RAMS for Groundworks
By the Riskora Editorial Team · Reviewed against our editorial standards · Last reviewed
Generate structured RAMS for groundworks projects. Foundations, drainage, earthworks, and site preparation — all with relevant hazards built in.
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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Groundworks Set the Foundation — Your RAMS Should Too
Groundworks encompass some of the most varied and hazardous activities on a construction site. From bulk earthworks and foundation pours to drainage runs and service connections, each task carries distinct risks. Producing quality RAMS for every activity is time-consuming, especially when you're juggling multiple sites. Many contractors aren't sure what a RAMS document actually requires, which leads to submissions being rejected.
How Riskora Helps
Riskora covers the full range of groundworks activities. Select your work type — whether it's piling, concreting, drainage, or earthworks — and generate a RAMS with the relevant hazards and control measures already in place. Edit, download, and move on to the next job. For more complex projects, you may also need a standalone risk assessment or method statement.
Who it's for
- Groundworks contractors preparing RAMS for housing developments
- Foundation specialists documenting piling and concreting procedures
- Drainage teams producing method statements for foul and storm systems
- Site preparation crews documenting earthworks and grading operations
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 why they're required before work begins on site.
How to Write a RAMS Document
A step-by-step guide to structuring your RAMS from project details through to sign-off.
UK Legal Requirements for Risk Assessments
What the law requires under MHSWR 1999 and CDM 2015, and what 'suitable and sufficient' means.
Who Needs a RAMS?
Find out whether your work requires a RAMS and who is responsible for producing one.
Construction Safety Documents Explained
An overview of the key safety documents required on UK construction sites and how they relate to each other.
RAMS vs Risk Assessment — Key Differences
When you need a full RAMS versus a standalone risk assessment, and how the two documents work together.
What UK Law Actually Says
Direct quotes from the named regulations, with plain-English explanations of what each one means in practice.
Regulation 22, Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015
“Where any excavation is liable to be a danger to a person, suitable and sufficient steps must be taken to prevent any person, work equipment, or any accumulation of material from falling into any excavation.”
Groundworks RAMS sit squarely under CDM Reg 22. The 'suitable and sufficient' test applies to fall protection at the excavation edge, vehicle exclusion, and the prevention of spoil falling back into the dig — three things every groundworks document must address explicitly.
Read the source on legislation.gov.uk →Regulation 27, Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015
“Suitable steps must be taken to prevent any person being struck by any vehicle. Every loading bay must be organised and laid out to enable persons to use the bay without risk to their health or safety.”
Groundworks involves constant interaction between operatives and moving plant. Reg 27 is the basis for the 'pedestrian-vehicle segregation' section that should appear in every groundworks RAMS — separate access routes, banksmen, and exclusion zones around slewing plant.
Read the source on legislation.gov.uk →The Numbers Behind the Risk
Why this matters — the most recent published figures from the Health and Safety Executive and ONS.
8 plant-strike deaths
Construction workers killed by being struck by moving vehicles or plant in 2023/24. Groundworks is over-represented because of the high density of operatives and machines in close proximity.
Source: HSE — Construction sector statistics 2023/24 →£800,000 fine, 2023
Sentence following a fatal plant-strike incident on a groundworks site where the contractor's RAMS failed to specify pedestrian-vehicle segregation arrangements.
Source: HSE — Recent prosecutions →Worked Example: RAMS for Strip Foundations on a New-Build Detached House
A groundworks contractor is awarded the dig and concrete pour for strip foundations on a 4-bedroom new-build, plot in the corner of an existing residential development. Two-day dig in mixed clay/gravel ground, single concrete pour day three. The principal contractor (the developer) requires a RAMS plus a separate lifting plan for the chamber rings.
The structured builder sequences: (1) utility scan and confirmation of as-built drawings against the live drainage from the neighbouring plot, (2) topsoil strip with a 5t excavator stockpiled to the south boundary clear of access, (3) excavation of trenches to BCO-approved depth (typically 1m), battered at 1:1 in the gravel-rich upper, (4) edge protection by Heras with toe boards once trenches exceed knee height, (5) reinforcement laid with welder's lifting eyes installed pre-pour, (6) pump-truck pour with banksman managing the boom, (7) curing and protection with polythene over the green concrete in cold weather.
Pedestrian-vehicle segregation is the focus of section 5: a single one-way site access loop with a 5mph limit, named banksman during all reversing, and a no-go zone within the slewing radius of any active machine. Operatives' CPCS cards (excavator, dumper) are recorded, plus the SSSTS-holding supervisor. Total time: 8 minutes. Pour completed safely on schedule.
Common Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)
1. Stockpiling spoil within 1m of the excavation edge
Why it fails: Surcharge load from spoil destabilises the trench wall. CDM Reg 22 specifically addresses this. RAMS that show spoil 'adjacent to dig' without stating distance fail the 'suitable and sufficient' test.
Fix: Always specify a minimum spoil-to-edge distance (typically 1m, more for deep digs). Show on the site plan referenced in the RAMS.
2. Naming an excavator operator without recording the CPCS card
Why it fails: Competence claims need evidence. CPCS card number and category in the RAMS is the standard expectation; a name alone isn't.
Fix: Capture the operator's CPCS card number and the relevant category (e.g. A58 360 above 10t) in the competency section.
3. No documented hold point before concrete pour
Why it fails: Pouring before BCO inspection or before reinforcement check is a frequent re-work cause. The RAMS should treat pour authorisation as an explicit hold point.
Fix: Insert a numbered hold point: 'BCO sign-off received' and 'rebar inspected by named supervisor' — pour cannot start until both ticked.
Key Features
- Groundworks-specific hazard presets
- Foundation and concreting method steps
- Drainage installation templates
- Plant and earthworks controls
- Download to PDF
- Adapt documents across multiple plots
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
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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.