# Stump grinding RAMS Builder > Stump grinding RAMS builder for stump removal and site clearance. Answer a few questions, or download a free RAMS template or a filled-in example as a PDF. > Web page: https://complyonsite.com/tools/rams-builder?job=stump-grinding Stump grinding risk assessment and method statement ## RAMS review [Check a RAMS](https://complyonsite.com/tools/rams-review) ![A RAMS page with passages highlighted and numbered review comments beside them](https://complyonsite.com/art/rams-review-highlight.webp) ## Stump grinding RAMS template A blank stump grinding RAMS to fill in: job details, method statement, risk assessment and briefing record. Risk assessment and method statement Stump grinding RAMS - **Company**: left blank to fill in - **Site and work area**: left blank to fill in - **Planned dates**: left blank to fill in - **In charge on site**: left blank to fill in - **Team**: left blank to fill in Method statement 1. 1 2. 2 3. 3 4. 4 5. 5 6. 6 Risk assessment | Hazard | Who might be harmed and how | Controls in place | Further action | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | [Download the templatePDF, 4 pages](https://complyonsite.com/rams/samples/stump-grinding-rams-template.pdf) ## Stump grinding RAMS example The same RAMS, filled in for one job. Risk assessment and method statement Stump grinding, 4 Redwood Drive, Bramhall: rear lawn Risk assessment - People entering the work area or tripping over materials Workers, occupants and visitors Mark or barrier the active work area. Store tools and materials away from access routes. - Poor ground or weather makes the machine unstable or the work uncontrolled The operator, people nearby and property Record the site decision before setup. Recheck after weather or site conditions change. - Metal, stone or loose material damages the cutter or is thrown at people and property The operator, people nearby and property Inspect the stump and surrounding ground by hand before starting. Keep the cutting area clear while the machine is running. - Hitting a live cable or gas pipe causes shock, fire or gas escape The person doing the work and everyone nearby Check again wherever the work moves. If you hit something, stop, keep clear and report it. - Wind catches the grinder, screens and chip piles and blows them onto people nearby The team and people nearby Check the forecast before you start and agree when the wind stops the work. Tie down or take in loose materials before you leave. - The machine moves or tips while the cutting head is engaged The operator and people nearby Keep the machine stable throughout the cut. Use another removal method if it cannot be stabilised. - Hand-arm vibration, noise and flying chips injure the operator The operator and anyone nearby Keep the grinder maintained and stop if it becomes damaged or unusually noisy. Record actual use and review the vibration exposure. - Wood chips or fragments strike a person, vehicle or building The operator, public and nearby property Stop if screening cannot protect the people or property at risk. Check the screen again after moving the grinder. - The operator contacts a moving cutter while checking or clearing the grinder The operator and anyone helping Keep the exclusion area until the cutter is still. Never reach into the cutter area while the engine is running. - Debris, tools or unfinished work left in the area Workers, occupants and visitors Remove waste by the agreed route. Record and protect any unfinished work. Stump grinding, 4 Redwood Drive, Bramhall: rear lawn - **Company**: Hollins & Reed Tree Care Ltd - **Site and work area**: 4 Redwood Drive, Bramhall: rear lawn - **Planned dates**: 12 to 14 October 2026 - **In charge on site**: Dan Hollins - **Team**: Two groundworkers: Dan Hollins operates the grinder and checks the area each morning; Priya Shah works with him. Method statement 1. 1 Set up the work areaConfirm the work area and scope before starting. Keep other people outside the active work area. Keep entrances and escape routes clear. 2. 2 Assess the site and weatherCheck that the ground, weather, access and planned grinder suit the stump before setup. Stop if conditions change beyond the agreed method. 3. 3 Check the stump before grindingRemove loose soil, stones, metal, wire and other material from around the cutting area. Do not grind until anything that could damage the cutter or be thrown has been dealt with. 4. 4 Find and isolate hidden servicesFind cables and pipes before you disturb anything: drawings, then a detector. Mark what you find. Not sure what is there? Turn the supply off, or do not start. Have cables and gas isolated by the right person and prove them dead before you start. 5. 5 Check the weather before you startStop handling grinder, screens and chip piles when the wind is strong enough to catch them. Stop in heavy rain, ice or lightning. 6. 6 Stabilise the grinderSet the grinder on the firmest level surface available and stabilise it before cutting. Keep it stable as the cutting head moves through the stump. 7. 7 Control vibration and noiseUse the machine as the maker says. Note how long each person's hands are on each tool while it runs. Take the tool's vibration figure from the maker or HSE's table and check it fits how you use it. Points per hour times hours on the trigger, added up for the day, gives the exposure: 100 points is the action value, 400 is the limit. HSE's vibration calculator does the sum. Over 100, cut it with lower-vibration kit or less time, and never pass 400. Write the result down. Sharing the work does not replace this. Wear the hearing, eye, face and hand protection required by the assessment. 8. 8 Screen flying debrisSet supplementary screening between the cutting head and people or property at risk. Keep the exclusion area in place while the grinder is cutting. 9. 9 Wait for the cutter to stopKeep away from the cutting mechanism until it has stopped completely. Stop and isolate the grinder before checking, clearing or moving it. 10. 10 Clear and hand back the areaRemove tools, waste and unused materials. Check the area is clean and ready to use. Tell the customer or whoever runs the site when the work is complete. [Download the examplePDF, 4 pages](https://complyonsite.com/rams/samples/stump-grinding-rams-example.pdf) ## What a stump grinding RAMS covers Grinding a stump out below ground with a stump grinder, then clearing the chips and roots. Not covered: felling the tree. - Stump removal - Stump site clearance ## Suggested steps and hazards for stump grinding Suggested for stump removal before any questions are answered. 