When this template fits
Written for groundworkers and telehandler operators moving materials and placing loads on site, where the principal contractor wants a task-specific risk assessment rather than a generic plant document. Telehandlers are stable when the load is low and retracted but lose stability fast as the boom extends, and that is where most incidents happen. This RAMS sets out the load-chart discipline and travel controls a reviewer expects from a competent telehandler operation.
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
Operate telescopic handlers for lifting and moving materials.
Sequence of works
- 1Pre-task planning: Confirm the lifting plan is in place, check ground conditions and load details, verify exclusion zones are marked, and brief all personnel including the banksman on the operation and emergency procedures.
- 2Pre-use inspection: Carry out a documented daily walk-around check of the telehandler covering tyres, hydraulics, forks/attachments, brakes, steering, lights, seatbelt, ROPS/FOPS, and all safety devices. Record findings and take out of service if defects are found.
- 3Check documentation: Confirm valid LOLER thorough examination certificate is on site, operator holds a recognised competency card (e.g. CPCS/NPORS), and that load charts and manufacturer's manual are available in the cab.
- 4Set up and position: Position the telehandler on firm, level ground within the planned operating area. Deploy outriggers/stabilisers if required. Confirm overhead and underground service exclusion zones are observed.
- 5Establish exclusion zone: Confirm all unauthorised persons are clear of the operating radius. Banksman to take position with clear line of sight to the operator. Agree communication signals before lifting commences.
- 6Lift and move materials: Attach load correctly to forks or approved lifting accessory using rated slings/chains as required. Verify SWL is not exceeded using the load chart. Lift smoothly, keeping load as low as practicable during travel, and move at safe speed on approved routes.
- 7Place and land load: Lower load slowly and under full control to the designated landing area. Ensure the landing area is clear of personnel before placement. Do not release load until it is stable.
- 8During operation: Maintain continuous communication with banksman. Never travel with boom raised beyond safe travelling height. Observe site speed limits and give way to pedestrians on designated routes.
- 9End of shift: Park the telehandler on firm level ground in a designated area. Lower forks/attachment to ground, apply parking brake, remove ignition key and secure cab. Record any defects discovered during operation in the daily inspection log.
- 10Incident and near-miss reporting: Any collision, tip, dropped load, near-miss or injury must be reported immediately to the site manager and recorded in accordance with RIDDOR 2013 where applicable.
Hazards, risk rating & controls
Risk = likelihood × severity (1–25). Initial is before controls; residual is with controls applied.
Overturning or tip-over of telehandler
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Assess ground conditions before operation. Do not operate on gradients or ground that cannot support the machine's footprint under load. Use outriggers or stabilisers where fitted and required.
- › Consult the manufacturer's rated capacity chart before every lift. Never exceed the Safe Working Load (SWL) for the boom radius and extension combination in use.
- › All lifts must be planned by a competent person. A lifting plan must define load weights, radii, exclusion zones and ground conditions in accordance with LOLER.
- › Ensure the telehandler is fitted with an approved ROPS/FOPS cab and that the operator wears a seatbelt at all times to protect against overturn and falling objects.
Struck-by load or falling materials
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Establish and enforce a clearly marked exclusion zone around the operating radius of the telehandler. No unauthorised personnel permitted within the zone during lifting operations.
- › All forks, attachments, chains, slings and shackles must be inspected before use and subject to formal thorough examination at appropriate intervals by a competent person.
- › A trained and competent banksman/slinger must be present to attach loads, signal the operator and control pedestrian exclusion during all lifting operations.
- › All personnel within the operating area must wear hard hats and high-visibility vests to increase visibility and protect against falling objects.
Collision with pedestrians or other plant
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Implement a traffic management plan that segregates pedestrians from plant routes. Use physical barriers, designated walkways and signage to prevent conflict between telehandler movement and site workers.
- › Where segregation alone is insufficient, fit the telehandler with reversing cameras, proximity detection or audible warning systems to alert pedestrians of movement.
- › Operators must carry out pre-use checks, agree communication signals with banksman and sound horn before moving. Travel with forks/attachment at safe travelling height (typically 300–400 mm from ground).
Unqualified or incompetent operator
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Only operators holding a recognised competency qualification (e.g. CPCS, NPORS or equivalent) for telehandler operation must be permitted to operate the machine. Records to be retained and checked.
- › Operators must complete site induction and receive a task-specific briefing covering ground conditions, load types, exclusion zones and emergency procedures before starting work.
