or watercourses. Silt fence or filter bags on any run-off point. Pollution incident response procedure and Environment Agency emergency line.

Why Generic Templates Are Not Enough

Groundworks are inherently site-specific: ground conditions, buried services, trench depths, proximity to structures, and water table vary significantly between sites. A generic groundworks template that lists “buried services risk — use CAT scanner” without specifying what services are present, what the CAT scan results showed, or what the no-dig zones are will not meet the site-specific standard required by most principal contractors.