SafetyPaperwork
Concreting · United Kingdom

Method statement for concrete footings

By Safety PaperworkBuilt from HSE guidance and CDM 2015 · How we write and check theseUpdated

You must assess the risks of concrete footings and record the significant findings if you employ 5 or more people. On CDM sites the principal contractor will ask for RAMS before you start.

RAMS cover the hazards, who could be harmed and how, the controls and the safe sequence of work, and the crew is briefed and signs. The main hazards are hitting underground services, being hit by mobile plant, trench or excavation collapse and falling through a floor opening or void.

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RAMS example: concrete footings

This is a complete RAMS for concrete footings, with 6 job steps. Open it in the builder to add your site, crew and signatures, change anything, and download a PDF. Or download the free Word template below and fill it in by hand.

Risk Assessment and Method Statement (RAMS)
Footings: dig, rebar and pour · Concreting · Example
Document RAMS-001 · Rev 1

Risk assessment

#ActivityHazardsWho might be harmedRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Locate underground services before excavating
  • Hitting underground services
  • Gas and fuel lines
Workers, Public, OccupantsVery high (15)
  • Keep machine buckets well clear of marked services and use a spotter. Isolate
  • Do a CAT and Genny scan before digging and mark services on the ground. Control (engineering)
  • Hand dig trial holes to find services before machine digging (safe digging practice). Control (engineering)
  • Get utility plans before digging and check them against what you see on site. Control (procedures)
  • Keep plans or locate tickets on site and check them again if the work area grows. Control (procedures)
  • If you hit a service, stop, get everyone clear, and call the owner and emergency services. Control (procedures)
  • Wear safety boots, gloves and hi-vis when digging. PPE
  • Isolate and purge the line before work, with the owner's approval. Eliminate
  • Lock off and tag the isolation valve. Isolate
  • Check for leaks with a gas detector before and during work, and ventilate the area. Control (engineering)
  • Only Gas Safe registered engineers work on gas fittings. Control (procedures)
  • Remove ignition sources: no smoking, no hot work and no sparking tools near the line. Control (procedures)
  • Know where the shut-off valve is and what to do if a leak happens. Control (procedures)
  • Wear safety glasses and gloves, and keep a fire extinguisher close by. PPE
Medium (5)
2Dig footings, keeping people out of the excavator swing
  • Being hit by mobile plant
  • Trench or excavation collapse
Workers, Visitors, PublicVery high (15)
  • Separate people and plant with barriers, exclusion zones and marked walkways. Isolate
  • Use plant with working reversing alarms, cameras and lights. Control (engineering)
  • Have a traffic management plan showing plant routes, loading areas and pedestrian paths. Control (procedures)
  • Use a spotter when reversing or working near people. Control (procedures)
  • Make eye contact with the operator before going near. Stay out of the swing radius. Control (procedures)
  • Operators hold a CPCS, NPORS or equal card for the plant they use. Control (procedures)
  • Do a pre-start check on each machine every day and record it. Control (procedures)
  • Wear hi-vis clothing and a hard hat. PPE
  • Use methods that keep people out of the trench, such as directional boring or working from the surface. Eliminate
  • Barricade or cover the excavation so people and plant cannot fall in. Isolate
  • Support or batter back the sides of any excavation where collapse could happen. Use trench boxes or sheet piling for deeper trenches. Control (engineering)
  • Keep spoil, materials and plant at least 1 metre back from the edge. Control (engineering)
  • Provide a safe way in and out, such as a ladder near where people work. Control (engineering)
  • Inspect the excavation at the start of each shift and after rain or anything that could weaken it. Record it. Control (procedures)
  • Never work alone in a trench. Watch for water, cracks and bulging walls, and get out if you see them. Control (procedures)
  • Wear a hard hat, hi-vis and safety boots. PPE
Medium (5)
3Cover or barricade open footings
  • Falling through a floor opening or void
  • Public entering the work area
Workers, Visitors, Public, ChildrenVery high (15)
  • Cover every hole and penetration with a fixed, secured cover marked "HOLE" or "DANGER". Isolate
  • Put guardrails with toe boards around stairwells, lift shafts, voids and open edges. Isolate
  • Install stairs early and fit temporary handrails as soon as they go in. Control (engineering)
  • Never remove a cover or guardrail without approval. Put it back straight away. Control (procedures)
  • Inspect covers and barriers daily and after other trades have been through. Control (procedures)
  • Keep lighting good enough to see openings, especially on lower floors and in the evening. Control (procedures)
