When this template fits
Drainage installation looks like routine groundwork until you cut into a live foul sewer or lift a manhole ring by hand. This drainage installation method statement is for groundworks gangs laying pipework, building chambers and connecting to existing systems, where the standout risks are biological contamination and heavy manual handling rather than deep collapse. It gives the principal contractor the controls they expect to see for Weil's disease and for mechanically handling pipes and manhole rings.
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
Install below-ground drainage in trenches.
Sequence of works
- 1Pre-commencement: Obtain utility drawings and conduct CAT and Genny scan of the full drainage route. Issue permit to dig. Review ground investigation data and agree trench support method with a competent person. Confirm site traffic management plan and pedestrian exclusion zones are in place.
- 2Set out drainage lines, falls and invert levels using laser level or boning rods in accordance with the drainage design drawings and engineer's specification.
- 3Excavate trench to required depth using excavator. Stockpile arisings a minimum of 0.5 m from trench edge. Install trench support (trench box or sheet piling) progressively as excavation proceeds. Expose any identified services by careful hand digging. Inspect excavation at start of each shift and after any adverse event.
- 4Install dewatering pump if groundwater is present. Confirm trench bottom is stable, free of standing water and at correct level before pipe laying begins. Assess atmosphere if confined space conditions are indicated.
- 5Lay and compact granular pipe bedding to specified depth and class using mechanical compactor or vibrating plate as specified. Check level.
- 6Lower drainage pipes into trench using excavator with approved pipe-lifting attachment or vacuum lifter. Do not allow workers under suspended loads. Make joints in accordance with manufacturer's instructions. Check line, level and gradient as each pipe is laid.
- 7Install inspection chambers, gully pots and any drainage structures at specified locations. Use mechanical lifting equipment for heavy pre-formed bases. Ensure all connections are watertight.
- 8Complete initial backfill with selected granular material to 300 mm above pipe crown, compacting in layers no greater than 150 mm. Avoid using excavator bucket directly over pipe. Check pipe has not moved off line or level.
- 9Backfill remainder of trench with suitable material in compacted layers. Remove trench support progressively as backfill rises. Reinstate surface to match existing or as specified.
- 10Carry out CCTV camera survey and/or water pressure test of completed drainage system. Record and rectify any defects. Remove all plant, surplus material and edge protection from the area and make good any trench covers or surface reinstatement.
Hazards, risk rating & controls
Risk = likelihood × severity (1–25). Initial is before controls; residual is with controls applied.
Excavation or trench collapse
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Where possible, design drainage runs to allow pipe installation from ground level using mechanical plant without operatives entering the trench.
- › Install proprietary trench box, hydraulic shoring or sheet piling, or batter trench sides to a safe angle (typically 1:1 or shallower depending on soil type) before any person enters. A competent person must assess ground conditions and specify the support method.
- › A competent person must inspect the excavation at the start of each shift, after any event likely to affect stability (e.g. heavy rain, plant movements nearby), and after any accidental fall of material. Results recorded in writing.
- › Establish a clearly marked exclusion zone (minimum 2 m from trench edge) to prevent plant, spoil heaps and persons from surcharging the trench walls.
Fall into excavation
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Cover open trenches with robust covers rated for pedestrian and, where applicable, vehicular loading when work is not actively progressing.
- › Install rigid edge protection (Heras fencing or proprietary trench guard) around all open excavations not actively being worked.
- › Provide secured ladder access into trench at maximum 25 m intervals and ensure ladders extend at least 1 m above the lip of the excavation. Never jump in or out.
Contact with underground services during excavation
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Obtain up-to-date utility drawings (CAT3 records from all relevant statutory undertakers) and conduct a CAT and Genny scan of the full excavation route before any ground is broken.
- › Once service positions are confirmed, expose by careful hand digging within 500 mm either side of marked service lines before using any mechanical plant.
- › Issue a written permit to dig signed by a competent person, confirming services have been located and safe dig method agreed before excavation starts.
Manual handling — heavy or bulky items
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Use a sack truck, boiler lift trolley, or mechanical hoist to move the unit from delivery point to installation position. Avoid manual lifting of units above 25 kg where practicable.
- › At design stage, specify lightweight HDPE or uPVC drainage pipe systems in preference to heavy concrete alternatives to reduce unit weight.
- › Where mechanical aids cannot be used, conduct a manual handling risk assessment, use two-person team lifts and avoid stooping. Provide manual handling training to all operatives.
