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Electrical · United Kingdom

Method statement for electrical fault finding

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

You must assess the risks of electrical fault finding 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 electric shock from live wiring, electric shock from leads and power tools, falling from a ladder and working in an occupied home or building.

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RAMS example: electrical fault finding

This is a complete RAMS for electrical fault finding, 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)
Electrical fault finding · Electrical · Example
Document RAMS-001 · Rev 1

Risk assessment

#ActivityHazardsWho might be harmedRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Talk to the client about the fault and keep people away from the consumer unit
  • Working in an occupied home or building
Residents, Children, Staff, WorkersMedium (9)
  • Plan noisy, dusty or risky work for when the building is empty. Eliminate
  • Close off the work area with barriers, plastic sheeting or locked doors, and put up signs. Isolate
  • Keep fire exits and paths clear at all times. Control (procedures)
  • Tell occupants before you turn off power, water or gas, and before noisy or dusty work. Control (procedures)
  • Lock away tools, chemicals and materials each day, out of reach of children. Control (procedures)
  • Clean up dust and debris at the end of each day. Control (procedures)
Low (3)
2Check the test meter on a known source before and after use
  • Electric shock from live wiring
Workers, OccupantsVery high (15)
  • Isolate the power before any work. Do not work live. Eliminate
  • Lock out and tag the isolation point with your own personal lock and danger tag. Isolate
  • Electric shock from live wiring: see step 3 for the full controls Control (procedures)
Medium (5)
3Do live testing only when it cannot be done dead, using insulated tools, mats and arc rated gear
  • Electric shock from live wiring
  • Stored energy
Workers, OccupantsVery high (15)
  • Isolate the power before any work. Do not work live. Eliminate
  • Lock out and tag the isolation point with your own personal lock and danger tag. Isolate
  • Prove dead at the point of work with an approved voltage indicator (GS38), and prove the tester before and after. Control (engineering)
  • Only competent, qualified electricians do electrical work, following a safe isolation procedure. Control (procedures)
  • Check for back feeds from solar, batteries and generators that can keep a circuit live after the main switch is off. Control (procedures)
  • If live work cannot be avoided, use a permit, a safety observer and insulated tools. Control (procedures)
  • Wear insulated gloves, arc-rated clothing and a face shield when testing or working near live parts. PPE
  • Release or block all stored energy before work: release the pressure in pipes, tanks and hoses, bleed hydraulics, release springs, lower loads. Eliminate
  • Lock out and tag all energy sources with personal locks. Isolate
  • Put mechanical blocks or props under raised parts like buckets, tipper bodies and doors. Control (engineering)
  • Test that the system is dead and nothing can move before you start. Control (procedures)
  • Follow the maker's procedure, for example for garage door and roller door springs. Control (procedures)
  • Wear safety glasses and gloves. PPE
Medium (5)
4Isolate the faulty circuit, lock off and label and prove dead before any repair
  • Electric shock from live wiring
Workers, OccupantsVery high (15)
  • Electric shock from live wiring: see step 3 for the full controls Control (procedures)
Medium (5)
5Repair or replace the faulty part
  • Electric shock from leads and power tools
  • Cuts from sharp edges
  • Falling from a ladder
WorkersHigh (12)
  • Use battery-powered tools where you can. Reduce / substitute
  • Use 110V tools through a centre-tapped transformer, or battery tools. Use an RCD on any 230V supply. Control (engineering)
  • Keep leads off the ground and out of water, using lead stands or hooks. Control (engineering)
  • Check leads, plugs and tools before every use. Tag out and remove anything damaged. Control (procedures)
  • Keep tools and leads inspected and PAT tested on a regular schedule. Control (procedures)
  • Do not use tools in rain or wet areas unless they are rated for it. Control (procedures)
  • Deburr or cover sharp edges, and fit edge protectors on exposed sheet metal. Control (engineering)
  • Use knives with retractable or self-retracting blades. Control (engineering)
  • Cut away from your body and keep your other hand clear. Control (procedures)
  • Put used blades in a blade bin or sharps container. Control (procedures)
  • Use two people to handle large sheets of metal or glass. Control (procedures)
  • Use a podium step, mobile tower or MEWP for longer jobs instead of a straight ladder. Reduce / substitute
  • Use EN 131 professional ladders in good condition. Remove any damaged ladder from site. Control (engineering)
  • Set extension ladders at a 4 to 1 angle on firm, level ground, tied or footed, and reaching 1 metre above the landing. Control (engineering)
  • Use ladders only for short, light work (about 30 minutes in one spot). Do not carry heavy or awkward loads up a ladder. Control (procedures)
  • Keep three points of contact and your belt buckle between the stiles. Do not overreach. Control (procedures)
Medium (8)
6Retest, restore power and record what was found
  • Electric shock from live wiring
  • Working alone
Workers, OccupantsVery high (15)
  • Electric shock from live wiring: see step 3 for the full controls Control (procedures)
  • Do not do high risk work alone: work at height, confined spaces, live electrical or trenches. Eliminate
  • Set a check-in system: call or text at set times, and someone follows up if there is no reply. Control (procedures)
  • Tell someone where you are working and when you expect to finish. Control (procedures)
  • Carry a charged phone. Use a personal alarm or GPS device where there is no signal. Control (procedures)
  • Keep a first aid kit on hand and know the site address for emergency services. Control (procedures)
Medium (5)

