Method statement for excavation and trench work
An excavation method statement should record dimensions, soil and groundwater information, nearby structures and services, support or battering design, access and inspection arrangements. Collapse, buried utilities, falls, flooding, hazardous atmospheres and people being struck by plant are principal hazards. The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 require excavations to be supported or sloped so far as reasonably practicable and inspected by a competent person at required times. Service plans alone are not proof of location: scan, mark and use safe digging practices before breaking ground. Keep spoil, materials and plant back from the edge by a distance justified for the ground, and stop immediately if conditions, services or support differ from the plan.
- ✓5 steps from preparation to completion
- ✓Covers: 3 key hazards and their controls
- ✓Permits: permit to dig, temporary-works approval where required
In short
A method statement sets out how a task will be carried out safely, step by step: preparation, set-up, the work itself and completion, with the plant, permits, competence and supervision needed. It puts the controls identified in the risk assessment into a safe system of work.
What it must include
- ✓Task description, location and duration
- ✓Step-by-step sequence of works
- ✓Plant, equipment and materials
- ✓Permits and isolations required
- ✓Competence, training and supervision
- ✓PPE and emergency arrangements
You stay the duty holder: review the document for your site before work starts. SitePaper is a drafting tool, not a consultancy.