Method Statement for Excavation Works — UK
Free UK excavation method statement template, aligned with HSE HSG47 (Avoiding danger from underground services), CIRIA C760 (Guidance on embedded retaining wall design) and CDM 2015. Includes services search, shoring and exclusion-zone controls.
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
- Excavation 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.
Excavation collapses kill several UK workers every year — most in trenches under 2 m deep, the depth most operatives wrongly assume is 'safe'. A cubic metre of soil weighs ~1.8 tonnes; even a partial wall collapse can asphyxiate a worker in seconds. The HSE's HSG185 (Health and safety in excavations) is unambiguous: 'No excavation should be entered until adequate support has been provided.' A defensible excavation method statement names the depth, the ground type, the support method, the access/egress, the proximity to existing services, and the spoil management — and never assumes a trench is 'shallow enough not to need shoring'.
When is it required?
CDM 2015 reg. 22 requires every excavation to be supported, battered or otherwise made safe to prevent danger. A written method statement is required for any excavation that could endanger anyone — in practice, every excavation on a CDM project, and any excavation deeper than 1.2 m or within 3 m of existing services or structures. The HSG47 services search (utility records + CAT-and-genny scan + trial holes) must be documented before any breaking of ground. Where the excavation forms part of permanent works (e.g. piled-wall design), the temporary works engineer's calculations must be appended.
What a good one looks like
A strong excavation MS opens with the services search evidence (utility responses, CAT-and-genny logs, trial-hole photos) and the ground investigation summary (made ground? cohesive? non-cohesive? water table?). It specifies the support method (trench box, hydraulic struts, sheet piles, battered sides at a defined angle), the maximum unsupported depth, the access/egress arrangement (ladder every 25 m, secured top and bottom), the exclusion zone for the excavator and the spoil distance (min 0.5 m clear of the edge). It names a banksman, defines the daily inspection regime (CDM reg. 22 — start of shift, after any event likely to affect stability, in writing), and includes a rescue plan for buried-person scenarios.
Excavation hazards & controls
The site-specific hazards a excavation MS must address, with the controls that take residual risk to an acceptable level.
| Hazard | Persons at risk | Controls | Residual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trench collapse / wall failure | Operatives in trench | Trench box / hydraulic shoring for any depth in unstable ground; battered sides at angle of repose for stable ground; daily inspection per CDM reg. 22; max unsupported depth 1.2 m in cohesive ground only | Low |
| Services strike (cable, gas, water) | Operatives, public | HSG47 search: utility records + CAT-and-genny + trial holes; permit-to-dig; hand-dig within 500 mm of any located service; service plans on site daily | Low |
| Excavator / plant strike (slewing arc) | Operatives, banksman | Banksman with continuous radio contact; defined exclusion zone marked with barriers; no operatives in the slewing arc; CPCS-certified operator only | Low |
| Falls into excavation | Operatives, public | Edge protection (Heras + scaffold handrails) on any excavation accessible to public; warning tape & lighting for night; secure ladders for access | Low |
| Water ingress / flooding | Operatives in trench | Sump + pump where water table is high; stop work and evacuate if pump cannot keep pace; weather forecast checked before any rainfall-sensitive work | Medium |
| Spoil instability / re-collapse from edge | Operatives in trench | Spoil minimum 0.5m back from edge; loose material removed not stockpiled at top; vibration from passing plant assessed in soft ground | Low |
| Atmospheric hazards (deep excavation, contaminated land) | Operatives | Atmospheric testing on any excavation >1.5m on contaminated land or with potential biogas; forced ventilation; entry as confined space if O₂ <19.5% or LEL >10% | Medium |
| Adjacent structure undermining | Operatives, building users | Temporary works design where excavation is within 3m of any structure; settlement monitoring; engineer sign-off of sequence | Low |
Step-by-step sequence
- 1
1. HSG47 services search
Utility plans obtained from all known providers; CAT-and-genny scan; trial holes by hand at 1.5 m intervals across the line of excavation; results recorded on a marked-up drawing.
- 2
2. Permit-to-dig
Issued by a competent person daily for the day's specific dig. Permit names the depth, the support, the banksman, the operator, and the inspections required.
