Method Statement for Brickwork — UK
A free, HSE-aligned method statement for UK brickwork — covering scaffold loading, manual handling, silica from cutting bricks and blocks, and the sign-off principal contractors actually look for.
UK (RAMS) example document — Two-Storey Rear Extension — 14 Birchwood Lane, Reading. Client: Mr & Mrs A. Whitfield (Private Client). Site: 14 Birchwood Lane, Reading, RG1 5JT. Scope: Construction of a two-storey rear extension (6.4m × 4.2m) to an existing semi-detached dwelling. Works comprise breaking out of existing rear elevation, trench-fill foundations to 1.0m, traditional cavity blockwork to first floor, pre-stressed concrete lintels, timber roof structure with natural slate finish, plus alterations to existing rear wall to form structural opening with rolled steel joist (RSJ 203×102 UB23). Works programmed over 9 weeks with a peak site team of 6 operatives. Hazards assessed: Manual handling — blocks, lintels, plasterboard, Working at height — independent scaffold & roof structure, Buried services strike during excavation, Collapse of excavation / trench wall, Hand-arm vibration (HAVS) — breaking out, drilling, Silica dust — cutting blocks, brick, concrete, Vehicle/pedestrian segregation — narrow domestic street.
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- Site-specific draft
- Brickwork hazards baked in
- Ready for competent-person review
Built around recognised UK method statement structure — hazards, controls, sequence, PPE and sign-off. Ready for competent-person review.
Brickwork sits at the intersection of three of the most heavily inspected risks on a UK site: working at height (the scaffold), manual handling (bricks and blocks average 2.5–18 kg), and respirable crystalline silica (from cutting and chasing). A weak brickwork method statement gets rejected by the principal contractor more often than almost any other trade, usually because it copies a generic 'masonry' template and never names the actual block, the actual lift heights, or the actual cutting method. This page shows what a competent brickwork method statement looks like in 2026 — sequence, hazards, controls and sign-off — and gives you a free editable template to start from.
When is it required?
Brickwork on any commercial UK site under CDM 2015 needs a written method statement before the bricklayers mobilise. Principal contractors typically demand it 5–10 working days before start, alongside the risk assessment, COSHH assessments for mortar admixtures and cleaning acids, scaffold handover certificates and CSCS card numbers. Domestic clients rarely ask, but if you employ five or more people you are still legally required (MHSWR 1999, reg. 5) to record the significant findings in writing — and any insurance claim after an incident will turn on whether the document existed before the work. PAS 8810:2016 (good practice for masonry work) is the trade-body reference point.
What a good one looks like
A strong brickwork method statement runs to 6–10 pages and names every specific used. It identifies the block (e.g. 'Thermalite Shield 100mm, 7.3kg'), the mortar designation (M4/M6), the scaffold contractor and TG20:21 design reference, the cutting equipment (e.g. 'Stihl TS500i with integrated water suppression, FFP3 RPE as backup'), and the lift heights at which the gangway is raised. It links each named hazard to a specific control and a residual-risk score, and it has a discrete section for mortar dermatitis (a more common claim than any acute injury on brickwork). It is signed by a competent person who has done the work, not by the office.
Brickwork hazards & controls
The site-specific hazards a brickwork MS must address, with the controls that take residual risk to an acceptable level.
| Hazard | Persons at risk | Controls | Residual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Falls from scaffold (lift heights 1.5m+) | Bricklayers, labourers | TG20:21-compliant scaffold with handover; daily pre-use check; double guardrail + toeboard at every lift; no work in winds >17 mph (Beaufort 5) | Low |
| Falling materials onto people below | Public, other trades | Brick guards on all lifts; debris netting; pedestrian fan/tunnel where overhang exists; banksman for material lifts | Low |
| Manual handling — bricks (3.3 kg) & dense blocks (up to 18 kg) | Bricklayers, labourers | Two-person lift for blocks >12kg; block grabs/lifters for high-density courses; carry distances <10m; daily HAVS-free rotation | Medium |
| Respirable crystalline silica from cutting bricks/blocks | Cutters, anyone within 5m | Wet-cut with integrated water (Stihl TS500i or equivalent); FFP3 RPE with face-fit certificate; cutting station >5m from active workers; no dry-cutting on site (zero-tolerance) | Low |
| Cement and mortar burns / dermatitis | All trowel users | Nitrile gloves, long sleeves; barrier cream pre-shift; wash stations within 25m; chromium-VI-reduced cement only; mortar pH spot-check on first delivery | Low |
| Hand-arm vibration from disc cutters & breakers | Cutters | Vibration register per tool; exposure points logged daily; rotation when 400 EAV points reached; anti-vibration gloves are NOT a control | Medium |
| Noise (cutters 100–110 dB) | Cutters, nearby workers | SNR 30+ ear defenders; hearing health surveillance for >85 dB(A) daily exposure; signage at cutting station | Low |
| Collapse of newly built walls (especially gables, parapets) | All in collapse zone | Max lift height 1.5m per day on single-leaf; props/banding to gables; no work on green walls in winds >25 mph; engineer-signed temporary works for parapet >1.2m | Low |
Step-by-step sequence
- 1
1. Mobilisation & briefing
Toolbox talk on this MS plus the scaffold handover certificate. All bricklayers sign the briefing register. CSCS cards photographed to the site file.
