Method Statements UK: Construction Safety Guide 2025

Overview

A method statement is a written document that explains, step by step, how a particular piece of work will be carried out safely. It sits alongside the risk assessment: the risk assessment identifies the hazards and who might be harmed, and the method statement sets out the controls and the sequence of work that keep people safe in practice.

You will often hear the two referred to together as a RAMS document (Risk Assessment and Method Statement). Method statements are not a legal document in the strict sense, but they are strongly tied to duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc.

Act 1974 and the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, known as CDM 2015. Principal contractors and contractors are expected to plan, manage and monitor work so that it is carried out without risks to health and safety, and a method statement is one of the most common ways to evidence that planning. For higher-risk tasks, clients and principal contractors will usually require one before work begins on site.

Key steps

1. Define the scope of the work. Start by describing exactly what the job is, where it will happen, who is doing it, and the timeframe. Vague scope leads to vague controls. If the job involves several distinct activities, consider whether each needs its own method statement rather than trying to cover everything in a single document.
2. Link it to a risk assessment. A method statement should never sit on its own. Carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment first, identifying the significant hazards, who could be harmed, and how. The method statement then shows how those risks will be controlled in the order the work is done, so the two documents speak to each other.
3. Set out the sequence of work. Break the job down into clear, numbered steps in the order they will happen on site. For each step, explain the control measures: exclusion zones, permits to work, the PPE needed, equipment checks, lifting plans, and who is responsible. Workers should be able to read it and know what to do next.
4. Cover emergencies and site-specific factors. Include what to do if something goes wrong: first aid arrangements, fire, rescue from height or confined spaces, spills, and how to raise the alarm. Address site-specific issues such as overhead services, neighbouring occupiers, traffic routes, and shared welfare, rather than relying on generic template wording.
5. Brief the team and keep it live. A method statement only works if the people doing the work have read it, understood it, and signed to confirm that. Brief the team before work starts, keep a copy on site, and update the document if conditions change. Treat it as a working tool, not a file note.

Common questions