Utilities Works RAMS Guide for UK Contractors

Key Topics in a Utilities Works RAMS

NRSWA compliance and licence requirements

Works in the public highway by statutory undertakers and their contractors are governed by the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 (NRSWA) and the Street Works (Qualifications of Supervisors and Operatives) Regulations 2009. All supervisors and operatives working in the highway must hold a current NRSWA streetworks licence (SWQR or equivalent) relevant to their role. The RAMS must confirm the licence categories held by all personnel, the name of the NRSWA-qualified supervisor responsible for the works, and the S50/S55 inspection regime agreed with the highway authority. Unlicensed working in the highway is a criminal offence and can result in immediate stop notices.

Safe digging practice and service detection

Underground service strikes are one of the leading causes of death and serious injury in UK utilities work. Before any excavation begins, the RAMS must require: a full utility record search from all relevant asset owners (electricity, gas, water, telecoms, district heating) using the approved plans service; a CAT (cable avoidance tool) and Genny (signal generator) sweep of the full excavation footprint, with results plotted on a drawing; trial holes to positively locate all high-risk services before mechanical excavation begins; and a minimum 500 mm hand-dig exclusion zone around all located services. The responsible supervisor must confirm safe digging clearance before mechanical excavation starts.

Excavation support and trench safety

Trench excavations deeper than 1.2 m must be supported (trench box, sheet piling, or engineered batter) unless a site-specific geotechnical assessment confirms that the soil conditions allow safe unsupported working. The RAMS must specify the trench support method, the maximum unsupported length, the daily inspection regime for trench boxes and associated plant, the procedure for working in or around excavations in areas with live traffic or surcharging (adjacent structures, stored materials, vehicles), and the emergency rescue procedure for a trench collapse — including the location of rescue equipment and the assembly point.

Service strike emergency response

A service strike in utilities work is a foreseeable emergency that must be addressed in the RAMS with a specific response procedure, not a generic emergency section. For gas: immediately evacuate the area for a minimum 50 m radius, call 999 and the gas emergency service (0800 111 999), do not use electrical switches or mobile phones within the evacuation zone, and prevent vehicles approaching until the area is declared safe by the gas emergency response team. For electricity: do not touch the cable or any conductive material connected to it, call 999 and the network operator's emergency line, establish an exclusion zone of at least 15 m. The RAMS must include the specific emergency numbers for each utility type present in the area.