Method Statement for Electrical Work — UK
Free UK electrical method statement template, aligned with the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, BS 7671:2018+A2:2022 (18th Edition Amendment 2) and the HSE Safe Isolation Procedure (SfI).
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
- Electrical Work 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.
The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 reg. 14 sets the strictest principle in UK occupational law: 'No person shall be engaged in any work activity on or so near any live conductor … that danger may arise unless (a) it is unreasonable in all the circumstances for it to be dead.' The default is dead working. A defensible electrical method statement names the isolation method, the lock-off-tag-out (LOTO) sequence, the proving dead (HSE GS38 voltage indicator), and only then — if live working is genuinely justified — names the live-working risk assessment and PPE. Anything less is non-compliant.
When is it required?
A written MS is required for any electrical installation, maintenance or test work under EAWR 1989 and CDM 2015. NICEIC, NAPIT and SELECT (Scotland) require their members to issue a method statement and risk assessment for any non-trivial electrical work. For live working, a separate live-working justification document (LWJD) is required, signed by a senior competent person, naming why dead working is impracticable. BS 7671 is the technical standard for the installation; the MS is the safety document for the people doing it.
What a good one looks like
A defensible electrical MS names the operative's competence (City & Guilds 2391/2/3, JIB Approved Electrician, ECS card class), the isolation point (e.g. 'MCCB DB-3 way 12, locked with personal padlock'), the test equipment (e.g. 'Megger DCM340 voltage indicator and proving unit, calibrated 2026-03-14') and the safe isolation sequence (Test → Isolate → Lock → Tag → Prove dead → Prove the voltage indicator still works → Begin work). It includes a defined sign-off sequence on completion (Reverse: Restore → Test → Energise → Verify → Hand over with EIC) and arrangements for the second person where work is in a high-risk environment. Live-working clauses are only present if a LWJD has been completed.
Electrical Work hazards & controls
The site-specific hazards a electrical MS must address, with the controls that take residual risk to an acceptable level.
| Hazard | Persons at risk | Controls | Residual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electric shock from inadvertent contact | Electrician, others nearby | Safe isolation per HSE Electrical Safety Procedure; LOTO with personal padlock; proving dead with GS38 voltage indicator; proving the indicator works before and after; second person where required | Low |
| Arc flash during switching | Electrician, anyone within arc zone | Arc-rated PPE (face shield + flame-retardant overalls) for any switching on industrial supplies; switching from side of cabinet (not in front); coordinated by senior competent person | Low |
| Inadvertent re-energisation | Electrician | Personal padlock + tag with name + date; single-key system; multi-lock hasp where multiple trades affected; key held by working operative only | Low |
| Working at height (DB / ceiling-level cabling) | Electrician | Tower scaffold or MEWP for >2m work; no ladder for work; competence card (PASMA / IPAF) named | Low |
| Manual handling - cable drums (50-500+ kg) | Cable pullers, labourers | Mechanical drum stand; pulling winch for runs >25m; no manual lift of drums >25kg without mechanical aid | Medium |
| Fire from arc / overheated cable | All on site | Hot works permit for any soldering or torching; CO₂ extinguisher within 5m of switching; no flammable storage near LV switchgear; cable sizing per BS 7671 to avoid overheating | Low |
| Asbestos in older switchgear / boards | Electrician, other trades | Pre-2000 boards treated as potentially containing asbestos until R&D survey confirms; UKATA awareness for all operatives; specialist removal if found | Low |
| Confined space (cable pits, ducts) | Electrician entering | Permit-to-enter; atmospheric test; forced ventilation; standby man; rescue equipment per Confined Spaces Regs 1997 | Low |
Step-by-step sequence
- 1
1. Permit-to-work / isolation request
Liaise with duty-holder; obtain permit-to-work or isolation request; circuit identified and verified against schedule.
- 2
2. Safe isolation (Test → Isolate → Lock → Tag → Prove → Re-prove)
Test the voltage indicator on a known live source; isolate at the named isolator; lock with personal padlock; tag with name + date + circuit; prove dead at point of work; re-prove the indicator on a known live source.
- 3
3. Work activity
Carry out installation / maintenance / fault-find per BS 7671 and the design drawings. Materials handled per manual-handling controls; cable pulling with winch where appropriate.
