A method statement describes how a subcontractor will carry out a specific piece of work — the sequence of operations, the equipment to be used, and how the risk controls identified in the accompanying risk assessment will be applied in practice. In UK construction, method statements are almost always submitted alongside risk assessments as part of a RAMS document.
The obligation to produce them flows from the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, and HSE's L153 guidance on the Regulations. This guide explains what a method statement must contain, who must produce it, and what the principal contractor must do with it before work starts.
The legal framework for method statements
CDM 2015 does not use the phrase "method statement." The obligation to produce them derives from the general duty to plan, manage, and monitor construction work safely.
CDM 2015 Regulation 15(2) requires that "[a] contractor must plan, manage and monitor construction work carried out either by the contractor or by workers under the contractor's control, to ensure that, so far as is reasonably practicable, it is carried out without risks to health and safety." A method statement is the planning document that demonstrates this duty is being discharged.
CDM 2015 Regulation 15(8) and (9) require a contractor to give each worker under their control "appropriate supervision, instructions and information", and specify that the information provided must include "a suitable site induction, where not already provided by the principal contractor", "the procedures to be followed in the event of serious and imminent danger to health and safety", and "information on risks to health and safety" identified by the risk assessment under regulation 3 of the Management Regulations or arising from another contractor's undertaking. The method statement is the document that connects risk assessment findings to the specific actions workers will take on site.
CDM 2015 Regulation 15(3) provides that where there is more than one contractor on a project, a contractor must comply with "any directions given by the principal designer or the principal contractor" and with "the parts of the construction phase plan that are relevant to that contractor's work on the project." A method statement that conflicts with the CPP — for example, describing a sequencing approach that creates hazards for another trade — must be revised before the work commences.
CDM 2015 Regulation 8(3) requires any person responsible for appointing a designer or contractor — the principal contractor appointing a subcontractor, but equally a client or a subcontractor appointing further down the chain — to "take reasonable steps to satisfy themselves" that the appointee meets the Regulation 8(1) condition of having the "skills, knowledge and experience, and, if they are an organisation, the organisational capability" for the role. A method statement that demonstrates a subcontractor does not understand the hazards of their own work is evidence of a competence gap that should be investigated before work starts.
HSE's L153 (guidance on CDM 2015, not an Approved Code of Practice) puts the construction phase plan in the same frame: "The plan must record the arrangements for managing the significant health and safety risks associated with the construction phase of a project" (Appendix 3, para 3).
L153 is precise about the relationship, and the precision cuts against a common practice. The plan records the arrangements; the method statement is a trade-level document that sits alongside it. L153 says the plan "should not include documents that get in the way of a clear understanding of what is needed to manage the construction phase, such as generic risk assessments, records of how decisions were reached or detailed safety method statements" (Appendix 3, para 4). Bolting a folder of subcontractor RAMS into the back of the construction phase plan is therefore the opposite of what the guidance asks for — the RAMS are collected, reviewed and held as their own records, and the plan states the arrangements for doing so.
What a method statement must contain
A method statement for construction work should cover:
Scope of work. A clear description of the specific activity being carried out — the exact scope of work, the location on site, and the duration or programme window.
Sequence of operations. The step-by-step order in which the work will be carried out, including any preparatory steps (setting up exclusion zones, isolating services, erecting temporary works) before the main activity begins.
Plant, equipment, and materials. The plant, equipment, tools, and materials to be used. For lifting operations, this should reference the crane or MEWP type and confirm that a lifting plan has been prepared. For work involving hazardous substances, it should reference the COSHH assessments.
Control measures. How each risk identified in the accompanying risk assessment will be controlled during the work. Not generic statements ("PPE will be worn") but the specific PPE for each hazard, the specific barriers for exclusion zones, the specific isolation procedures for live services.
Supervision arrangements. Who is responsible for supervising the work and ensuring workers follow the method. On complex or high-risk operations, a named supervisor with specific competence requirements is appropriate.
