RAMS for Fencing Work (UK)
By the Riskora Editorial Team · Reviewed against our editorial standards · Last reviewed
Fencing work routinely involves striking buried services, manual handling of long posts and heavy panels, concreting in unstable holes, and Heras hoarding in public-access areas. Riskora generates a structured fencing RAMS that addresses each properly — not as a generic groundworks job.
UK (RAMS) example document — Two-Storey Rear Extension — 14 Birchwood Lane, Reading. Client: Mr & Mrs A. Whitfield (Private Client). Site: 14 Birchwood Lane, Reading, RG1 5JT. Scope: Construction of a two-storey rear extension (6.4m × 4.2m) to an existing semi-detached dwelling. Works comprise breaking out of existing rear elevation, trench-fill foundations to 1.0m, traditional cavity blockwork to first floor, pre-stressed concrete lintels, timber roof structure with natural slate finish, plus alterations to existing rear wall to form structural opening with rolled steel joist (RSJ 203×102 UB23). Works programmed over 9 weeks with a peak site team of 6 operatives. Hazards assessed: Manual handling — blocks, lintels, plasterboard, Working at height — independent scaffold & roof structure, Buried services strike during excavation, Collapse of excavation / trench wall, Hand-arm vibration (HAVS) — breaking out, drilling, Silica dust — cutting blocks, brick, concrete, Vehicle/pedestrian segregation — narrow domestic street.
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What should a fencing RAMS cover?
A fencing RAMS must cover buried-service avoidance (CAT and Genny survey, service drawings, hand digging at trial holes), manual handling of long posts (concrete posts can be 40–60kg) and panels (close-board panels around 25–30kg), post-hole digging including stability of the open hole, concreting controls (skin contact, eye splash, manual handling of bags), traffic-management for roadside fencing, and public-area pedestrian protection where Heras or hoarding is used in occupied areas.
Fencing Hits More Buried Services Than Any Other Trade
Post-hole digging — manual or augered — is one of the most common causes of buried-service strikes on UK construction and landscaping sites. Cables, water mains and gas services run shallower than most operatives expect, particularly on older estates and around boundary lines where services were originally routed. A fencing RAMS that doesn't pin down the CAT/Genny survey requirement and the trial-hole procedure is missing the primary serious-injury hazard. UK risk-assessment law and HSG47 specifically require this control.
HSE's HSG47 (Avoiding danger from underground services) is the definitive UK reference. Any fencing RAMS that doesn't reflect the survey-locate-confirm-dig sequence is not suitable and sufficient.
How Riskora Helps
Riskora's fencing preset loads buried-service controls per HSG47 (drawings, CAT/Genny scan, trial hole, hand-dig zone), manual-handling controls for posts and panels, post-hole stability controls, concreting COSHH lines, traffic-management for roadside work, and pedestrian protection for Heras / hoarding in public areas. For roadside work specifically you may also need our civil engineering RAMS.
Who it's for
- Fencing contractors on commercial and industrial sites
- Landscapers installing domestic and estate fencing
- Hoarding contractors on construction sites and events
- Highways contractors installing roadside vehicle restraint and pedestrian fencing
Understand the Fundamentals
Before you generate your document, these guides cover the knowledge that underpins every good RAMS, risk assessment, and method statement.
What Is a RAMS Document?
Understand the two components of a RAMS and how they apply to fencing and boundary work.
How to Write a RAMS Document
Step-by-step guide to structuring your RAMS from project details through to sign-off.
UK Legal Requirements for Risk Assessments
How HSG47 and the broader risk-assessment regime apply to any post-hole digging work.
Key Risks and Considerations
- •Striking buried cables, water or gas services during post-hole digging
- •Manual-handling injury from concrete posts (40–60kg) and panels
- •Cement burn and eye injury from wet concrete
- •Post-hole collapse onto operative leg or hand
- •Vehicle strike on roadside fencing work
- •Pedestrian struck-by during Heras installation in public areas
- •Wind loading causing partially-erected fencing to collapse
- •Cuts from chain-link, weldmesh and barbed/razor wire
Key Features
- HSG47 buried-service survey controls
- Manual-handling for posts and panels
- Post-hole stability and re-entry controls
- Concreting COSHH (cement burn, eye splash, bag handling)
- Traffic-management plan for roadside work
- Heras / hoarding pedestrian-protection plan
Example Structure (UK Standard)
- Project Details and Scope (fence type, length, location)
- Buried-Service Survey Reference (drawings, CAT scan, trial holes)
- Risk Assessment — Services, Manual Handling, Concrete, Traffic
- Method Statement — Set-Out, Post-Hole Dig, Post Set, Panel / Mesh Fix, Reinstatement
- Traffic Management Plan (where roadside)
- Pedestrian Protection Plan (where public-access)
- PPE Schedule and Sign-Off
Common Questions Before Getting Started
Will this take long?
