Free Safe Operating Procedure (Sports Field Divoting) Template

Purpose of the Free Safe Operating Procedure (Sports Field Divoting) Template

Maintaining a safe and pristine playing surface is crucial for any sports club or facility. Divoting—the process of repairing indentations in the turf—is a common but essential maintenance task.

This free Safe Operating Procedure (Sports Field Divoting) Template provides a structured framework for documenting the hazards and control measures associated with this job. It helps organisations meet their work health and safety obligations by outlining a clear, step-by-step process for workers and volunteers to follow, minimising risks such as manual handling injuries, slips, and environmental exposure.

Using a documented SOP ensures consistency in how the task is performed, regardless of who is carrying it out. It serves as a vital training tool for new groundskeepers or volunteers and acts as a benchmark for safety performance.

An SOP is a core component of a comprehensive WHS management system, demonstrating a proactive approach to risk management for grounds maintenance activities.

How to use the Free Safe Operating Procedure (Sports Field Divoting) Template

This template is provided as a fully editable DOCX file and a ready-to-print PDF. To use it, simply download the file and open it in your preferred word processor.

The document is logically structured with sections for identifying required personal protective equipment (PPE), outlining potential hazards, and detailing the sequential steps for performing the task safely, from pre-operational checks to clean-up.

Important: This document is a template and must be customised to reflect the specific circumstances of your workplace. You must review, add, and remove content to align with your equipment (e.g., specific utility vehicles or tools), materials (sand or soil mixes), site layout, and internal procedures.

We provide this as a starting point to help you build a site-specific SOP; it is not a complete, out-of-the-box safety solution.

While this SOP is specific to divoting, our more general Safe Operating Procedure (SOP) Template can be adapted for a wide range of other tasks around your facility.

When to use it

A sports field divoting SOP should be used whenever the task is performed. This is most common after sporting events, particularly in sports like polo, rugby, or golf, where the turf is subject to significant wear and tear.

It should also be a standard part of your scheduled grounds maintenance program to ensure the field remains in safe playing condition at all times.

The procedure is particularly important during peak seasons or when training new staff or inducting volunteers, as it provides a clear and authoritative guide. It should also be reviewed and referenced during incident investigations or when a change in process or equipment occurs.

For more complex turf repair involving machinery like a mechanical topdresser, our free Spreader SOP template provides a relevant framework.

Who should use it

This Safe Operating Procedure is intended for use by any person involved in sports field maintenance. This includes:

• Professional groundskeepers and maintenance staff.
• Employees of local councils or facility management companies.
• Volunteers at community sports clubs.
• Supervisors and managers responsible for overseeing grounds work.

Before undertaking the task, all individuals must be trained in the procedure and be deemed competent to perform it safely. This includes training on correct manual handling techniques, proper use of any tools or small vehicles, and understanding the specific hazards of the work environment. Supervisors can use the SOP as a checklist to verify that work is being conducted safely and in accordance with the organisation's safety standards. If you are unsure how to tailor this document or implement it effectively, our WHS consulting services can provide expert guidance.

For associated earthmoving tasks like levelling large areas, you may need a procedure like our Scraper SOP template. You can explore our entire free WHS resources library to find other documents that support your safety management system.