- 4
4. Testing & inspection
Test per BS 7671 Part 6: continuity, insulation resistance, polarity, earth fault loop, RCD operation. Results entered on EIC/MEIWC.
- 5
5. Re-energisation
Remove lock and tag (key holder only); re-energise at named isolator; verify supply present at point of work; verify under-load operation.
- 6
6. Handover
EIC or MEIWC issued to duty-holder; circuit schedule updated; warning notices fitted (RCD test, distribution board); residual risks briefed to occupier.
- 7
7. Live working (only if LWJD signed)
Separate live-working risk assessment; arc-rated PPE; insulated tools; second competent person present; rescue plan; documented in the works pack.
- 8
8. Records
All certificates, test results and LWJDs retained for 6 years (or duration of installation). Lock-off keys returned to register.
Real example — DB replacement, occupied office (Reading)
A NICEIC-approved contractor in Reading is replacing a 1990s 12-way TPN distribution board with a new 18-way TPN board in an occupied office. The MS names the operative (JIB Approved Electrician, ECS Gold, C&G 2391 valid 2027), the duty-holder (the office facilities manager) and the second person (also an Approved Electrician). Pre-start: an out-of-hours shutdown agreed for 18:00 Friday — Sunday 18:00. Safe isolation sequence: incoming MCCB located in the riser cupboard; the voltage indicator (Megger DCM340, calibrated 2026-03-14) is proved against a known live socket; incoming MCCB switched off; personal padlock + tag fitted; circuit at the DB proved dead with the indicator; the indicator re-proved against the known live source. The old DB is removed; the new DB fitted; circuits re-terminated to the schedule (verified live-to-live with continuity tester); ferrules and circuit identification labels fitted. Testing per BS 7671 Part 6: continuity (R1+R2), insulation resistance to 500V DC (>1 MΩ each circuit), polarity, earth fault loop impedance, RCD test (5In/100ms). Results entered on the EIC. Re-energisation: padlock removed (key holder only), MCCB switched on, supply verified, under-load operation tested with cleaners' equipment on Sunday evening. Hand-over to facilities Monday 07:30 with EIC, updated schedule and RCD-test notice fitted. MS runs to 12 pages with the test certificate template appended.
Or build a site-specific electrical MS in 5 minutes
The free template is a blank Word document. The Riskora builder ships with the electrical hazard library baked in — pick the preset, edit the site-specific bits, download a signed PDF.
Common mistakes that get a electrical MS rejected
- ·'Isolate, check with screwdriver, work' — without a GS38-compliant indicator + proving unit
- ·No personal padlock — relying on a sticker or another trade's lock
- ·Live working with no LWJD signed by a senior competent person
- ·Voltage indicator not proved on a known live source before and after
- ·Older switchgear opened without an R&D asbestos survey
- ·Test results not recorded on an EIC / MEIWC — installation handed over with no certificate
Frequently asked questions
Can I work live on UK electrical systems?
Only if you have a signed live working justification document (LWJD) explaining why dead working is impracticable, signed by a senior competent person. EAWR 1989 reg. 14 sets dead working as the default; live working is the exception, not the rule.
What is 'safe isolation' in the HSE procedure?
Test the voltage indicator on a known live source → isolate at the named isolator → lock with a personal padlock → tag → prove the circuit is dead at the point of work → prove the voltage indicator still works on a known live source. All six steps, in that order, every time.
Who is a 'competent person' for electrical work?
Defined in EAWR 1989: someone with adequate technical knowledge, training and experience for the specific work, including knowledge of the hazards and the precautions. In practice, JIB Approved Electrician / ECS Gold / C&G 2391 for testing — but always specific to the work in front of them.
Do I need a second person?
Required where the risk assessment identifies that one cannot safely work alone — typically live working, work at height, confined space entry, isolation of complex switchgear. The MS must name the second person and their role.
What's the difference between an EIC and a MEIWC?
An EIC (Electrical Installation Certificate) is issued for any new installation or major alteration. A MEIWC (Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate) is for minor work — e.g. adding a single socket — that does not introduce a new circuit.
How long must electrical certificates be retained?
For the life of the installation, ideally — and certainly long enough to cover any periodic inspection (typically 5 years for commercial). Contractors retain a copy for at least 6 years (Limitation Act 1980) for any potential claim.
Related method statements & RAMS
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