RAMS for Fencing Contractors
Generate compliant risk assessments for security fencing, boundary fencing, and gate installation in under 2 minutes. CDM, PUWER, and HSG47 cited automatically.
Built with UK health & safety regulations in mind
Free Fencing Contractors RAMS Template
A blank fencing contractorsrisk assessment & method statement template — with the 5×5 risk matrix, the construction hazards to consider for this trade, and the relevant UK legislation already listed. Fill it in by hand, or generate a completed one in two minutes.
Or skip the blank page — generate a filled-in Fencing ContractorsRAMS in 2 minutes →
Fencing installation carries a specific and often underestimated set of hazards. The most serious is striking buried services during post installation. Driving or boring a fence post through an electricity cable, gas main, or telecoms fibre causes fatalities and serious injuries every year. HSG47 guidance must be followed for every post position.
Beyond buried services, fencing work involves handling sharp materials (palisade, razor wire, mesh), heavy manual handling (concrete posts, gate frames), and often working in exposed locations near live traffic. Highway fencing requires formal traffic management plans and operatives with NRSWA qualifications.
swiftRMS generates fencing contractor RAMS in under 2 minutes with HSG47 procedures, manual handling assessments, and traffic management requirements for your specific fencing project.
What Fencing Contractors RAMS Must Include
Compliant risk assessments for fencing contractors work must cover these specific areas
Buried service avoidance per HSG47
Every post position must be checked, not just the site in general. Document service drawings from utility providers, CAT and Genny scanning along each post line, hand-dug trial holes near identified services, and safe clearance distances.
Manual handling of posts, panels and gates
Concrete posts, gravel boards and steel gate frames regularly exceed safe one-person lifting limits. Under MHOR 1992, document team lifts, mechanical aids such as post lifters and trolleys, and the maximum weight handled per operative.
Hand-arm vibration controls
Petrol augers, post drivers and breakers transmit high vibration levels. The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 requires exposure assessment, trigger time limits and task rotation between operatives to prevent HAVS.
Traffic management for roadside work
Fencing beside live carriageways requires a traffic management plan under NRSWA 1991 and Chapter 8 of the Traffic Signs Manual: signing and coning, qualified operatives, high-visibility clothing and safe vehicle crossing points.
Sharp materials handling
Palisade pales, barbed and razor wire, and freshly cut mesh present serious laceration risk. Specify cut-resistant gloves to BS EN 388, safe cutting and tensioning methods, eye protection for grinding, and first aid provision.
Plant exclusion zones
Post drivers and excavators create struck-by and crush risks for operatives working alongside them. RAMS must define exclusion zones around operating plant, banksman arrangements, and hearing protection during post driving.
Concrete and cement controls
Postcrete and wet concrete cause cement burns and allergic dermatitis, both controlled under COSHH 2002. Document waterproof gloves, eye protection, washing facilities on site and safe mixing procedures away from watercourses.
Common Fencing Contractors Tasks That Require RAMS
Generate RAMS for any of these tasks in minutes, not hours
Timber fence installation
Post hole digging or boring, concrete haunching and panel fitting. Core risks are buried services at every post position, manual handling of posts and panels, and power tool use. CAT scanning and hand digging near services are the lead controls.
Security fencing: palisade and mesh
Cutting and fixing steel pales and welded mesh involves sharp edges, grinding sparks and heavier components than domestic fencing. Cut-resistant PPE, eye protection and mechanical handling of long panels feature in the method statement.
Automated gate installation
Heavy gate leaves, concrete foundations and an electrical supply for the operator. EAWR 1989 applies to the connection, and force limitation and entrapment testing to BS EN 12453 must be addressed before the gate is put into service.
Highway and roadside fencing
Working adjacent to live traffic requires Chapter 8 signing and guarding, NRSWA-qualified operatives, and sometimes temporary signals or lane closures. The RAMS must include the traffic management drawing and emergency arrangements.
Agricultural and estate fencing
Post and wire, stock and deer fencing across rough terrain, often in remote locations. Lone working procedures, all-terrain vehicle use, wire tensioning injuries and livestock proximity all need documented controls.
Post driving with tracked rigs
Hydraulic post knockers drive posts quickly but create noise, vibration and struck-by hazards. RAMS must cover exclusion zones, hearing protection, guarding of the hammer, and confirmation that each position has been scanned for services.
Fence removal and replacement
Breaking out old concrete footings, extracting posts and clearing overgrown lines. Hazards include buried services disturbed during extraction, manual handling of demolition arisings, and hidden sharps or waste along old boundary lines.
UK Legislation for Fencing Contractors Risk Assessments
Every RAMS automatically cites the relevant UK legislation and industry standards
CDM Regulations 2015
Fencing installation, replacement and repair is construction work under CDM 2015. Where more than one contractor is involved, a principal designer and principal contractor must be appointed, and site-specific RAMS will be required.
HSG47 Avoiding Danger from Underground Services
The HSE's core guidance for any work that penetrates the ground. For fencing it means service drawings, CAT and Genny scanning of every post position, trial holes near identified services and permits where clients require them.
Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER)
Applies to augers, post drivers, angle grinders, breakers and excavators. Equipment must be suitable for the task, maintained and inspected, and operated only by trained, competent people.
Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992
Concrete posts, gate frames and coiled wire are among the heaviest items handled in domestic-scale construction. The RAMS must show lifting has been avoided, mechanised or reduced before relying on manual technique alone.
New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 (NRSWA)
Governs work in or beside the public highway. Roadside fencing requires qualified supervisors and operatives, Chapter 8 compliant signing and guarding, and coordination with the highway authority.
Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005
Petrol augers, post knockers and breakers can reach the daily exposure action value quickly. Employers must assess exposure, limit trigger times and provide health surveillance where risk remains.
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
The overarching duty of care for employers and the self-employed, including duties to operatives, clients and members of the public passing a fencing work area.
How swiftRMS Generates Fencing Contractors RAMS
Tell swiftRMS what the job involves in plain English: the fence type, ground conditions, whether posts are dug, bored or driven, and whether the work is beside a road. The system identifies the hazards that belong to that task: buried services, manual handling, hand-arm vibration, sharp materials and traffic where relevant.
It then cites the applicable legislation, from CDM 2015 and PUWER 1998 to NRSWA 1991 for highway work, and builds the method statement around HSG47 service avoidance. A formatted, task-specific RAMS is ready for your review in around 2 minutes, and downloads as a PDF you can submit straight to the client or principal contractor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Under HSG47, you must obtain service drawings from all utility providers, use a cable avoidance tool (CAT) and signal generator (Genny) to scan each post position, hand dig trial holes where services are identified, and maintain safe clearance distances. Your RAMS must document this process for every post position, not just a general statement.
Yes. Fencing installation, replacement, and repair is construction work under the CDM 2015 definition. If the project involves more than one contractor, a principal designer and principal contractor must be appointed.
Under NRSWA 1991 and the Traffic Signs Manual Chapter 8, roadside fencing requires a traffic management plan, appropriate signs and cones, operative training (NRSWA or equivalent), and potentially a road closure or temporary traffic lights depending on the carriageway type and speed limit.
Generate Your First Fencing Contractors RAMS Free
Generate a compliant, legislation-cited RAMS in under 2 minutes and download the PDF immediately.