9+ SAMPLE Health And Safety Method Statement

What Is a Method Statement?

A method statement is a kind of health and safety record usually used for high-risk work. It tells workers the steps they need to take to do a job safely. They are primarily for the people working, usually those in the construction industry. The document should list possible dangers during a specific task and workers’ steps to keep themselves safe. The statement must be as transparent as possible so that it can’t be misunderstood in a way that could hurt someone. Everyone doing the work should read it to know what is expected of them and what safety measures are in place. Method statements can be helpful for more than just the people doing the work. Clients often need the documents during the bid process, especially in construction. This lets a company learn more about an organization and decide if they want to work with them on a project as a business partner. A thorough method statement will show that your company cares about safety and can provide a good service. Statistics show that about 10% of workers in the European Union are in the health and safety sector, and many work in hospitals.

Benefits of Method Statements

Why do organizations develop method statements and risk assessments? What are their purposes? The purpose of these documents, sometimes known as RAMS, is not limited to meeting legal obligations. Yes, but they can also produce a healthier and safer workplace with numerous business advantages. Risk assessments and method statements assist in the following:

Adhere to the law: Employers are required by law to take care of their workers’ health and safety. These duties are spelled out in several health and safety rules, starting with the Health and Safety at Work Act. You had to look out for your employees even before there were rules. Every business is required by law to assess the health and safety risks that come from their work. You must keep track of your evaluation if you have five or more employees. In other posts, we’ve talked more about how risk assessments are required by law almost always and how method statements are also required by law in many high-risk situations.Client requirements: When a business is granted a task and asked to provide a copy of its risk assessments and method statements, it is common for them to be required to create new ones. For instance, nearly every new project you undertake in the construction business will require you to provide health and safety documents. The client will request this documentation to verify that the work will be performed safely. You will be working on their properties, possibly with their employees, and ensuring that this is done safely. Endangering their employees, customers, or businesses will be a significant responsibility. Consequently, risk assessments are mandated by legislation. Clients or other corporate stakeholders may request method descriptions. It may appear that you are simply going through the motions to satisfy legal and client needs; however, are there any additional advantages to drafting these documents than fulfilling external obligations? As it turns out, writing a process description and conducting risk assessments for your actions has numerous benefits. Of course, compliance with legal standards is one of these perks, but several other advantages exist. If the law requires you to do something, it is typically not for doing it. In this instance, safety is the justification. Method statements and risk assessments are ultimately designed to encourage you to plan your job’s health and safety management, minimize and control risks appropriately, and safeguard your staff and those who may be exposed.Plan your duties: You are more likely to plan for the task or activity when you assess. Instead of just starting the work and finding out about the risks as you go, you first think about the difficulties of the task. Think about what troubles you might face and how you can minimize them. If you don’t plan for safety, you’re planning to fail at security.Establish regulations: Implementing controls while creating method statements and risk evaluations is far simpler than when the activity is performed. You are better positioned to gather resources for the training and select the most appropriate controls throughout the planning stages. Additionally, time is on your side. If you are already on the job site or performing the task, it is sometimes too late to hunt for a safer, less time-consuming method.Make better decisions: Considering how the task will be completed in advance and the various possibilities enable you to make better judgments. For instance, your risk assessment may identify some controls that can be implemented to enhance health and safety standards for a specific activity. Still, it may not be viable to implement them all immediately. Including these restrictions in an action plan on your document will help you prioritize what must be completed first and determine when future enhancements may be made.Commit to safety and health: Documenting your risk assessment and work technique increases your commitment to what is recorded. By writing down your review, you are committing to your decisions, as opposed to a cursory consideration and perhaps discussing a few options but not reaching a formal conclusion. The document then serves as a basis for the future development and modification of the activity’s administration.Communicate arrangements: Your written documents aim to convey the thoughts of people planning the job to those performing the activity. Oral instructions passed down through the management structure are susceptible to being forgotten or misinterpreted, whereas explicit written risk assessments and method statements provide your workforce with clear instructions.Coordinate with other activities: Risk assessments and method statements in writing enable coordination with other operations. When you have your head down and concentrate only on the task, you may overlook any risks and dangers that could affect the study if you keep your eyes open. When an activity is near a high-risk job, the risk assessment for the other activities can be reviewed, and the related risks and controls are considered for the current activity. This information exchange can help lessen the dangers associated with numerous activities.Observe safety and health performance: Your written documents serve not only as evidence that you have fulfilled your legal obligations but also as something you can look back to and use to monitor operations. Written records of decisions taken, instructions provided, and comments allow you to verify compliance with processes and identify any shortcomings in health and safety management.Keep people safe: The ultimate goal is to keep people (including you, your team, visitors, and others) safe. You may build a safe workplace by planning, identifying the risk, implementing controls, and communicating with your team on how to work safely. And by documenting the procedure, you can continue to monitor and enhance health and safety standards.

Tips for Obtaining Health and Safety at Work

All employees should actively support the organization’s safety program to ensure the crew’s safety and workers’ safe return to their homes each day. If there’s one thing this pandemic has taught us, workplace safety is of the utmost importance and needs a seat at the table. All employees can contribute to creating a safer work environment by adhering to specific safety guidelines. Even though the following tips are not the only ones available, they show essential principles that lead to a safer work environment:

1. Always report dangerous situations

Workers are sometimes hesitant to report specific harmful circumstances and risks to their supervisors for fear of getting themselves or others in trouble. This is not conducive to a safe workplace since it may raise the likelihood of an accident or injury occurring on the job site. To aid in protecting themselves and their coworkers, all employees must quickly report harmful conditions. Once a hazard or risk has been discovered, the proper protocol must be followed to inform important participants so that risks can be mitigated swiftly and effectively.