1. ### Assess the site and weather - Check that the ground, weather, access and planned grinder suit the stump before setup. - Stop if conditions change beyond the agreed method. Hazard Poor ground or weather makes the machine unstable or the work uncontrolled. Who might be harmed and how The operator, people nearby and property Controls in place - Record the site decision before setup. - Recheck after weather or site conditions change. The site and weather decide whether the planned grinder and method can be used safely. [Mobile stump grinders](https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/afag606.pdf) 2. ### Check the stump before grinding - Remove loose soil, stones, metal, wire and other material from around the cutting area. - Do not grind until anything that could damage the cutter or be thrown has been dealt with. Hazard Metal, stone or loose material damages the cutter or is thrown at people and property. Who might be harmed and how The operator, people nearby and property Controls in place - Inspect the stump and surrounding ground by hand before starting. - Keep the cutting area clear while the machine is running. The cutter can turn an unseen obstruction into a high-speed fragment. [Mobile stump grinders](https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/afag606.pdf) 3. ### Stabilise the grinder - Set the grinder on the firmest level surface available and stabilise it before cutting. - Keep it stable as the cutting head moves through the stump. Hazard The machine moves or tips while the cutting head is engaged. Who might be harmed and how The operator and people nearby Controls in place - Keep the machine stable throughout the cut. - Use another removal method if it cannot be stabilised. A stable grinder is needed before the cutting head is used. [Mobile stump grinders](https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/afag606.pdf) ## What the builder asks about stump grinding Your answers decide which steps, hazards and controls it suggests. The job - How will the grinder reach the stump? - What is in or around the stump? Where - Where will the grindings go? - How will people be kept out of the work area? - Can the grinder stand firm and level? - What pipes or cables run under or near the stump area? How it’s done - What will you stand on to reach the work? What you’ve been told - What must happen to the ground when you finish? ## What your stump grinding RAMS includes ### Method statement The work in order, step by step. ### Risk assessment Each hazard, who could be harmed, the controls in place and any further action. ### PDF The method statement and risk assessment in one A4 PDF. Your logo on Pro and Team. - ### [Landscaping RAMS](https://complyonsite.com/tools/rams-builder?job=landscaping) - ### [Tarmac laying RAMS](https://complyonsite.com/tools/rams-builder?job=tarmac-laying) - ### [Line marking RAMS](https://complyonsite.com/tools/rams-builder?job=line-marking) - ### [Street furniture RAMS](https://complyonsite.com/tools/rams-builder?job=street-furniture) - ### [Security fencing RAMS](https://complyonsite.com/tools/rams-builder?job=security-fencing) - [All trades and tasks](https://complyonsite.com/tools/rams-builder) ## What the law asks for ### What a RAMS is A risk assessment and method statement. The risk assessment records what could cause harm on the job, who could be harmed and how, and the controls that keep the risk down. The method statement sets out how the work will be done, step by step, in the order it happens. A client or main contractor will usually ask for one before you start. RAMS is a site term, not a legal one: the law asks for the risk assessment and for the work to be planned, and a method statement is the usual way to show that plan for one job. ### What the law asks for - Employers, and self-employed people doing construction work, must make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to their own people and to anyone else affected by the work ([Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, regulation 3](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1999/3242/regulation/3)). - An employer with five or more employees must record the significant findings and any group of employees it finds especially at risk. The assessment must be reviewed if there is reason to think it is no longer valid, or the work has changed significantly. - Every contractor must plan, manage and monitor its work so that, so far as is reasonably practicable, it is done without risks to health and safety, and must give its workers the information and instructions they need, including the hazards the risk assessment found ([Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, regulation 15](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/51/regulation/15)). HSE guidance: [the steps to manage risk](https://www.hse.gov.uk/simple-health-safety/risk/steps-needed-to-manage-risk.htm) and [what contractors must do under CDM](https://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/cdm/2015/contractors.htm). This is the law in Great Britain; Northern Ireland has its own equivalent regulations. ### What the builder does You choose the work and answer questions about how the job will be done, such as what you will stand on and what else is going on nearby. Your answers decide which steps, hazards and controls it suggests. Many suggestions link to the HSE guidance they draw on. Your work is kept in this browser and, signed in, on your account with its photos; the PDF is made on your device. A briefing you send to phones goes through your account. ### Separate documents A COSHH assessment, lifting plan, permit to work, asbestos survey and the principal contractor’s construction phase plan are separate from the RAMS. ### Reviewing a RAMS before work starts [RAMS review](https://complyonsite.com/tools/rams-review) reads a RAMS PDF, yours before you send it or one a subcontractor sends you, and lists the points to raise, each marked on the page it comes from. Quick reviews are free.