When this template fits
Narrow trenches kill more groundworkers than any other excavation because they look controllable and collapse without warning. This trenching and shoring RAMS is for gangs installing progressive support — trench boxes, drag boxes or sheets and props — as the dig advances, typically for services, cables or strip foundations. A principal contractor reviewing it is looking for a method that supports the trench before anyone goes in, not after.
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
Trench for utilities near existing services.
Sequence of works
- 1Pre-works: Obtain utility provider drawings (gas, electric, water, telecoms) for the trench corridor. Verify records on site with a calibrated CAT and genny survey. Mark all located services clearly with appropriate colour-coded spray paint or stakes.
- 2Site set-up: Establish plant and pedestrian segregation zones, install edge protection around the proposed trench line, set up site welfare, and brief all operatives with a toolbox talk covering the task-specific RAMS. Confirm daily inspection regime and emergency procedures.
- 3Ground preparation: Position the excavator clear of service locations. A competent person to confirm soil type, groundwater conditions, and required trench support method before dig commences. Ensure dewatering equipment is on standby.
- 4Excavation — mechanical phase: Excavate using the designated machine, maintaining exclusion zones from located services. Banksman to guide all plant movements. Spoil to be placed a minimum of 1 m from the trench edge.
- 5Excavation — hand-dig phase near services: Within 500 mm of any located service, switch entirely to hand tools (insulated spades or fork). Deploy gas detector at the face when near gas mains. Exercise extreme care not to damage service coverings or sheathing.
- 6Trench support installation: Install trench boxes, hydraulic shores, or equivalent support to the full depth of the excavation before any worker enters. Competent person to inspect and sign off support before entry is permitted.
- 7Worker entry and working in trench: Workers enter only via the designated ladder. Inspect for water ingress, unstable faces, or gas readings before proceeding. Install new utility ducting/cables per specification, maintaining safe working postures to minimise manual handling injury.
- 8Ongoing inspections: Competent person inspects trench condition at the start of each working period and after any rainfall, vibration event, or change in conditions. Record findings. Do not continue if conditions are unsafe.
- 9Backfill and reinstatement: Workers to exit trench before removing support. Backfill in controlled layers per specification. Compact using plate compactor, observing HAVS rotation controls. Reinstate surface and remove edge protection only once trench is fully backfilled.
- 10Site clearance and documentation: Remove all plant, barriers, and waste. Complete trench inspection records, utility strike records (if any), and update as-built service drawings. Notify relevant utility companies of any discovered deviations from issued drawings.
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
- › 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.
- › Assess soil type, groundwater, surcharge loads, and proximity of plant before digging. Competent person to determine support requirements.
- › Establish and maintain a minimum 1 m exclusion zone from excavation edge for plant and stored materials to reduce surcharge loading.
- › Competent person inspects and records trench condition at start of each shift, after rainfall, and following any event likely to affect stability. Written inspection records to be kept.
Contact with underground services during excavation
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Use a calibrated CAT and signal generator to locate buried cables prior to and during excavation. Operatives to hold current CAT & Genny training (e.g., C&G 2395 equivalent).
- › Obtain up-to-date statutory undertaker plans for all services in the vicinity. Treat all cable positions as approximate — plans do not guarantee accuracy.
- › Switch to hand tools (insulated spades/forks) within 500 mm of a located cable or service. Do not use power tools within this zone.
- › Wear Class 00 insulated gloves and electrically rated safety boots when hand-digging near live cables.
Strike on buried gas main
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Obtain gas network drawings from the relevant utility provider. Cross-reference with CAT survey results. Treat all depths and alignments as indicative.
- › Use non-sparking hand tools within 500 mm of any located or suspected gas main. No mechanical excavation within this zone.
- › Use a calibrated gas detector at the excavation face when digging near gas mains. Evacuate immediately if readings exceed 10% LEL.
Plant and vehicle collision with pedestrians or workers
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › All workers in the plant operating zone to wear Class 2 minimum hi-vis vest or jacket at all times.