  • Use a harness clipped to a rated anchor when working right next to an open void. PPE
  • Fence off the site with secure temporary fencing and lock the gates when you leave. Isolate
  • Give pedestrians a safe, marked path around the work, with ramps for prams and wheelchairs. Isolate
  • Use hoarding, covered walkways or catch fans where work is above public areas. Control (engineering)
  • Put signs at each entry: site name, contact number and "No unauthorised entry". Control (procedures)
  • Make the site safe at the end of each day: cover holes, lower plant, remove ladders and lock tools away. Control (procedures)
  • Use a spotter when moving plant or materials across public paths. Control (procedures)
Medium (5)
4Cut and tie rebar, capping bars that stick up
  • Impalement on rebar
  • Angle grinder injuries
  • Lifting and carrying heavy loads
Workers, People nearbyHigh (12)
  • Cover or cap all exposed bar ends with approved caps or covers. Control (engineering)
  • Bend bars over where the design allows. Control (engineering)
  • Use edge protection near starter bars so nobody can fall onto them. Control (engineering)
  • Keep walkways clear of exposed bars and mark the hazard. Control (procedures)
  • Wear gloves, safety glasses and safety boots when handling bar. PPE
  • Use a guarded saw or a different tool where you can. Reduce / substitute
  • Keep the guard on and use the side handle. Never remove the guard. Control (engineering)
  • Use the right disc for the job, rated for the grinder's speed. Check it for cracks first. Control (procedures)
  • Only trained people change discs, with the grinder unplugged or the battery out. Control (procedures)
  • Keep both hands on the grinder and let the disc stop before putting it down. Control (procedures)
  • Plan to avoid carrying: have materials delivered, and old items picked up, as close as possible to where they are used. Eliminate
  • Use lighter or smaller loads: order smaller bags and shorter lengths, and drain or break down old items before moving them. Reduce / substitute
  • Use trolleys, pallet jacks, hoists, vacuum lifters or plant instead of carrying by hand. Control (engineering)
  • Use a two-person lift for anything heavy, long or awkward. Plan the route first and clear it. Control (procedures)
  • Keep the load close, back straight and no twisting. Turn with your feet. Control (procedures)
Medium (8)
5Pour and vibrate concrete
  • Wet concrete and cement burns
  • Hand-arm and whole-body vibration
  • Loud noise
Workers, People nearbyHigh (12)
  • Use long-handled tools and pumps to cut down contact. Control (engineering)
  • Wash concrete off skin straight away with clean water. Control (procedures)
  • Have clean water and eye wash where concrete or mortar is mixed and used. Control (procedures)
  • Do a COSHH assessment for cement, lime and mortar, and check hands regularly for early signs of dermatitis. Control (procedures)
  • Wear waterproof gloves, long sleeves and waterproof boots with trousers worn over the top. PPE
  • Wear safety glasses or goggles to stop splashes. PPE
  • Use low-vibration tools and methods, such as a breaker on an excavator instead of a hand jackhammer. Reduce / substitute
  • Keep tools sharp and well maintained, and use anti-vibration handles and seats. Control (engineering)
  • Limit trigger time using the HSE vibration calculator to stay below the exposure action value, and rotate workers. Control (procedures)
  • Keep hands warm and dry, and take regular breaks. Control (procedures)
  • Report tingling, numbness or white fingers early. Control (procedures)
  • Use quieter tools and methods, such as cut-to-size materials, low-noise machines and battery tools. Reduce / substitute
  • Keep noisy plant away from work areas, and use screens or distance between the noise and people. Isolate
  • Keep tools maintained and use mufflers on compressors and generators. Control (engineering)
  • Limit time on noisy tools and rotate workers. Control (procedures)
  • If you have to shout to be heard by someone 2 metres away, the noise is probably 85 dB(A) or more: wear hearing protection. Control (procedures)
  • Assess noise. At 85 dB(A) or more, hearing protection is required and the zone must be marked. Control (procedures)
Medium (6)
6Clean up tools and waste
  • Poor housekeeping and waste
Workers, VisitorsMedium (8)
  • Order materials to size and send packaging back where you can. Eliminate
  • Put skips and waste chutes close to the work. Control (engineering)
  • Clean as you go, and do a full clean up at the end of each day. Control (procedures)
  • Keep exits, stairs and walkways clear at all times. Control (procedures)
  • Stack materials neatly on level ground, away from edges. Control (procedures)
  • Use a registered waste carrier and keep waste transfer notes for at least 2 years. Keep hazardous waste such as asbestos separate, with consignment notes (special waste in Scotland). Control (procedures)
  • Wear gloves when handling waste. PPE
Low (4)

