Method statement template (RAMS) for UK construction

Last checked 4 October 2026

A free method statement and risk assessment template in Word and PDF, with no email needed. Below it you'll find what a method statement is, what it must cover, a short example, and how to draft one faster without cutting corners.

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The first page of the method statement template: the heading block, the first three sections and the start of the risk assessment table

What is a method statement?

A method statement sets out, step by step, how a piece of work will be done safely. It describes the sequence of work, the people and equipment involved, and how each risk from the risk assessment will be controlled. Clients and principal contractors usually ask for one before work starts on site.

What is RAMS?

RAMS stands for risk assessment and method statement. The risk assessment identifies the hazards and how serious they are. The method statement explains how the work will be done to control them. RAMS is industry shorthand, not a term used in the regulations.

Is a method statement a legal requirement?

A risk assessment is a legal duty under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, and employers with five or more people must record its significant findings. The regulations don't name a method statement. Clients and principal contractors usually require one, though, because it shows how the risks will be controlled on that job.

Source: Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, regulation 3.

What's the difference between a risk assessment and a method statement?

A risk assessment works out what could go wrong on the job and how serious it would be. A method statement takes those findings and sets out how the work will be done, step by step, so the risks stay controlled. The risk assessment is a legal duty, and the method statement is usually what your client asks to see.

Risk assessment compared with method statement
Question	Risk assessment	Method statement
What it answers	What could go wrong, who could be harmed, and how likely and serious it is	How the work will be done, step by step, so those risks are controlled
Required by law	Yes (Management Regulations 1999, reg 3)	Not named in law; usually required by the client or principal contractor
Who uses it	Managers and the person responsible for safety	The team doing the work, briefed before starting

What should a method statement include?

A good method statement covers the job, the order of work, the hazards and how each one is controlled, who does what, the plant and materials, and what happens in an emergency. Most follow the same twelve sections, in roughly this order:

Job details: site, client, principal contractor, dates and the version.
Scope of work: what is and isn't included.
Sequence of work: numbered steps in the order they happen.
Hazards and controls: linked to the risk assessment.
People and responsibilities: who supervises and who does each task.
Competence and permits: training, cards and any permits to work.
Plant, equipment and materials: with any hazardous substances.
PPE: what each task needs.
Emergency arrangements and first aid: first aider, alarm, assembly point and nearest A&E.
Environmental controls: dust, noise and waste.
Briefing record: who was briefed and when.
Review and sign-off: when it's reviewed and who signs.

The method statement template

This is the same template as the Word and PDF files, with a line of guidance under each section. Fill it in for the job, then have a competent person check it against the site.

Method statement and risk assessment

A competent person checks this against the site and signs it before work starts.

Job
Site address
Client
Principal contractor
Prepared by
Checked by (competent person)
Version
Date

01Job details
Fill in the heading block. Change the version number each time you revise it.
02Scope of work
Say what this method statement covers and what it doesn't, so nobody assumes a task is included.
03Sequence of work
Write each step as an action, in the order it happens.
04Hazards and controls
For each step, name the hazards and how each one is controlled. Use the risk assessment table at the end.
05People and responsibilities
Name the supervisor and say who does each task.
06Competence and permits
List the training and cards each task needs, and any permits to work.
07Plant, equipment and materials
List what you'll use, and any hazardous substances with their safety data sheets.
08PPE
Say which PPE each task needs, rather than one list for the whole job.
09Emergency arrangements and first aid
Name the first aider and say how to raise the alarm, where the assembly point is and where the nearest A&E is.
10Environmental controls
Say how dust, noise and waste will be controlled, and any limits on working hours.
11Briefing record
Brief the team before work starts and have everyone sign the briefing record at the end.
12Review and sign-off
Review it when the job, the team or the site changes. A competent person checks it against the site and signs it.

Risk assessment

One row per hazard. Rate the risk after the controls are in place.

Hazard	Who could be harmed and how	Controls in place	Risk (low, medium or high)	Further action	By whom	By when

Briefing record

Everyone who does the work signs to show they've been briefed on this method statement.

Name	Company	Signature	Date

Sign-off

A competent person checks this against the site and signs it before work starts.

	Name	Position	Signature	Date
Prepared by
Checked by (competent person)
Accepted by principal contractor (if required)

Free to use and change. Check it against your own site before use.

Word (.docx)PDF

How do you write a method statement?

Start from the risk assessment, then walk through the job in the order it happens. Write each step as an action, say who does it and how its risks are controlled, and brief the team before work starts.

1
Do the risk assessment first. HSE sets out the steps as:
- identify hazards;
- assess the risks;
- control the risks;
- record your findings;
- review the controls.
List the work in the order it will happen.
For each step, note the hazards and the controls.
Add the people, equipment, permits and PPE.
Add the emergency arrangements for that site.
Have a competent person check it against the site.
Brief the team and record who attended.
Review it when the job, the team or the site changes.

Method statement example

Here is a short example for a task fit-out firms do often: installing a suspended ceiling in an occupied office. It shows the level of detail to aim for. It isn't a ready-made method statement, so adapt every line to your own site and have a competent person check it.

Installing a suspended ceiling in an occupied office

Example only. Check against your site.

Sequence of work

1Agree the work area and working hours with the building manager. Put up barriers and signs so nobody can walk under the work.
2Check the asbestos information for the ceiling void and the services above it before anyone opens it up or drills.
3Set out the ceiling height and fix the perimeter trims to the walls.
4Fix the hangers to the soffit, then fit the main runners and cross tees, checking the level as you go.
5Cut and fit the tiles, leaving openings for light fittings and grilles as shown on the drawings.
6Clean the area with an H or M class vacuum, take the barriers down and hand the area back to the building manager.

Hazards and controls

Working at height: Podium steps or a mobile tower with guard rails for runner and tile work. Stepladders only for short, light tasks. Check equipment before use and engage every lock.
Dust from drilling and cutting: On-tool extraction with an H or M class unit when drilling the soffit. Cut tiles in one place, away from staff. FFP3 masks, face-fit tested, where extraction isn't enough.
Other people in the area: Barriers and signs around the work. Nobody works above people. Corridors and fire exits kept clear, and materials stored inside the work area.

PPE: Safety boots, gloves, eye protection for overhead drilling, and FFP3 masks where the risk assessment calls for them.
Briefing: The supervisor briefs the team on site before work starts, and everyone signs the briefing record.

Can AI write a method statement?

AI can produce a useful first draft of a method statement from the job details and your past RAMS. That cuts the time spent retyping the parts that repeat. It can't see your site, so a competent person must check every step against the work and sign it. HSE hasn't published guidance on AI-written risk assessments.

Give it

The job and the scope
The site conditions
Your previous RAMS for similar work
Your standard controls

Always check

Every step matches how the work will be done
The hazards are specific to this site
The controls are ones you will put in place
The names, permits and emergency details are correct

HSE's statement on AI, published on 12 June 2026, says new guidance is planned for 2026/27. Until then, the employer stays responsible for a suitable and sufficient risk assessment, and must appoint competent people to help (Management Regulations 1999, regulations 3 and 7). Have a competent person check any AI draft against the site.

Who should sign a method statement?

The person responsible for the work signs it once a competent person has checked it, and the team signs the briefing record to show they've been told. Many principal contractors also review and accept RAMS before the work starts.

Sources

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