Whole-body vibration
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Plan and maintain smooth travel routes where practicable to reduce vibration exposure. Avoid unnecessarily rough ground and fill or plate pot-holes and surface irregularities.
- › Ensure the telehandler is fitted with an operational suspension seat, correctly adjusted for operator weight and height. Inspect and maintain the seat suspension system regularly.
- › Monitor and limit daily WBV exposure to below the Exposure Action Value (0.5 m/s² A(8)) through job rotation where possible. Maintain records of daily exposure durations.
Fall from height — load or attachment platform
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Strictly prohibit any person from riding on the forks, load or any attachment not specifically designed and tested for personnel carrying. Enforce by site rules and toolbox talk.
- › Where unavoidable, use only a purpose-designed, manufacturer-approved work platform (man-basket) with safety rails, toe boards and restraint harness anchorage points, formally inspected under LOLER.
- › Where a LOLER-compliant personnel work platform is used, operatives inside must wear a full-body harness anchored to the basket structure.
Mechanical failure and pre-use defect
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Operator must carry out a documented daily walk-around inspection covering tyres, brakes, hydraulics, forks, seat belt, lights and safety devices before commencing operation. Defects to be reported and machine taken out of service.
- › The telehandler and all lifting accessories must be subject to a thorough examination by a competent person at least every 12 months (6 months if used for lifting persons). Certificates to be held on site.
- › Maintain the telehandler in accordance with the manufacturer's maintenance schedule. Records of all maintenance and inspections to be kept and available for review.
Contact with overhead power lines or buried services
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Obtain records of all overhead and underground services. Mark exclusion distances for overhead lines (minimum safe clearance in accordance with HSE guidance). Contact network operators where work is near high-voltage lines.
- › Where overhead lines cannot be diverted or isolated, erect physical goal-post barriers or marker poles at approved heights to prevent boom inadvertently reaching the safe-approach distance.
- › Brief operators on the location of all overhead and buried services. Enforce boom height and outrigger exclusion zones. Appoint a spotter where height awareness is limited.
Manual handling of attachments and accessories
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Use quick-hitch hydraulic attachment systems where possible to eliminate manual effort in changing heavy attachments. Provide dedicated storage racks at ground level to reduce bending and awkward postures.
- › Where attachments must be manually handled, use two-person team lifts for items exceeding individual capability. Ensure operatives have received manual handling awareness training.
PPE
- ✓ Safety footwear (EN ISO 20345)
- ✓ Hi-vis clothing
- ✓ Safety gloves (task-appropriate)
- ✓ Hard hat (EN 397) where overhead risk or site rules require
- ✓ Hearing protection (to the assessed SNR)
- ✓ Safety harness and lanyard where fall arrest is the selected control
- ✓ Insulated gloves where live work is unavoidable
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
- › Rough-terrain telehandler with current load chart in the cab
- › Pallet forks and any rated attachment (bucket, jib, hook)
- › LOLER-examined lifting jib/hook for suspended loads
- › Material cage for loose loads
- › Banksman radios/whistle
- › Reversing beacon and audible alarm
Permits & legislation
What principal contractors usually check
- ✓ The RAMS references the load chart and ties lifts to boom extension/reach — a flat 'lift within capacity' statement without the chart gets queried.
- ✓ Travel is specified with the load lowered and retracted, not carried raised between positions.
- ✓ If suspended loads are mentioned, the operator's suspended-loads category and a LOLER-examined accessory are named.
- ✓ 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
Can a telehandler lift a freely suspended load?
Only if it is set up and rated for it. The machine must have a certified lifting attachment such as a hook or jib, that attachment and the slings must be within LOLER thorough examination, and the operator must hold the suspended-loads category. Lifting a swinging load changes the machine's stability and brings the lift under LOLER as a planned lifting operation, so it needs a lift plan and usually a slinger. Hanging a load off the forks with a chain is not acceptable.
Why must the boom be retracted before travelling?
A telehandler's stability depends heavily on keeping the load close to the machine and low to the ground. With the boom extended the load's weight acts well forward of the front axle, and any slope, pothole or sharp turn can tip the machine forward or sideways. Lowering and retracting before moving keeps the centre of gravity inside the wheelbase. This is the single most important habit for preventing telehandler overturns.
What regulations apply to telehandler?
PUWER 1998 — Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations, Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, Work at Height Regulations 2005 are the main ones, alongside Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992. 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.