Method Statements
Method Statements serve as detailed and strategic guides, delineating the step-by-step procedures and safety precautions necessary for specific construction tasks.
These comprehensive documents are indispensable in ensuring projects are executed efficiently, safely, and in accordance with industry regulations.
While compiling a method statement is not a statutory duty in itself, unlike a risk assessment, it is a statutory obligation within construction to establish a SSOW for all activities.
The Method Statement serves as the means to ensure this SSOW is established.
Method Statement
What is a method statement and why is it important?
A method statement is a document outlining the safe execution of a construction site activity. It provides clear instructions, from the arrival on-site, through the completion of the works, to departure from the site.
After the method statement is prepared, a site briefing should be conducted to ensure that everyone comprehends the safe system of work (SSOW) required before commencing any tasks.
Method Statements are crucial for the safe planning, control, and implementation of construction activities. Work should only commence once an agreed SSOW has been established in compliance with legal obligations.
Combined with the Risk Assessment (RAMS), the Method Statement identifies hazards and risks associated with the activity, allowing safety measures to be implemented to eliminate or reduce risks to an acceptable level.
Who is responsible for preparing a method statement?
Employers are responsible for ensuring their workforce has a SSOW in place before commencing any work, a statutory duty all employers must fulfill.
Site-based CDM appointment holders, such as Principal Contractors or Trade Contractors, also share the responsibility of ensuring RAMS are in place before work begins.
This involves correctly identifying hazards and implementing suitable controls to mitigate risks to as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP).
A competent person, often in collaboration with a site manager or supervisor, should compile the method statement. This involves proposing construction steps, evaluating them for hazards, conducting risk assessments, and establishing a safe system of work.
Wooltown Safety have many years experience in providing comprehensive method statements bespoke to the required operation taking into account all factors such as;
- Plant
- Environmental Conditions
- Site Conditions
- Other persons within that locality
- Competence of Workers
- Weather
- Emergency Plans
- Emergency Routes to the point of work
- Collective Safety Measures
- PPE
- and much more………
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