- 3
3. Support installation
Trench box, hydraulic struts or battered sides installed per the temporary works design before any operative enters. Sheet piles where required.
- 4
4. Excavation in defined panels
Excavator works in defined panels, with banksman in continuous contact. Spoil to designated stockpile area, min 0.5 m from edge.
- 5
5. Access & egress
Secured ladder at max 25m intervals, extending 1m above edge. No operative enters until support is installed and inspected.
- 6
6. Daily inspection
Start of shift, after any event likely to affect stability (rain, plant impact, etc.), and recorded in writing on the F10/CDM register.
- 7
7. Backfill & make-good
Backfill in 300 mm layers compacted to spec. Reinstatement to spec (HAUC SROH for highways).
- 8
8. As-built records & handover
Marked-up drawing of as-built service positions for the project record. CCTV survey of any drainage. Permit register closed out.
Real example — 80m foul drainage trench, 1.6m deep, in made ground (Leeds)
A groundworks contractor in Leeds is installing 80 m of new 225 mm foul drainage at 1.6 m depth across the rear yard of a manufacturing site. The HSG47 search returns a live 11 kV cable running roughly parallel and a redundant cast-iron water main; trial holes confirm both, and a third unrecorded BT duct. The MS names a Mabey-style hydraulic trench box (LH 60 series, rated for 2 m depth in made ground), installed by the excavator before any operative enters; the operator (CPCS A60, named); a dedicated banksman with radio; the exclusion zone (the excavator's full slewing arc, marked with Heras); the spoil distance (1 m back from the edge, loaded straight to a dumper for stockpile off the trench-side); and the access (one ladder every 25 m, secured top and bottom). The dig advances in 6 m panels — excavate, install box, lay pipe, backfill 300 mm at a time. Daily inspection is recorded on a CDM register signed by the site engineer. The MS includes a written rescue plan for a buried operative (911 / breathing protection / mechanical removal sequence with a second trench box at the casualty's head) and a stop-work threshold for rainfall (10 mm/hour). The PC accepted it without comment.
Or build a site-specific excavation MS in 5 minutes
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Common mistakes that get a excavation MS rejected
- ·Assuming a 1m trench is too shallow to need shoring (collapses below 2m kill most years)
- ·No trial holes — relying only on plans (which are often wrong by metres)
- ·Spoil within 0.5 m of the edge — adding several tonnes of surcharge to an already-loaded wall
- ·No daily inspection record (CDM reg. 22 is explicit — it must be in writing)
- ·Treating contaminated-land excavations as routine without atmospheric testing
- ·Open excavation left unprotected at end of shift
Frequently asked questions
How deep does a trench need to be before it needs shoring?
There is no fixed depth threshold. CDM 2015 reg. 22 and HSG185 require the support to match the ground — many fatal collapses are at depths under 1.5 m in made ground. Any cohesionless, made or saturated ground needs support from the moment a person enters.
What is a HSG47 search?
The HSE's standard sequence for avoiding underground service strikes: (1) get the utility plans, (2) scan with a CAT-and-genny, (3) hand-dig trial holes to expose the services. All three steps must be done — plans alone are not enough.
Who can sign off the temporary works design for a trench box?
A competent temporary works coordinator (CITB TWC), supported by the equipment supplier's design for the specific depth and ground. Bespoke shoring requires a chartered engineer.
How often must an excavation be inspected?
CDM reg. 22: at the start of every shift, after any event likely to affect stability, and after any accidental fall of material. The result must be recorded in writing.
Is a permit-to-dig required on every site?
Best practice on any site with known buried services. Mandatory on most commercial sites and all utility-sensitive sites. The permit names the day, the depth, the equipment and the banksman, and it expires at end of shift.
What about Confined Space Regulations for excavations?
An excavation becomes a confined space when atmospheric conditions could endanger entrants (e.g. landfill gas, sewer gas, oxygen depletion). Atmospheric testing and forced ventilation are mandatory, and the work is permit-controlled under the Confined Spaces Regulations 1997.
Related method statements & RAMS
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