Method statement: sequence of work

  1. Locate underground services before excavating
  2. Dig footings, keeping people out of the excavator swing
  3. Cover or barricade open footings
  4. Cut and tie rebar, capping bars that stick up
  5. Pour and vibrate concrete
  6. Clean up tools and waste

PPE

Safety bootsHi-vis vestSafety helmetChemical-resistant glovesSafety glassesRigger glovesFace shieldEar defendersCut-resistant glovesSafety gogglesKnee pads

Plant and equipment

Excavator (360): CPCS or NPORS excavator cardConcrete pumpHand toolsAngle grinder (disc cutter)

Permits and plans

Permit to dig

Emergency

Call 999. Add the nearest A&E, the assembly point and the first aider for your site.

Sign-off

Supervisor and every worker sign to confirm they have read and understood this RAMS.

Free RAMS template for concrete footings

Word (.docx) and PDF, A4 landscape, no email needed. Fill in your site details, then print or send it.

Word template (.docx)PDF template

Make yours in 2 minutes

Same document, filled in for your job. Answer a few yes or no questions, the crew signs on the phone, and you send the PDF.

Start this RAMS

Pre-start checklist for concrete footings

Tick these off before work starts. They come from the hazards, permits and equipment in this job.

The safe sequence of work

  1. Locate underground services before excavating
  2. Dig footings, keeping people out of the excavator swing
  3. Cover or barricade open footings
  4. Cut and tie rebar, capping bars that stick up
  5. Pour and vibrate concrete
  6. Clean up tools and waste

Hazards to watch on concrete footings

The hazards most specific to this job, and the step where each one comes up.

Step 4Impalement on rebarA worker falls or trips onto exposed rebar or starter bars and is impaled or badly cut.
Step 2Trench or excavation collapseThe trench walls cave in and bury or crush a worker. Any excavation can collapse, however shallow. Sides must be supported or battered back wherever a collapse could hurt someone.
Step 4Angle grinder injuriesThe disc shatters, binds or kicks back, causing deep cuts to legs and hands or eye injuries.
Step 5Wet concrete and cement burnsWet concrete, mortar and cement burn skin and eyes. Burns can be deep and are often not felt until later.
Step 1Gas and fuel linesDamaging or opening a gas or fuel line causes a leak, fire or explosion.
Step 5Hand-arm and whole-body vibrationLong periods on jackhammers, grinders, compactors or riding plant cause white finger, numbness and back damage.
Very likelyLikelyPossibleUnlikelyVery unlikelyHow bad it could be: Negligible to FatalBA
Highest risk on concrete footings: Very high before controls (B), down to Medium after controls (A), on the United Kingdom 5 by 5 risk matrix (possible and fatal becomes unlikely and major injury).

What changes on your site

This example covers the job itself. Your site may add more. Add controls for any of these that apply (the builder asks you these as yes or no questions):

  • Will anyone work at height, anywhere a fall could hurt them?
  • Will anyone use a ladder or stepladder?
  • Will anyone work on a roof?
  • Is there a fragile roof, skylight or clear roof sheet?
  • Will you use a scaffold or mobile tower?

Licences and legal requirements in United Kingdom

Equipment on this job that needs a licence, ticket or training:

  • Excavator (360): CPCS or NPORS excavator card

Employers must assess the risks of their work and record the significant findings (required where you employ 5 or more people). On CDM projects, contractors give their RAMS to the principal contractor before starting, and brief the workers on it.

Rules that apply: HSE HSG47 Avoiding danger from underground services; Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998; CDM Regulations 2015 and PUWER 1998; CDM Regulations 2015, regulation 22 (excavations); Work at Height Regulations 2005; CDM Regulations 2015; Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992; Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005; Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005.

Why RAMS get rejected

Principal contractors send documents back for these reasons. This example avoids them, but check yours too.

  • The method statement is only a list of headings that repeats the risk table and never says how the work is done.
  • The method sequence does not match the risk assessment, for example the method strips the roof before the scaffold is handed over.
  • Residual risk is still High after controls with no extra measures or explanation.
  • It reads as copied: another firm, another address, or wording that does not fit UK sites. HSE warns that copying an example and adding your name does not satisfy the law.
  • Work on an older building with no reference to an asbestos survey.
  • Plant and access equipment listed with no inspection, thorough examination or competence evidence.
  • No briefing record, no revision history, or no named supervisor.

Questions

Do I need RAMS for concrete footings?

You must assess the risks of concrete footings and record the significant findings if you employ 5 or more people. On CDM sites the principal contractor will ask for RAMS before you start.

Who signs the RAMS?

The person who wrote it and the person who approved it sign and date it. Every worker signs the briefing register after it is explained to them, and the principal contractor reviews and accepts it before you start.

How long do I keep it?

Keep this RAMS, every revision and the signed briefing register with the site file for the length of the job, and keep a copy in your records afterwards.

What PPE is needed for concrete footings?

Usually Safety boots, Hi-vis vest, Safety helmet, Chemical-resistant gloves, Safety glasses, Rigger gloves, Face shield, Ear defenders, Cut-resistant gloves, Safety goggles, Knee pads. The site rules may add more, so check with the principal contractor.

More concreting RAMS

RAMSConcrete Slab Pour9 stepsRAMSConcrete Driveway6 stepsRAMSFormwork9 stepsRAMSConcrete Cutting8 stepsRAMSFloor Grinding5 stepsRAMSPrecast Concrete Installation6 steps

Related jobs in other trades

DemolitionSoft StripAlso involves gas and fuel linesBricklayingBrickworkAlso involves impalement on rebarRoofingRe-RoofingAlso involves public entering the work areaScaffoldingScaffold ErectionAlso involves public entering the work area

Toolbox talks for this job

Toolbox talkOverhead Power LinesToolbox talkHearing Protection and NoiseToolbox talkHand-Arm VibrationToolbox talkExcavation and Trench Safety

Blank RAMS template: free RAMS templates. Also for other countries: Australia (SWMS) · United States (JHA) · Canada (FLHA)

Sources