Under 5 minutes. Select your trade, pick hazards, download.
Is it complicated?
No training needed. The guided builder walks you through every step.
Do I need experience?
If you know what work you're doing, you can use Riskora.
Is it free to try?
Yes. The Free plan needs no card — generate, review and download one free PDF. Upgrade any time for branding, DOCX, sign-off and higher limits.
Create your RAMS in under 5 minutes
No onboarding or setup needed — start generating documents instantly
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All documents generated by Riskora should be reviewed by a competent person before use on site. Riskora provides structured templates — professional judgement is always required.
What your RAMS actually contains
Riskora builds a structured, client-facing document — not a generic AI paragraph. Every section is shaped around your job, your site and your team.
Hazards
Task-specific hazards for the job, captured row by row — not a generic list pulled from an old RAMS.
Controls
Control measures mapped to each hazard with residual risk scoring after controls are applied.
PPE
PPE requirements tied to the activity and site, ready to brief to the team.
Method steps
Step-by-step method statement structured around how the work is actually sequenced on site.
Emergency arrangements
First aid, rescue plan, emergency contacts and site-specific escalation routes.
COSHH prompts
Substance prompts when the work involves chemicals, dusts, fumes or sealants — flagged early, not missed at review.
Sign-off
Operative sign-off captured against the document — names, dates and acknowledgement of the brief.
Version history
Every change tracked so you can show what was issued, when, and which version the team signed.
Approval status
Clear approval state on every document — draft, in review, approved, issued — visible across the team.
Audit trail
Who created it, who reviewed it, who signed it. A complete trail you can hand to a principal contractor or auditor.
From copied-and-pasted to site-specific
The reason RAMS get rejected is rarely the format — it's that the document is obviously generic. Riskora rebuilds it around this job, this site and this task.
Generic template copied from an old job.
- • Hazards and controls that don't match this site or task.
- • Method steps written for a different sequence of work.
- • No emergency arrangements specific to the location.
- • Client flags it as generic and asks for a rewrite.
Site-specific document structured around this job, site and task.
- • Hazards captured from the actual scope you pasted in.
- • Method steps sequenced for how the work runs on site.
- • Emergency arrangements and rescue plan tied to the location.
- • Approved internally, briefed to the team, signed off and stored.
From job details to signed-off document
A four-step workflow used by contractors, consultants and safety teams to turn informal job details into client-ready safety paperwork.
- 1Paste job details
Drop in a client email, a WhatsApp from the site manager, a scope of works or a tender note. Anything that describes the job.
- 2Riskora structures the document
Riskora turns your brief into hazards, controls, method steps, PPE, emergency arrangements and COSHH prompts.
- 3Review, edit and download
You stay in control of every section. Tweak anything, then download a clean PDF or share a link.
- 4Brief the team and record sign-off
Brief operatives, capture their sign-off and keep a full audit trail of who signed which version.
Built by people who've written this paperwork on real sites
Riskora is built by a founder with hands-on site and document experience — designed for contractors, consultants and safety teams who need to issue, brief and prove safety paperwork without losing a day to admin.
- Built for contractors, consultants and teams
Solo trades, principal contractors and in-house safety teams all run on the same workflow. - Supports multiple countries
UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, US and Canada — wording and document types match the local standard. - Not just documents
Sign-off, approvals, version history and an audit trail — the management workflow around the paperwork.
Frequently Asked Questions
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References & Further Reading
Primary UK sources covering the legal and practical framework behind RAMS, risk assessments and method statements.
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Final RAMS must be reviewed and approved by a competent person before use.
Riskora is an assistive document preparation tool. All documents generated must be reviewed, verified, and approved by a competent person before use on site. Riskora does not replace professional safety judgment, and no output should be treated as a legal compliance guarantee.