2. Maintain a clean workspace

Avoid placing excessive objects near or on employees’ workstations. Additionally, they must never forget to wipe up any spills at their workstations and disinfect the area if it is shared with other employees. According to the EHS Daily Advisor article OSHA’s Fatal Four – Leading Causes of Fatalities in the Workplace, falls account for 36.5% of all workplace deaths. Slips, trips, and falls cause several accidents in the workplace each year, so encourage staff to take this OSHA compliance safety tip seriously.

3. Wear protective equipment

It is essential to urge workers to constantly wear the proper personal protective equipment, even though this may seem apparent (PPE). Workers frequently forget or choose not to use safety equipment such as goggles or hard hats because they believe it is excessive or they can complete the task more quickly without it. Personal protective equipment is allocated to keep workers safe and prevent injury or disease; therefore, constantly remind them to use the appropriate PPE for the task.

4. Take breaks

Tired and overworked employees are a liability at the workplace. Before accomplishing specific duties, employees must take breaks to recover and reenergize. Tired team members may constitute a threat since they cannot concentrate fully on the task at hand, resulting in an incident or mishap that could injure them or others.

5. Don’t skip steps and Keep up with new protocols

Occasionally, workers may be in a hurry to complete a task. Thus they may skip steps to achieve it more quickly. In addition, they may not use special equipment or tools efficiently to do the job swiftly. This must be avoided under all circumstances. Remind team members that procedures and workflows have been carefully designed to eliminate risk, so the safest action is to adhere to them. Also, new methods, protocols, or even equipment may be implemented in the workplace, ensuring that all employees are aware of and up-to-date on these changes. Workers must be provided with the proper training and education to comprehend what must be done to prevent a potential incident. Foster a culture of support and encourage employees to ask questions and communicate with their supervisor if they require additional assistance.

6. Maintain correct posture

It is essential to perform occupational duties with good posture. It is easy to overlook this safety precaution when you are engaged in a task, such as moving large goods or sitting at a computer. Employees must maintain correct posture to avoid aches, pains, and potential long-term damage to their neck, back, and shoulders.

7. Assist new staff

Seasoned and seasoned team members should always provide direction to less-experienced team members. It is necessary to educate them on the organization’s safety culture and the standards it follows to maintain a solid safety foundation. Suppose all team members are fully invested in the value of safety to the organization and themselves. In that case, they can work together to establish a safer workplace and a more robust safety culture. Remind employees to constantly keep these work safety tips in mind, from reporting harmful conditions to taking breaks, to ensure that everyone returns home safely at the end of the day. The staff can take daily actions like these to reinforce the importance of safety and the rewards it can provide.

How to Create a Method Statement

Method statements are essential because they outline precisely how to apply safety measures and assist teams in eliminating job-related risks. This is especially crucial in construction when projects entail high-risk aspects such as dangerous equipment, hazardous materials, or heights. Method statements are critical for limiting hazards and safeguarding site visitors, construction employees, and project managers. If you are prepared to create your method statement, the following steps will help you get started:

Step 1: Perform a risk assessment

Before creating your method statement, you must identify the hazards associated with your project’s tasks. This can be accomplished by doing a risk assessment. Document anything that could cause bodily harm, adverse health impacts, or pose a threat to others on the premises. Evaluate existing safeguards to determine if they adequately decrease risks to an acceptable level. Identify any extra measures required to reduce the possibility of harm further.

Step 2: Provide relevant company information and list hazards safety responses

Consider including all pertinent firm and employment information in your method statement’s heading. Additionally, describe any PPE, environmental, and quality control measures at the beginning of your method statement. List the steps team members can take to mitigate risks and ensure the safe execution of tasks. If the project involves additional actions from team members, such as waste disposal, hazard removal, or site cleanup, make sure to include those as well.

Step 3: Create procedure-specific instructions

In the final portion of your method statement, specify the guidelines construction team members must adhere to when executing their tasks. List your stages in a logical order and add any information your team will need to complete the project objectives safely and efficiently. Try to write so that it is accessible to all readers and that the safety rules and standards are simple for specialists to comprehend.

Step 4: Rewrite descriptions of new locations, equipment, and directives

Review your method statement if your project undergoes any modifications. Construction employment is frequently unstable. Even though you perform identical duties, the risks, conditions, and site needs can vary from project to project. Examining and revising your method statement allows you to account for every project component. New locations, teams, and equipment can all impact your established policies. Changes to reporting structures, cleanup procedures and project phases should also be reflected in your updated method statement.

FAQs

What is a method statement example?

Instead of repeating the information previously contained in a risk assessment, a method statement expands on the knowledge acquired for the risk assessment. It plans the activity’s sequence in greater detail. For instance, the risk assessment may indicate that the task requires monitoring.

Who prepares the method statement?

Method statements should be drafted by a knowledgeable individual familiar with the specified process. They may need to be agreed upon by the client, the principal contractor, and the contractor.

What are high-risk work activities?

Working in the construction industry with a danger of more than two meters of falls is considered high risk. The construction of a communication tower. Destruction of a structural element that is load-bearing or otherwise integral to the structure’s physical integrity.

The selection and presentation of your safety and construction technique statement require careful consideration of various issues. Therefore, utilizing all web resources to facilitate your work is highly recommended. Doing this for the protection of everyone exceeds the definition of a noble job. What are you expecting? Use our templates immediately!