- › Establish clearly defined, physically segregated routes for plant and pedestrians using barriers, banksmen, and signage. No workers on foot within swing radius of plant.
- › A trained, appointed banksman to control plant movements whenever reversing or operating near workers. Banksman to maintain visual contact with driver at all times.
- › Excavators and dumpers to be fitted with audible reversing alarms and, where practicable, proximity detection devices.
Fall into excavation
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Install substantial edge protection (minimum 950 mm rigid barriers with toe boards) around all open excavations that cannot be immediately backfilled.
- › Fit rated steel trench covers or equivalent over all open excavations when work is not in progress, particularly overnight or at breaks.
- › Provide a suitable ladder or trench ladder projecting at least 1 m above the trench edge at regular intervals. No jumping into or out of trenches.
Flooding and groundwater ingress in excavation
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Assess groundwater levels and proximity to watercourses before excavation. Dewatering plan to be in place where risk is identified.
- › Ensure a suitably sized dewatering pump is available on site. Monitor trench for water accumulation continuously during work.
- › Brief all workers on the emergency evacuation signal and escape route from the trench. No worker to re-enter a flooded or recently flooded trench until made safe.
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.
- › Conduct task-specific manual handling assessment. Provide operative training in safe lifting techniques, team lifts and use of mechanical aids before task commences.
- › Wear suitable work gloves to improve grip and protect hands when handling pipes, ducting, and trench support components.
Silica and construction dust inhalation
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Where residual dust exposure remains, provide FFP3-rated respiratory protective equipment. RPE must be face-fit tested for the wearer.
- › Apply water to the excavation face, spoil heap, and surrounding area during dry conditions to suppress airborne dust at source.
- › Review available ground investigation data for contamination. Where contamination is identified, produce a site-specific COSHH assessment before works commence.
Hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS)
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Where practicable, use hydraulic excavator attachments (rock breaker on excavator) instead of handheld pneumatic or electric breakers to reduce worker exposure.
- › Calculate daily vibration exposure (EAV 2.5 m/s² A(8), ELV 5 m/s²). Implement job rotation to keep individual exposure below the EAV. Maintain usage records.
- › Provide and ensure use of certified anti-vibration gloves (EN ISO 10819) where vibrating tools must be used manually. Note: gloves are a supplementary, not primary, control.
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
- › Proprietary trench boxes or drag boxes (rated for depth)
- › Hydraulic waling frames, struts and spreader bars
- › LOLER-certified lifting chains and shackles
- › Trench-access ladders for spacing within 7.5m
- › 360° excavator for digging and box placement
- › Plate compactor for backfilling in layers
Permits & legislation
What principal contractors usually check
- ✓ That the support is installed before entry and advanced ahead of the work — the method must rule out working in the unsupported lead.
- ✓ Whether the chosen trench box is rated for the trench depth and ground, with a manufacturer data sheet or temporary works design referenced.
- ✓ That ladder access is provided within 7.5m of every working position and is relocated as the trench advances, not left behind.
- ✓ 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 I work in a trench without a trench box if it's not very deep?
Only if a competent person has assessed that the trench cannot collapse and bury or injure anyone — which in most made ground or granular soils means you cannot. CDM regulation 22 places the duty on preventing collapse at any depth, and trenches well under a metre have killed workers. A trench box is usually the quickest and most reliable way to discharge that duty, and it also gives you a guaranteed safe place to stand. Do not rely on the trench 'standing up while you nip in'.
How is lifting a trench box covered by the RAMS?
Lowering and lifting a trench box with the excavator is a lifting operation under LOLER 1998, so it needs rated lifting accessories, a trained slinger and a lifting plan. The RAMS should state that no one is in the trench while a box is being placed, pushed or removed, and that the excavator operator works to a banksman's signals. RamsDocs lets you attach the manufacturer's lifting data and your inspection records alongside the method so the principal contractor sees the whole picture in one document.
What regulations apply to trenching?
Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, PUWER 1998 — Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations, Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 are the main ones, alongside 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 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.