RAMS for groundworkers and landscapers

Groundworks bring together plant, excavations and buried services. Your RAMS needs to show how you locate services before digging, keep people away from moving plant and stop trenches collapsing.

Groundworker or landscaper preset: 9 hazards with controls, 8 steps of work, PPE and plant, ready to edit and download as a PDF.

Make RAMS for groundworkers and landscapers

Hazards and controls

These are the hazards the groundworker or landscaper preset starts with. Residual risk is after the controls, on a 5 × 5 likelihood and severity scale.

Being struck or crushed by moving plant

Plant: mini diggers, dumpers and other machines · Who: Operatives, public · Residual risk: Medium

Plant operated only by trained, competent operators (CPCS, NPORS or equivalent)
Daily pre-use checks recorded; seat belts worn
Exclusion zone around working plant; a trained banksman for reversing and lifting
No passengers; buckets lowered and keys removed when unattended

Collapse of trench sides; falls into excavations

Excavations and trenches · Who: Operatives, public · Residual risk: Medium

Sides battered back or supported where there is any risk of collapse; no one in an unsupported trench where collapse could injure them
Spoil, materials and plant kept back from the edge
Edge protection or barriers around open excavations; covered or fenced overnight
Excavation inspected at the start of every shift by a competent person

Striking hidden cables, pipes or gas mains when drilling, cutting or digging

Hidden and buried services · Who: Operatives, client · Residual risk: Medium

Service drawings and client information checked before work
Walls and floors scanned with a cable and pipe detector; buried services traced with a CAT and Genny
Hand-dug trial holes before machine digging near services
Water and gas located and the stopcock or ECV position confirmed before starting

Back and muscle injuries from lifting and carrying

Manual handling · Who: Operatives · Residual risk: Medium

Loads assessed before lifting; mechanical aids (trolleys, sack trucks, hoists) used where possible
Heavy or awkward loads lifted by two people
Loads broken down into smaller units; materials delivered close to where they are needed
Operatives shown good lifting technique

Breathing in silica dust (lung disease)

Dust: cutting, chasing and drilling masonry and concrete · Who: Operatives, client, others nearby · Residual risk: Medium

Tools with on-tool extraction to an M- or H-class vacuum, or water suppression
FFP3 mask, face-fit tested, worn as well as extraction
Work area closed off and ventilated; others kept away
Dust cleaned with an M-class vacuum, never by dry sweeping or compressed air

Hearing damage from noisy tools

Noise and hand-arm vibration · Who: Operatives, others nearby · Residual risk: Medium

Quieter tools and methods chosen
Hearing protection worn where noise is above 85 dB(A) or people must shout to be heard 2 m away
Others kept away from noisy work

Hand-arm vibration (HAVS, white finger)

Noise and hand-arm vibration · Who: Operatives · Residual risk: Medium

Low-vibration tools chosen and maintained
Trigger time limited using the tool's vibration level and the HSE exposure points system
Tasks rotated; breaks taken; hands kept warm
Symptoms reported; health surveillance where exposure is regular

Being struck by vehicles reversing or delivering

Deliveries and vehicles on site · Who: Operatives, public · Residual risk: Medium

Deliveries planned and booked; unloading area agreed
Banksman used for reversing; pedestrians kept apart from vehicles
Hi-vis worn in vehicle areas

Skin, eye or breathing harm from adhesives, sealants, solvents, cement and cleaning products

Hazardous substances (COSHH) · Who: Operatives, client · Residual risk: Medium

Safety data sheets and COSHH assessments available for products used
Less harmful products chosen where possible
Gloves, eye protection and good ventilation as the data sheet says
Wet cement and lime kept off skin; washing facilities used before eating
Products stored in their original containers, lids on, away from children

Sequence of work

Agree access, deliveries, skip position and working hours with the client
Trace buried services with drawings and a CAT and Genny; mark them on the ground
Set up site fencing and an exclusion zone around plant
Carry out daily pre-use checks on plant
Hand-dig trial holes near services; excavate with plant and support or batter trench sides
Lay sub-base, drainage, slabs or blocks; cut with water suppression or extraction
Keep excavations protected and covered at the end of each day
Backfill, reinstate and clear the site

PPE

Safety boots, Hi-vis vest, Hard hat, Gloves, Eye protection, Hearing protection, FFP3 dust mask (face-fit tested).

Plant and equipment

Mini digger and dumper (trained operators)
CAT and Genny
Plate compactor
Disc cutter with water suppression
Site fencing and barriers

Every job is different: delete what does not apply, add site-specific hazards and name the people responsible before you issue the RAMS.

Questions

What should I do before digging?

Get service plans, scan the area with a cable avoidance tool and genny, mark the services and hand-dig trial holes near them (HSG47).

When does an excavation need support?

Whenever it could collapse or people work in it. Batter the sides or use trench support, and inspect it at the start of each shift.

Other trades: Roofers · Plumbers and heating engineers · Painters and decorators · Carpenters and joiners · Plasterers and dryliners · all trades

Checked against hse.gov.uk on 31 October 2026.