Method statement: sequence of work

  1. Talk to the client about the fault and keep people away from the consumer unit
  2. Check the test meter on a known source before and after use
  3. Do live testing only when it cannot be done dead, using insulated tools, mats and arc rated gear
  4. Isolate the faulty circuit, lock off and label and prove dead before any repair
  5. Repair or replace the faulty part
  6. Retest, restore power and record what was found

PPE

Safety bootsSafety glassesInsulated electrical glovesArc-rated clothing and face shieldFFP3 dust maskRigger glovesCut-resistant glovesSafety helmet

Plant and equipment

Electrical test equipment (multifunction tester)Hand toolsStepladder

Permits and plans

Permit to work (electrical isolation)

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 electrical fault finding

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 electrical fault finding

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

The safe sequence of work

  1. Talk to the client about the fault and keep people away from the consumer unit
  2. Check the test meter on a known source before and after use
  3. Do live testing only when it cannot be done dead, using insulated tools, mats and arc rated gear
  4. Isolate the faulty circuit, lock off and label and prove dead before any repair
  5. Repair or replace the faulty part
  6. Retest, restore power and record what was found

Hazards to watch on electrical fault finding

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

Step 6Working aloneA worker on their own is hurt or falls ill and nobody knows to help them.
Step 5Electric shock from leads and power toolsDamaged leads, plugs or tools, or water near power, give the user an electric shock.
Step 3Stored energyEnergy left in springs, hydraulics, compressed gas, raised loads or capacitors releases suddenly and crushes or injures workers.
Step 1Working in an occupied home or buildingResidents, staff or children wander into the work area and get hurt, or the work blocks exits or cuts off power or water while people are inside.
Step 5Falling from a ladderThe ladder slips or tips, or the worker overreaches, and they fall onto a hard surface.
Step 5Cuts from sharp edgesSheet metal, glass, blades, cable tray and offcuts cut hands and arms.
Very likelyLikelyPossibleUnlikelyVery unlikelyHow bad it could be: Negligible to FatalBA
Highest risk on electrical fault finding: 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 work on a roof?
  • Is there a fragile roof, skylight or clear roof sheet?
  • Will you use a scaffold or mobile tower?
  • Will you use a MEWP (scissor lift or cherry picker)?

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 electrical fault finding?

You must assess the risks of electrical fault finding 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 electrical fault finding?

Usually Safety boots, Safety glasses, Insulated electrical gloves, Arc-rated clothing and face shield, FFP3 dust mask, Rigger gloves, Cut-resistant gloves, Safety helmet. The site rules may add more, so check with the principal contractor.

More electrical RAMS

RAMSConsumer Unit Replacement10 stepsRAMSHouse Rewiring9 stepsRAMSSocket Installation5 stepsRAMSLighting Installation5 stepsRAMSEV Charger Installation6 stepsRAMSPAT Testing5 stepsRAMSSmoke Alarm Installation5 steps

Related jobs in other trades

DemolitionSoft StripAlso involves electric shock from live wiringScaffoldingScaffold ErectionAlso involves falling from a ladderRoofingRe-RoofingAlso involves cuts from sharp edgesBricklayingBrickworkAlso involves falling from a ladder

Toolbox talks for this job

Toolbox talkLadder SafetyToolbox talkWorking at HeightToolbox talkOverhead Power LinesToolbox talkExtension Leads and Power Tools

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

Sources