Describe how a task will be done safely, step by step, with people, equipment and controls.
A method statement explains how work will be done in practice. Clients and main contractors often ask for one before work begins.
It works with your risk assessment: the assessment says what could go wrong; the method statement says how the job is done safely.
12 items. Use it on screen, or print it and fill it in by hand.
A subcontractor installing rooftop HVAC units writes a method statement covering crane lift, edge protection, the installation sequence and a rescue plan. The main contractor approves it and the crew signs the briefing record on the morning of the lift.
OSHA’s construction standards set rules for cranes, fall protection and work near open edges, and a written sequence shows how a crew will meet them on this specific task. Main contractors often require one before letting a subcontractor start high-risk work, because it makes the plan reviewable before anyone is exposed.
| Project | Riverside Medical Office, Columbus OH |
|---|---|
| Task | Installing exterior glass curtain wall panels, levels 2-4 |
| Crew | Supervisor Carlos, 4 glaziers, 1 crane signal person |
| Equipment | Mobile crane, vacuum lifter, two boom lifts |
| Key steps | Set exclusion zone; lift panel; fix brackets; seal joints |
| Hold point | Bracket alignment checked by Carlos before each lift |
| Briefing | Crew signed 6:45 am, Sept 15 |
The hold point sits before each lift, not once per day, because a misaligned bracket would leave a panel hanging from the crane. The signal person is listed as a crew role so everyone knows who directs the load.
Clients and contracts often require one.
As short as possible while complete.
The supervisor or contractor.
It describes how the work is done.
A risk assessment identifies hazards and rates them, while a method statement sets out the step-by-step way the work will be done with the controls built into each step. The two are often submitted together, sometimes called RAMS. The crew works from the method statement, and the risk assessment explains why the controls are there.
The subcontractor’s supervisor or safety lead usually writes it, and the main contractor’s site manager or safety manager reviews and approves it before work starts. On some projects the client or engineer also signs off. Once approved, any change to the sequence should go back for review.
More for the same job
Once the method statement template is in place, the next question is usually about shifts and hours. Book a demo to see how EZTime handles scheduling and time tracking.