Guide
Construction method statement
A construction method statement is the order of work, written so the controls in the risk assessment actually happen. It is not a second copy of the hazard list.
Sequence, then the hazards
Write what must be true before anyone starts, how people and materials get there, the order of the work, and how the area is left. If a step is missing, the control that depended on it will be missed. The blank sheet is for that sequence. The worked example below is first-fix carpentry from the library, including the order and the hazards.
On a project with construction work, the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 still require the work to be planned and managed. The method statement is one record of that planning. It does not replace a construction phase plan where one is required.
No law requires a document called a RAMS. The duty is to assess risk under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, regulation 3, and to plan the work safely.
Every hazard below is from the RAMSPack library and is marked draft – awaiting competent review. Change it for the site. It is not HSE approved.
Worked example: First fix carpentry
Install stud partitions, door linings, and timber grounds in a refurbishment, including cutting timber and fixing to existing walls. It excludes structural alterations.
Order of work
- Mark out. Scan for services before fixing into existing walls.
- Cut timber with extraction. Keep offcuts clear of the saw.
- Fix plates and studs. Do not cut a joist or a beam. If the drawing seems to ask for that, stop.
- Fix linings plumb. Leave fire-stopping to the detail that has been specified rather than filling a gap with unspecified foam.
- Vacuum dust and stack surplus timber so it cannot fall.
Contact with a chop saw or a nail from a nail gun
Library status: draft – awaiting competent review
From the general builder library, task: First fix carpentry. Who might be harmed: Carpenters and people nearby
Before controls: 12 Medium. After controls: 4 Low. These scores are a prompt. Score the job yourself.
- Guard in place. Hands clear of the blade. Clamp short offcuts.
- Nail gun stays on a sequential or other safe trigger mode required by the assessment. Never point it at a person. Disconnect the air or the battery when leaving it.
Regulations that fit this hazard: Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974; Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999; Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015; Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998; Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (as amended 2022).
Wood dust from cutting
Library status: draft – awaiting competent review
From the general builder library, task: First fix carpentry. Who might be harmed: Carpenters and other trades
Before controls: 12 Medium. After controls: 6 Low. These scores are a prompt. Score the job yourself.
- On-tool extraction that is switched on. Replace full bags.
- Cut in a ventilated area, not a sealed cupboard.
Regulations that fit this hazard: Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974; Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999; Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015; Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002; Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998; Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (as amended 2022).
Nailing or drilling into a live cable
Library status: draft – awaiting competent review
From the general builder library, task: First fix carpentry. Who might be harmed: Carpenters
Before controls: 15 High. After controls: 5 Low. These scores are a prompt. Score the job yourself.
- Scan and look. Avoid fixing on the line of accessories.
- If you strike a cable, stop and isolate. A competent person repairs it.
Regulations that fit this hazard: Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974; Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999; Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015; Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998; Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (as amended 2022); Electricity at Work Regulations 1989.
Cutting into asbestos insulation board used as a former lining
Library status: draft – awaiting competent review
From the general builder library, task: First fix carpentry. Who might be harmed: Carpenters and others
Before controls: 10 Medium. After controls: 5 Low. These scores are a prompt. Score the job yourself.
- Insulation board used as a former lining is not a timber the carpenter cuts through.
- Check the asbestos survey or register before work starts.
- If asbestos is suspected, stop. Do not disturb it and do not take a sample.
- Tell the duty holder or the principal contractor.
- Where a licensed contractor is required under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, leave that work to them.
Regulations that fit this hazard: Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974; Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999; Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015; Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002; Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (as amended 2022); Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.
Method statement sheet
The sheet is the sequence. The hazards and controls stay in the risk assessment for the same job.
Company: ____________________
Site address: ____________________
Description of this task: ____________________
Dates: ____________________
People doing the work, and who is in charge: ____________________
Key points
- What has to be true before anyone starts.
- How materials and people get to the work area.
- The order of the work itself.
- How the area is left, including waste.
Also write the plant, substances, PPE, and what happens if the structure, a service, or the weather is not as expected.
Generate a first-fix carpentry RAMS