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Stump grinding RAMS Builder

Stump grinding risk assessment and method statement

Prepare RAMS for grinding out stumps and clearing the ground afterwards. Add the site and machine details, tidy the suggested steps to match your job and check the PDF draft.

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Prepare the Stump grinding RAMS

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Stump grinding RAMS

What will you be doing?

More details

Pick everything this RAMS covers. The questions that follow are chosen from what you tick here.

What a Stump grinding RAMS covers

Grinding a tree stump out below ground level with a stump grinder, then clearing the chips, roots and disturbed ground so the site can be used again.

  • Stump removal
  • Stump site clearance

Suggested steps and hazards for Stump grinding

What it offers for stump removal before you have answered anything.

  1. Check the weather before you start

    • Do not lift or fix the grinder, screens and chip piles in strong wind; a large sheet is a sail.
    • Stop in heavy rain, ice or lightning, and rest in the shade in hot weather.

    Hazard

    Wind catches the the grinder, screens and chip piles or blows someone off balance at height

    Who might be harmed and how

    The team and people below

    Controls in place

    • Agree a wind limit for panels and platforms and check the forecast each morning.
    • Tie down or take in loose materials before you leave.

    Wind is the main weather cause of falls and dropped loads in outside work at height.

    HSE: Work at height
  2. 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
  3. 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

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 sequence of the work, step by step. The suggestions are a starting point; you write the method for the job as it will be done.

Risk assessment

Each hazard, who could be harmed, the controls in place and any further action. There is no risk score: you judge each row against the real site, and adding a hazard does not put its controls in place.

PDF draft for review

The document as you left it, for someone competent to check. A download is not approval and not permission to start work.