When this template fits
Entering a chamber, manhole, tank or deep shaft on a groundworks site is a confined-space entry under the Confined Spaces Regulations 1997, and the principal contractor will not accept a generic excavation RAMS for it. This document is for trained entry teams carrying out low to medium-risk entries — atmosphere testing, top-man supervision, escape sets and pre-arranged rescue. The whole point of this RAMS is the breathable atmosphere and the rescue plan, not the risk of the walls falling in.
What this RAMS includes
- ✓ 9 task-specific hazards scored on a 5×5 matrix (initial → residual)
- ✓ Specific control measures for each hazard, in hierarchy-of-control order
- ✓ A 10-step method statement (sequence of works)
- ✓ PPE, plant/equipment, permits and competence requirements
- ✓ Emergency arrangements and operative briefing / sign-off section
Scope of works
Entry to chambers/manholes with atmosphere and rescue planning.
Sequence of works
- 1Obtain and review all relevant permits, drawings and service records. Conduct a site-specific confined space risk assessment and COSHH assessment. Brief all operatives and confirm rescue arrangements, including standby person identity and emergency contacts, before mobilisation.
- 2Establish an exclusion zone with physical barriers and signage around the access point. Implement the traffic management plan to segregate plant and vehicles. Notify emergency services and site management of the operation.
- 3Isolate all connected services including upstream flows, pipework and electrical supplies using lock-off/tag-out procedures. Confirm isolation is effective before proceeding.
- 4Safely remove the chamber cover using mechanical lifting aids. Open the entry point and allow passive ventilation for a minimum period before testing. Position the retrieval tripod and attach the mechanical winch and lifeline over the opening.
- 5Test the atmosphere using a calibrated multi-gas detector lowered into the chamber for oxygen content (target 19.5–23.5%), LEL (must be below 10%), CO and H2S levels. Record all readings on the permit. If readings are outside safe limits, introduce forced mechanical ventilation and re-test before entry.
- 6Complete and sign the confined space entry permit. Confirm standby person is in position, communications are established (voice or line-pull signals), retrieval harness is fitted to entrant and lifeline is rigged and tested.
- 7Entrant dons all required PPE including personal gas detector, harness and, if required, breathing apparatus. Descend via the designated means of access (ladder/step-irons) in a controlled manner, maintaining contact with standby person.
- 8Carry out the required work task. Monitor gas detector readings continuously. Maintain regular communication with standby person at agreed intervals. If any alarm activates or communication is lost, immediately evacuate using the retrieval system.
- 9On completion, remove all tools and equipment from the chamber, ascend via the designated means of access and report to the standby person. Cancel the entry permit, reinstate chamber cover securely using mechanical aids, remove barriers and restore services as directed.
- 10Operatives to decontaminate at welfare facilities (wash hands and face thoroughly). Record gas readings, entry duration and any observations in the site diary. Report any near-misses or defects to the competent supervisor.
Hazards, risk rating & controls
Risk = likelihood × severity (1–25). Initial is before controls; residual is with controls applied.
Oxygen deficiency or enrichment in confined space
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Assess whether the task can be completed remotely using CCTV, long-reach tools or robotic equipment to eliminate the need for entry.
- › Use a calibrated multi-gas detector to test for oxygen level (19.5–23.5%), flammable gases (LEL), CO and H2S before and continuously during entry.
- › Introduce fresh air via a fan and ducting before entry and maintain throughout to dilute and displace hazardous gases.
- › Where ventilation cannot achieve a safe atmosphere, supply self-contained or airline breathing apparatus to the entrant.
Toxic gas exposure in confined space
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Carry out a written COSHH assessment identifying likely toxic substances, WELs and required controls before authorising entry.
- › Use a calibrated multi-gas personal monitor with audible alarm set at appropriate action levels for H2S, CO and LEL to warn entrant immediately.
- › Isolate and lock off or blank-flange all pipework, drainage connections and service inlets that could introduce toxic substances during the work.
Engulfment or drowning in confined space
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Isolate upstream flows and confirm isolation with downstream monitoring gauges before entry. Coordinate with network control to prevent valve operation during the work.
- › Check Met Office forecasts and upstream flow monitors; suspend entry operations if heavy rainfall is expected or flow levels rise.
- › Entrant to wear a full-body harness connected to a tripod-mounted winch/lifeline so they can be retrieved without rescuer entry in the event of flooding or incapacitation.
Fall into excavation
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Erect rigid edge protection, barriers or covers around all open chamber openings not in active use, and reinstate covers immediately after exit.
- › Provide fixed ladder, step-irons or other tested means of access sufficient for the depth and dimension of the chamber; inspect before each use.
- › Establish a controlled exclusion zone around the opening with clear signage to prevent unauthorised access by workers and public.
Fire or explosion from flammable atmosphere
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Prohibit all ignition sources including power tools, grinding, cutting and smoking until atmospheric testing confirms LEL is below 10% of lower explosive limit.
- › Use only ATEX-rated intrinsically safe lighting, tools and gas detectors inside or adjacent to the confined space.
