Guide
What is a method statement?
A main contractor has asked for a method statement before you can start. This explains what one is and what it needs to contain.
The short answer
A method statement is a written safe system of work. It sets out, step by step, how a specific task will be carried out safely, putting into practice the control measures identified by the risk assessment. There is no single statutory definition of a method statement, but principal contractors routinely require one before higher-risk work, and it is usually supplied alongside the risk assessment as a combined document known as RAMS.
What a method statement contains
- The task and its scope. What work is being done, where, and by whom.
- The sequence of work. The steps in the order they happen, so anyone can follow the safe method.
- The controls at each stage. The precautions from the risk assessment, applied to the actual steps.
- Plant, equipment and materials. What is used and any safety requirements attached to it.
- Personal protective equipment. What must be worn for the task.
- Emergency and first-aid arrangements. What happens if something goes wrong.
How it differs from a risk assessment
The two are complementary. The risk assessment identifies the hazards, who is at risk and the controls needed. The method statement describes the safe sequence for actually doing the work with those controls in place. One asks what could go wrong and how it is controlled; the other sets out how the job is done safely from start to finish. Supplied together they form RAMS.
For electrical contractors
Electrician CHAS pack · £95
Electrical method statements written as clear safe systems of work, paired with matching risk assessments, ready to adapt to your jobs.
When you will be asked for one
You will most often be asked for a method statement by a principal contractor before you are allowed on site, particularly for higher-risk activities such as work at height, electrical isolation, hot works or work near the public. Accreditation schemes such as CHAS also expect to see method statements as part of the evidence that you develop safe systems of work. Like a risk assessment, a method statement is only useful if it describes the job you actually do, so a generic one that does not match the task is a common reason work is stopped or an application is queried.
Related guides
Read what a risk assessment is, what RAMS means, and the RAMS guide for electricians.
Common questions
What is a method statement?
A written safe system of work that sets out, step by step, how a task is carried out safely, applying the controls identified by the risk assessment. It is often supplied with the risk assessment as a combined document called RAMS.
What is the difference between a method statement and a risk assessment?
The risk assessment identifies the hazards and the controls needed. The method statement describes the safe sequence for doing the work with those controls in place. Together they are RAMS.
What should a method statement include?
The task and its scope, the sequence of work, the controls at each stage, the plant and equipment used, the PPE required, and the emergency and first-aid arrangements.
Is a method statement a legal requirement?
There is no single law that names the method statement, but principal contractors routinely require one for higher-risk work, and accreditation schemes expect to see them as evidence of safe systems of work.