What a fencing RAMS actually has to cover
Fencing reads as a low-risk trade, and that is exactly why fencing RAMS get sent back. The work looks simple — posts, panels, a bit of concrete — but two parts of it carry real risk: the dig and, on a lot of jobs, the road. A fencing RAMS that treats the job as light labouring misses the controls a reviewer is specifically looking for, so start from the actual sequence — set out, dig or bore post holes, set posts and concrete, fix panels, make good — and let the hazards follow each step.
More detail
The recurring hazards are buried services when boring or digging post holes, manual handling of heavy panels, posts and bags of postcrete, hand-arm vibration and noise from post-hole borers, breakers and disc cutters, skin contact with wet cement, and the public or traffic alongside an open boundary line. Each needs a named control, not a single line of generic PPE wording.
Post-setting and buried services
Striking a buried cable or main while digging a post hole is the most serious thing that happens on a fencing job, and it is the line reviewers read first. The clean pattern is the same as any groundwork: obtain and review service drawings, sweep the line with a CAT & Genny before and during digging, hand-dig trial holes to expose anything you find, and follow safe digging practice (HSG47) throughout. Where the fence runs near known services, a permit to dig and a banksman make the control visible.
More detail
Mechanical post borers add their own risk — they snag, kick back and bring vibration exposure, so name the trigger-time limits and the rotational-hazard controls rather than leaving "use the borer safely" to the operative.
Roadside and highway fencing
Fencing in or next to the highway changes the job from a boundary task into a traffic-management one. The RAMS needs a traffic-management plan to Chapter 8 of the Traffic Signs Manual — signing, lighting and guarding, a safety zone between operatives and live traffic, and segregation of the public. Work on or affecting the highway also needs the right accreditation (NRSWA), and reviewers will check it is named, not assumed.
Fencing RAMS FAQs
Do we really need to scan for services before digging post holes?
Yes. A post hole is still an excavation, and post-hole borers and bars go deep enough to strike buried cables, gas and water. Review the drawings, sweep with a CAT & Genny, and hand-dig trial holes where anything shows. It is the single most important line in a fencing RAMS.
Does roadside fencing need a traffic-management plan?
If the work is on, or close enough to affect, the highway, yes — to Chapter 8 of the Traffic Signs Manual, with the right signing, a safety zone between operatives and traffic, and NRSWA accreditation for the people doing it. Reviewers expect the detail, not "cones will be used".
Is fencing actually high-risk?
Most of it is straightforward labouring — but the dig (buried services) and roadside work (live traffic) are where people are seriously hurt, plus the day-to-day load of manual handling, vibration and cement. A good fencing RAMS is specific about those four things and brief about the rest.
Is there a fencing report in the builder?
The fencing templates are in the library now; a configurable builder report is on the way. Open any fencing template and use "Request this RAMS" to be told when it goes live. Free during early access.