- › Set gas detector alarms to action level at 10% LEL; immediately evacuate and ventilate if alarm activates before investigating cause.
Inadequate emergency rescue provision for confined space
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Implement a confined space permit to work signed by a competent authorising person, specifying rescue arrangements, entry duration, gas readings and named attendants before any entry is permitted.
- › Station a trained standby person at the entry point throughout the operation. The standby person must not enter to attempt rescue unless additional competent rescuers are present.
- › Provide and pre-rig a tripod, mechanical winch and retrieval lifeline attached to the entrant's harness to enable extraction without rescuer entry.
- › Brief site emergency contacts and, where appropriate, pre-notify local emergency services of the confined space operation location, duration and personnel involved.
Manual handling — heavy or bulky items
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Use purpose-made cover lifting keys, suction lifters or mechanical lifting frames to remove and replace heavy chamber covers rather than manual lifting.
- › Plan equipment lowering using ropes, crane or materials hoist. Where manual handling cannot be avoided, use two-person lifts and brief operatives on safe technique.
Contact with contaminated materials
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Assess risk of exposure to sewage pathogens, hydrocarbons and other contaminants; include Weil's disease risk assessment and vaccination advice in the pre-work briefing.
- › Provide on-site washing facilities with clean water, soap and disposable towels. Operatives must wash hands and face before eating, drinking or leaving site.
- › Provide nitrile gloves, chemical-resistant coveralls, eye protection and rubber boots to prevent skin and eye contact with contaminants.
Plant and vehicle collision with pedestrians or workers
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Erect Heras fencing or rigid barriers with reflective signage around the confined space access area to physically segregate plant movements from the work zone.
- › Implement a written traffic management plan with defined plant exclusion zones, banksman control and signage coordinated with site logistics before operations begin.
- › All personnel at and around the access point must wear high-visibility vest or jacket to EN ISO 20471 Class 2 minimum.
PPE
- ✓ Safety footwear (EN ISO 20345)
- ✓ Hi-vis clothing
- ✓ Safety gloves (task-appropriate)
- ✓ Hard hat (EN 397) where overhead risk or site rules require
- ✓ RPE per the COSHH assessment
- ✓ Chemical-resistant gloves
Competence
- ✓ Excavation and plant competence
- ✓ Site induction completed; CSCS or equivalent where the site requires it
Schemes (CSCS, PASMA, IPAF…) evidence competence; they are not statutory requirements in themselves.
Plant & equipment
- › Calibrated multi-gas detector (O2, LEL, H2S, CO) plus bump-test gas
- › Escape breathing apparatus / self-rescuers
- › Tripod, winch and rescue harnesses
- › Forced-ventilation blower and ducting
- › Intrinsically safe lamps and two-way radios
- › Resuscitation kit and first-aid equipment at the access point
Permits & legislation
What principal contractors usually check
- ✓ Emergency arrangements that do not rely on the public fire service — CSR 1997 regulation 5 requires rescue arrangements to be in place and rehearsed BEFORE entry.
- ✓ That the method genuinely tries to avoid entry first (reg 4), and that the residual entry is justified rather than assumed.
- ✓ Atmosphere testing detail — that the monitor is bump-tested, what gases are tested for, and that monitoring is continuous inside, not a one-off reading at the top.
- ✓ The document is site-specific — real address, access arrangements and dates, not a generic template
- ✓ Hazards match the actual task and the controls are specific (not “take care” and “use PPE”)
- ✓ Named supervisor and competent person, with operative sign-off space
- ✓ Emergency and rescue arrangements that work for this site
The report builder runs these as pre-submission checks before you download — or run an existing document through the free RAMS pre-submission checker.
Frequently asked questions
Is a deep manhole automatically a confined space?
It is a confined space if it is substantially enclosed and there is a reasonably foreseeable specified risk — most commonly a dangerous atmosphere, free-flowing solids, or drowning. A deep chamber or wet well almost always qualifies, but so can shallow ones if sewer gas can accumulate. The test is the risk, not the depth or the size. If in doubt, treat it as a confined space and apply the Confined Spaces Regulations 1997.
Can we rely on calling 999 for rescue?
No. Regulation 5 of the Confined Spaces Regulations 1997 requires suitable and sufficient emergency arrangements to be in place before anyone enters, and dialling 999 is not an arrangement — the fire service may be minutes away and may not be equipped for your specific space. You must provide your own trained rescue capability, retrieval equipment and resuscitation kit, and rehearse the plan. The atmosphere that overcame your entrant will overcome an untrained would-be rescuer just as quickly.
What regulations apply to confined space entry?
Confined Spaces Regulations 1997, Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 are the main ones, alongside Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), PUWER 1998 — Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and CDM 2015 apply to all construction work.
Does a RAMS need to be site-specific?
Yes — this is the most common reason documents get sent back. Principal contractors reject generic copy-paste RAMS. Your document should name the site, access arrangements, dates, supervisor and any site-specific hazards. The RamsDocs builder fills these in for you and flags what's missing before you download.
Is this template free?
Yes — everything on RamsDocs is free during early access, including building a site-specific version of this RAMS and downloading the PDF. No card required.