How To Make A Good Method Statement

For the sake of information of those who doesn’t know yet what is the Method Statement, Why I say this, because I was also asking before when I was a newbie in the construction. In 2007, when I joined my first company here in the UAE. I was asking myself then “Do we need to make the Method Statement?’

If you will work in the gulf cooperation council (GCC) countries, especially here in UAE, you are oblige here to follow standards in construction and one of the components is method statement. Method Statement is one of the important document, and it is always included in the procurement of project in which I emphasized in this article Understanding About Method Statement. Method Statement is therefore required and strictly adopted before and during the progress a certain work of a project construction.

Here now we would write “How to make a good method statement?” There are several formats of method statement I’ve seen since I started to work in the UAE, but one of the best is this one that I would discuss here and explain one by one. So hold on because it’s going to be wild. Lol! (Just kidding).

Here is the best format of Method Statement I’ve ever made. This type of method statement format was used by a Project Management Consultant (PMC) in one of the biggest project I’ve ever attended.

1. Title

When you want to start writing a method statement, you’ll first think about the title because you cannot jump off to the other parts of the method statement if you don’t have it yet.

2. Scope of Work

The scope of work is the limit or boundary of your work; requirements stipulated in the contract. Your scope of works might be contained of the following:

2.1 General Description. This is like an introduction, it tells the whole summary of the method statement.

2.2 Equipment and tools. You can write here all your equipments, plants and machineries and your tools to be used as well.

2.3 Materials and reference. Here you’ll write the “approved” materials and the corresponding reference of the material submittal. You will include also the drawing and specification references.

2.4 Site planning and preparation. This is how the material will be delivered to site and how you are going to receive the material, the process of checking and coordination to the concerns staff regarding the movement of material from placing to store and to transporting to the area where the material is going to install or fix.

2.5  Work methodology. This is the main and most important part of the method statement because here you are going to show “how a certain work to be constructed” including the safety, how it is adopted during the progress that’s why once you make a method statement it is also necessary to attach the risk assessment of each activity within the process of a certain work.

The consultant would really want to see how a certain work to be done. Without further elaboration of your method statement then that would most likely be rejected. So state here all the necessary actions and procedures before you submit it to your consultant.

2.6 Safety. This is where you are going to write the safety rules, basic personal protective equipment and rules and regulations of the Municipality.

2.7 Safety rules and responsibilities. You will show here the rules and responsibility of the assigned HSE officer. You can just request his approved “Job Description” either from him (designated HSE Officer) or from your HR officer. The HR officer has each staff approved JD.

2.8 Organization, responsibility and supervision. In here you are going to write each staff who are involved the certain work. And write down their respective responsibilities. Like Project Manager, QAQC Engineer, Project Engineer, Foreman etc.

2.9 Work force or key personnel. Here you will list down all the personnel involve in the certain work including the quantity. From higher staff down to site crews.

3. Environmental, safety and health

You’ll write down here the risk assessment or rather attached the full copy of the RA as well as the emergency procedures.

4. Quality assurance

You place here the quality requirements table where you will write the document references like specification, drawing, materials, Inspection & Test Plan etc. Make sure that the references you placed is correct. You can review it many times before you’ll submit to the consultant.

5. Appendices & reference

This is almost the same with Item 4, but here you’ll just write the excerpt or link of certain document.

6. Briefing sheet

When a certain work is about to start, there should be a briefing or tool box meeting. The operatives involve in that work shall write their name and signed off for their attendance. Make sure that operatives signed on to it. You know why? Because it will be asked during the audit. So don’t neglect the persons involve not to sign it.

7. Review checklist

Here you’ll have to see to it by bringing the checklist with you and checking one by one if the procedure is being followed like for example, does the title of the method statement in line with a certain activity, does the method statement approved by the engineer, does the method statement follow the recommended format etc.

This was a kind of method statement format that I really prefer and liked, it was so enjoyable and grateful to work with such good company.

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Thanks!