- 2
2. Materials delivery & stacking
Forklift offload to designated stacking area on stable, level ground. Max stack height 1.5m. Pallets banded. Mortar silo signed off by the supplier engineer before use.
- 3
3. Set-out & dpc course
Set out from grid lines provided by main contractor. First course on DPC, gauge rod calibrated, perp lines snapped.
- 4
4. Course-by-course build (max 1.5m/day)
Build to gauge rod; raise lifts only after scaffolder has raised guardrails. Block grabs used for any block >12kg. Mortar mixed on-site to BS EN 998-2.
- 5
5. Cutting operations
All cuts at the designated wet-cut station with FFP3 RPE. Off-cuts collected in IBC for daily removal. No dry-cutting under any circumstances.
- 6
6. Inspection & pointing
Visual inspection after every lift by chargehand. Pointing struck while mortar is thumb-firm. Faulty work cut out, not patched.
- 7
7. Clean-down & handover
Acid wash (where specified) using diluted brick acid, PPE per COSHH sheet. Final inspection signed by site manager. RAMS, scaffold handover and COSHH sheets bundled to the O&M file.
Real example — 220m² single-leaf gable wall, two-storey new build (Reading)
A Reading-based subcontractor is building the rear gable of a two-storey detached new build for a regional housebuilder. The block is 100mm Thermalite Shield (7.3 kg) on the inner leaf and 65mm engineering brick (2.7 kg) on the outer. A scaffolder has handed over a 7-day TG20:21 scaffold with 1.5m lifts. The MS names: the supervisor (Mark, 12 years' experience, SMSTS), four bricklayers (CSCS Gold + NVQ Level 2), one labourer (CSCS Green), the scaffold contractor and handover ref, the mortar designation (M6, chromium-reduced), the cutting equipment (Stihl TS500i with water suppression at a station 8m from the wall), and the daily build limit (1.5m per day on the gable, dropping to 1.0m if temperatures fall below 4°C). Hazards are scored before and after controls. The example walks each lift through the build, names the inspection points, and includes a one-page emergency procedure for a worker found unconscious on the scaffold (the rescue gap is the most-often-missed item). The PC accepted it without amendments at first submission.
Or build a site-specific brickwork MS in 5 minutes
The free template is a blank Word document. The Riskora builder ships with the brickwork hazard library baked in — pick the preset, edit the site-specific bits, download a signed PDF.
Common mistakes that get a brickwork MS rejected
- ·Reusing last project's 'masonry' method statement without changing the block weight, the scaffold contractor or the cutting equipment
- ·Naming dry-cutting as a 'last resort' instead of banning it outright (HSE will treat that as a failure)
- ·Forgetting mortar dermatitis — it's the single most common occupational health claim on brickwork
- ·Not specifying daily lift height (1.5 m on single-leaf, 1.0 m on green walls in cold weather)
- ·Missing the scaffold handover certificate from the supporting documents
- ·Generic working-at-height clauses that don't reference the actual scaffold design (TG20:21 compliant or bespoke design)
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a separate method statement for brickwork if I already have a site-wide RAMS?
Yes — the site-wide RAMS covers shared logistics, welfare and emergency arrangements. Your brickwork MS covers the trade-specific sequence, the scaffold lifts, the cutting controls and the mortar COSHH. Most PCs will reject a brickwork submission that just points back to the site RAMS.
What scaffold standard should the brickwork MS reference?
TG20:21 is the current NASC standard for tube-and-fitting scaffolds. System scaffolds are usually built to the manufacturer's user guide. Reference the actual handover certificate by date and inspector name.
Can I dry-cut bricks if I'm only doing one or two cuts?
Best practice is no. The HSE expects on-tool water suppression or LEV on every cut. Even a single dry cut releases respirable silica at levels that exceed the 0.1 mg/m³ workplace exposure limit. Wet-cutting is the only defensible position in 2026.
Who signs off the brickwork method statement?
A competent person — typically the gang foreman or supervisor with SMSTS or SSSTS, who has actually done brickwork. Office sign-off is treated as a red flag by both PCs and the HSE.
How long does a method statement for brickwork take to write?
From scratch in Word: 4–8 hours, plus revisions. Starting from our free template: 30–60 minutes. Using the Riskora structured builder with the brickwork preset: 5–10 minutes, with the hazard library and scoring already populated.
Is brickwork notifiable under CDM 2015?
The work is not separately notifiable; the project is, if it lasts >30 working days with >20 workers at any time, or >500 person-days total. Your MS is part of the construction phase plan either way.
References & further reading
Related method statements & RAMS
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Riskora is an assistive document preparation tool. Every method statement must be reviewed and signed by a competent person before use.