Emergency procedures. What workers should do if something goes wrong — who to notify, where the muster point is, and what the first aid arrangements are.
Personnel. Who will carry out the work — either named individuals or competence requirements (e.g. "all operatives must hold the relevant CSCS card for the activity").
A method statement that omits the sequence of operations, uses generic controls, or does not identify responsible persons for each control measure is unlikely to satisfy the Regulation 15(2) planning obligation.
What the principal contractor must do
When a subcontractor submits RAMS, the principal contractor has specific review obligations. The method statement review is not an administrative step — it is part of the Regulation 8(3) competence verification process.
Check the scope matches the actual work. A method statement prepared for a different project, or for a generic version of the activity, will not reflect the specific conditions on your site. The sequencing, the plant selection, and the control measures must be specific to the actual work being carried out.
Verify consistency with the construction phase plan. The subcontractor's method must be compatible with the site rules, sequencing constraints, and interface management arrangements in the CPP. If the subcontractor proposes to carry out work in a sequence that creates interface hazards with another trade active in the same area, the method statement should be returned for revision.
Confirm adequate controls are in place. The control measures must match the risks. If the risk assessment identifies a fall-from-height risk but the method statement relies on a working platform that is not yet available, that is a gap that must be resolved before work starts.
Record the review. Keep a dated record of when the RAMS were received, reviewed, and accepted. If the principal contractor receives RAMS but cannot demonstrate they reviewed them before work started, the review did not discharge the Regulation 8(3) obligation.
Return inadequate documents. If the method statement is inadequate — too generic, missing key steps, or inconsistent with the CPP — return it with specific comments. Do not allow work to start pending the revised submission.
Common failures
Copy-and-paste documents. The most common method statement failure is a document that was clearly produced for a different project (different site address, different plant, different sequence) with the minimum editing required to make it superficially applicable. These documents demonstrate the subcontractor has not actually thought through the specific work. Return them.
Controls that are not specific. "Suitable PPE will be worn" without specifying what PPE is required for which hazard is not a control measure. "Work at height will be carried out safely" is not a method statement. The test is whether a worker reading the document would know exactly what to do at each step.
No reference to CPP hazards. The construction phase plan identifies the specific hazards present on the site. A subcontractor's method statement that does not reference site-specific information from the CPP (traffic management arrangements, buried service locations, adjacent structure risks) may not reflect the actual conditions.
Method statement submitted after work starts. RAMS submitted on the day work begins, or after it has started, are not planning documents — they are retrospective records. The review must happen, and workers must receive the information, before exposure begins.
No record that workers were briefed. Regulation 15(9) requires workers to receive information about identified risks and control measures. An induction record or toolbox talk attendance sheet is the standard evidence. Without it, the obligation to provide the information is not demonstrably discharged.
RAMS and high-risk activities
CDM 2015 Schedule 3 identifies work categories involving particular risks — work at height with aggravated risk, excavation, work near high-voltage power lines, work involving explosives, diving, and work in compressed atmospheres. For these activities, the method statement should be substantially more detailed, and the principal contractor's review correspondingly more rigorous.
For any Schedule 3 activity, the review should go beyond checking the document for completeness. Consider whether the subcontractor's supervision arrangements are adequate for the risk level, whether the permit-to-work or safety critical systems required for the activity are in place, and whether the emergency arrangements are specific enough to be workable.
For document collection across your subcontractor list, see our subcontractor onboarding documents guide. For the construction risk assessment framework that RAMS sit within, see our construction risk assessment guide.
SubComply tracks RAMS receipt and approval status across all subcontractors, with timestamped records of review dates and approval status for every trade on every project.
Sources
- The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/51), Regulations 8, 15
- Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
- HSE L153 — Managing health and safety in construction: CDM 2015. Guidance on Regulations (free PDF)
- HSE — Legal series (L) publications index
- HSE — CDM 2015 guidance
This guide is for informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. For project-specific compliance questions, consult a qualified health and safety professional.
Last reviewed: 2 September 2026