#construction_method_statement

Method statements are widely used in construction as a means of controlling specific health and safety risks that have been identified (perhaps following the preparation of a risk assessment), such as lifting operations, demolition or dismantling, working at height, installing equipment, the use of plant, and so on.

A method statement helps manage the work and ensures that the necessary precautions have been communicated to those involved.

The process of preparing a written method statement provides evidence that:

- Significant health and safety risks have been identified.
- The co-operation of workers has been ensured.
- Safe, co-ordinated systems of work have been put in place.
- Workers have been involved in the process.

Method statements are not a requirement of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations, however they are identified by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) as being one way of satisfying the requirements of the regulations and as an effective means of assessing risks, managing risks, collecting workers’ views and briefing workers.

The fact that method statements are not a requirement of the CDM Regulations is evidence of the HSE's intention that implementation of the requirements of the CDM Regulations should not be a paper exercise, where the filling out of a standard template is sufficient, but that it should be an integral and fundamental part of the construction process.

The format in which method statements are prepared, reviewed and used should be set out at the outset of a project, perhaps within the Project Execution Plan (PEP), ensuring not only that the method statement is produced by a competent person, but that it is peer-reviewed as part of the quality assurance (QA) system prior to its use.

Where they are prepared, method statements need be no longer than is necessary for them to be effective. They are for the benefit of those carrying out the work and so should be clear, not over-complicated, and illustrated where necessary.

Method statements should be written by a competent person who is familiar with the process being described and may need to be agreed between the client, principal contractor and contractor. The HSE suggests that those preparing method statements should consider:

- Is there a safer way of doing this task?
- Will workers actually implement the controls as planned?
- Do controls make the job difficult or inconvenient?
- Are there small changes that will improve the intended method?
- How will controls work in adverse conditions?
- Will workers require additional briefing or instructions?

The contents of a method statement will vary with the work process being described, however, it may contain:

- Details of the organisation in control of the activity.
- Details of the individual responsible for the activity.
- A description of the activity.
- A description of how the work will be managed.
- The location of the activity, its boundaries, means of access and how it is segregated from other activities.
- Plant and equipment required.
- The procedure for changing the proposed method of work if necessary.
- A step by step description of the activities to be undertaken.
- Precautions necessary to protect workers, and other people that could be affected, including personal protective equipment and ventilation requirements.
- Training procedures.
- The need for specially-trained operators for certain activities.
- Emergency procedures, including the location of emergency equipment.
- The handling and storage of materials and pollution prevention procedures.
- Temporary works designs.
- The method for safeguarding existing structures.

For more information, see How to write a method statement.

Together, risk assessments and method statements are sometimes described as 'RAMS'. RAMS may be required by third parties to demonstrate that health and safety has been properly considered and that the requirements of the CDM regulations have been satisfied.

For example, a contractor may require submission of RAMS from sub-contractors, a landlord may require submission of RAMS from tenants proposing to carry out works to a property, or a client may require submission of RAMS from contractors operating on their premises.

NB: George Forster in his book 'Construction Site Studies' details method statements used for management purposes showing personnel needed, time, and work output among other factors.

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