RAMS for Groundworkers
Generate compliant risk assessments covering excavations, buried services, and CDM obligations in under 2 minutes. HSG47, CDM 2015, and COSHH cited automatically.
Built with UK health & safety regulations in mind
Groundwork is where construction projects begin and where some of the most serious incidents occur. Trench collapses, cable strikes, gas main punctures, and plant/pedestrian conflicts are responsible for fatalities and life-changing injuries on UK construction sites every year. For groundworkers, RAMS are not paperwork: they are the documented evidence that you identified the hazards before excavating, and that your operatives knew the control measures before the machine started digging.
CDM 2015 means that almost every groundwork task on a construction site requires formal RAMS as part of the Construction Phase Plan. Principal contractors will not allow groundwork to start without site-specific risk assessments covering excavation hazards, buried services, and plant movements. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, the Excavations (Construction Industry) specific guidance in HSG150, and COSHH obligations for ground contamination all layer on top of each other.
swiftRMS generates a groundworker RAMS in under 2 minutes. Specify the excavation type, site conditions, plant being used, and underground services information available. Get a PDF that cites CDM 2015, HSG47, COSHH Regulations 2002, and the relevant PUWER requirements. Ready for your principal contractor before the first machine arrives on site.
What Groundworkers RAMS Must Include
Compliant risk assessments for groundworkers work must cover these specific areas
Buried services survey and avoidance controls
HSG47 (Avoiding Danger from Underground Services) is the HSE's standard for cable and pipe avoidance. RAMS must document the service drawings obtained, CAT and Genny detection, safe digging zones, and hand-digging requirements within 500mm of known services.
Excavation support and trench stability
The Work in Excavations ACoP (L112) requires that excavations are adequately supported or battered back. RAMS must specify the excavation support system: trench box type, propped steel sheet piling, or battering angle, and the inspection regime.
Plant and pedestrian segregation
Groundwork involves excavators, dumpers, and other plant operating near on-foot operatives. Your RAMS must address site traffic management, banksman requirements, exclusion zones, and reversing controls.
Ground contamination and COSHH
Many brownfield sites contain contaminated ground. COSHH Regulations 2002 apply where contaminated materials are disturbed. RAMS must reference the site investigation report, the contamination categories present, and the required controls including PPE, decontamination facilities, and controlled disposal.
Groundwater and flooding controls
Excavations below the water table present additional hazards including rapid inundation, contaminated water ingress, and undermining of excavation faces. Dewatering methods and hazards must be addressed.
Confined space entry
Manholes, inspection chambers, and deep excavations may constitute confined spaces under the Confined Spaces Regulations 1997. RAMS must identify confined space risk and document the confined space entry procedure where applicable.
Common Groundworkers Tasks That Require RAMS
Generate RAMS for any of these tasks in minutes, not hours
Trench excavation for drainage or services
Most common groundwork task. HSG47 and L112 apply in full. RAMS must cover service avoidance, trench support, and edge protection.
Foundation excavation (pad, strip, and raft)
Deeper excavations with higher collapse risk. Likely to require engineer design of shoring or benching. RAMS must reference the design where applicable.
Demolition of existing foundations
Breaking out existing concrete and masonry below ground. Vibration risk to operatives from breakers and machine-mounted attachments, covered by Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005.
Piling operations
Driven piles: noise and vibration controlled by Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005. Bored piles: arisings management, bentonite COSHH, and plant stability.
Soakaway and infiltration drainage installation
Often in contaminated or variable ground. SuDS installations in particular can reach depths requiring trench support. RAMS must cover excavation depth and stability.
Topsoil stripping and site clearance
Plant operations, vegetation removal, and potential disturbance of Japanese knotweed (an environmental risk under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, requiring its own management plan).
Road and hard standing construction
Asphalt laying: fumes from bituminous materials under COSHH (EH40 WEL for bitumen fumes), hot surface burns, and plant compaction near buried services.
UK Legislation for Groundworkers Risk Assessments
Every RAMS automatically cites the relevant UK legislation and industry standards
CDM Regulations 2015
Groundwork almost always falls within a CDM project. RAMS must be site-specific and feed into the Principal Contractor's Construction Phase Plan.
HSG47: Avoiding Danger from Underground Services
The definitive HSE guidance for working near buried cables and pipes. RAMS must document the steps taken to locate services before excavation.
L112: Safety of Excavations ACoP
The Approved Code of Practice for safe excavation. Covers trench support requirements, inspection intervals, and competency requirements for inspection.
COSHH Regulations 2002
Applies to contaminated ground, bituminous materials, and any chemical substances used or disturbed during groundwork.
Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005
Breakers, compactors, and ground compaction plant expose operatives to hand-arm vibration (HAV). RAMS must document daily vibration exposure limits (EAV and ELV) and rotation requirements.
Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005
Piling, compaction, and concrete breaking generate significant noise. Daily noise exposure limits apply and must be addressed in RAMS.
Confined Spaces Regulations 1997
Applies where groundworkers must enter manholes, inspection chambers, or deep confined excavations.
How swiftRMS Generates Groundworkers RAMS
swiftRMS asks the questions that matter for groundwork: is this a greenfield or brownfield site? What is the excavation depth? What plant is being used? Are service drawings available? Is ground contamination suspected? Is trench support required?
Based on your answers, swiftRMS generates a RAMS that covers the specific risk profile of your groundwork task. HSG47 service avoidance steps are included where excavation is involved. L112 trench support requirements are cited at the relevant excavation depths. COSHH entries are included where contamination or chemicals are flagged.
The PDF is structured around the hierarchy of control and is formatted to the standard required by principal contractors under CDM 2015. It includes plant inventory, operative competency requirements, inspection intervals, and emergency procedures.
Frequently Asked Questions
For groundwork of the same type and depth in consistent conditions, a single RAMS can cover the activity across the site. However, where excavations approach buried services, reach depths requiring formal shoring design, or are in contaminated ground, a site-specific RAMS is required. As site conditions change, update or replace the relevant RAMS.
The L112 ACoP does not specify a minimum depth: it requires that all excavations are assessed for stability and supported where necessary. In practice, unsupported vertical-sided trenches in soft ground are routinely unsafe at any depth greater than 1.2m, and many contractors require support from 1m. Your RAMS must document the site-specific assessment.
Your RAMS should reference the Phase 1 or Phase 2 site investigation report, identify the contamination categories present (hydrocarbons, heavy metals, asbestos, etc.), and specify the controls required: PPE schedule, hygiene facilities, waste segregation, licensed disposal requirements, and contamination monitoring.
Yes. When you flag confined space entry risk (for example, manhole inspection or work in deep excavations), swiftRMS includes the Confined Spaces Regulations 1997 requirements and prompts for rescue plan, atmospheric monitoring, and permit to enter.
Generate Your First Groundworkers RAMS Free
No credit card required. Generate a compliant, legislation-cited RAMS in under 2 minutes and download the PDF immediately.