- › Provide appropriate PPE including rigger gloves for grip and hand protection when handling pipes and fittings.
Plant and vehicle collision with pedestrians or workers
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Design and implement a site traffic management plan that physically separates pedestrian routes from plant operating zones using hard barriers or banksmen-controlled crossings.
- › A trained and clearly identifiable banksman must control all reversing movements of plant near open excavations, site boundaries and pedestrian routes.
- › All plant (excavators, dumpers) to undergo daily pre-use inspection by the operator with defects reported and recorded. Plant must not be operated if defective.
- › All workers in the plant operating zone to wear Class 2 minimum hi-vis vest or jacket at all times.
Confined space hazard in deep trenches
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Design inspection chambers and drainage layouts to avoid the need for workers to enter confined spaces; use remote tooling or mechanical plant.
- › Before entry into any deep excavation or chamber that may constitute a confined space, test atmosphere for oxygen level, flammable gases and CO2 using a calibrated multi-gas detector. Continue monitoring throughout occupation.
- › Issue a written permit to enter signed by a competent person where confined space conditions are identified. Standby person and rescue plan must be in place before entry.
Flooding and groundwater ingress in excavation
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Review ground investigation data (if available) to understand groundwater levels prior to excavation. Plan for dewatering if water table is close to excavation depth.
- › Install submersible pumps with sump at low point of trench to maintain dry working conditions. Monitor pump operation throughout the working day.
- › Establish a weather monitoring protocol; stop trench work and evacuate operatives when heavy rainfall is forecast or occurring, and berm or pump trench if left open.
Silica and construction dust inhalation
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Specify pipe lengths to minimise on-site cutting; use pipe snap cutters or pipe saws with integral water suppression rather than dry angle grinder cutting.
- › Where power cutting cannot be avoided, use a disc cutter fitted with local exhaust ventilation (LEV) or integral water suppression to reduce dust at source.
- › Where residual dust exposure remains, provide FFP3-rated respiratory protective equipment. RPE must be face-fit tested for the wearer.
Noise-induced hearing loss from power tools and plant
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Provide and enforce use of hearing protection (SNR appropriate to noise levels) and anti-vibration gloves where power tool use is unavoidable.
- › Specify and procure plant and tools with the lowest practicable vibration and noise emission. Check manufacturer's vibration data before procurement.
- › Implement a job rotation system to limit individual daily vibration exposure below the Exposure Action Value (2.5 m/s² A(8)) and Exposure Limit Value (5 m/s² A(8)). Maintain exposure records.
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 (FFP3 or as risk-assessed) with face-fit
- ✓ Hearing protection (to the assessed SNR)
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
- › Pipe laser or trench level for setting falls
- › Pipe-laying tongs and manhole-ring lifting clamp
- › Drainage rods, test plugs and air-test gauge
- › Over-pump and lay-flat hose for live-flow diversion
- › Granular bedding material and compaction plate
- › Welfare/wash-down facilities for biological control
Permits & legislation
What principal contractors usually check
- ✓ That mechanical handling is the default for pipes, manhole rings and cover slabs — the method must not rely on operatives lifting heavy components by hand.
- ✓ Biological-hazard controls for foul water — Weil's disease awareness, wash facilities and an isolation/over-pumping plan for live sewers.
- ✓ That connection into a live system is agreed with the asset owner and planned for low flow, with a standby pump.
- ✓ 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
What controls do I need for Weil's disease on a drainage job?
Leptospirosis is spread through contact with water or sewage contaminated by infected animal urine, so the controls are about keeping it off your skin and out of cuts. Over-pump or isolate live flows, cover any cuts or grazes with waterproof dressings, and provide waterproof gloves, coveralls and somewhere to wash before eating, drinking or smoking. Issue operatives with a Leptospira awareness card so that flu-like symptoms are reported and treated promptly. It is a COSHH biological hazard and must be assessed as one.
Do I have to test the drainage before backfilling?
Yes — drains and sewers should be air or water tested to BS EN 1610 before they are covered, both to prove the joints and to satisfy building control and the principal contractor. Testing afterwards means excavating again to fix any failure, so it is built into the sequence before backfill. Record the test result against the run; you can capture it directly in the RamsDocs document so the evidence sits with the method statement.
What regulations apply to drainage installation?
Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, PUWER 1998 — Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations are the main ones, alongside Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, reg 3 — risk assessment, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and CDM 2015 apply to all construction work.
Does a method statement 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.