Method statement for first-fix carpentry
A first-fix carpentry method statement should cover setting out, timber delivery, cutting, framing, fixing and temporary support. Circular and mitre saws, nail guns, wood dust, manual handling, falls between joists and collapse of incomplete framing are key hazards. PUWER 1998 requires machinery and tools to be suitable, guarded, maintained and used by trained people. Specify extraction suitable for wood dust, push sticks and supports for cutting, and the safe system for nail-gun use. Brace frames and trusses in the sequence required by the designer or manufacturer, and do not rely on unfinished work for access. Cap protruding fixings, protect floor openings, store timber flat and segregate the cutting area from other trades.
- ✓5 steps from preparation to completion
- ✓Covers: 3 key hazards and their controls
- ✓Permits: structural or 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.