Method Statement for Excavation Near Utilities — UK

UK construction-safety guidance by the Riskora Editorial Team

Excavating near underground services demands a precise, step-by-step method statement that every operative can follow. There is no room for improvisation when a high-pressure gas main or live electrical cable is within metres of your bucket. This document must describe exactly how the excavation will be carried out safely — from initial survey through to backfill.

Under 5 minutesNo training requiredPDF downloadBuilt for UK contractors

Example Method Statement

Method Statement for Excavation Near Utilities — UK

  • Pre-start utility survey procedure (desk study, CAT & Genny, trial holes)
  • Service marking-out and identification on site
  • Excavation sequence — starting point, direction, depth increments
  • Hand-dig procedure within safe distances of identified services
Create a excavation near utilities method statement free

No card required · 1 lifetime safety document · Upgrade when you need more

RAMS Generator UKRisk Assessment ToolMethod Statement BuilderFree Safety Document Builder

When This Document Is Required

A method statement for excavation near utilities is expected by principal contractors, utility companies and highway authorities as part of the RAMS package before any ground is broken. HSG47 (Avoiding danger from underground services) sets the standard: plans, detection equipment and safe digging practice used together, never as alternatives. Regulation 22 of CDM 2015 adds the duty to prevent collapse and prevent people, plant or materials falling in, plus inspection by a competent person at the start of every shift. Where the dig is in the public highway, NRSWA permitting and the relevant streetworks conditions apply, and the utility owner will usually require sight of the method statement before granting consent to work near their apparatus. If the trench exceeds 1.2 m, or the ground is made ground or near a landfill, the Confined Spaces Regulations 1997 and gas monitoring arrangements come into scope as well.

What Must Be Included

  • Pre-start utility survey procedure (desk study, CAT & Genny, trial holes)
  • Service marking-out and identification on site
  • Excavation sequence — starting point, direction, depth increments
  • Hand-dig procedure within safe distances of identified services
  • Mechanical excavation restrictions and safe working distances
  • Backfill and reinstatement procedures around services
  • Temporary support for exposed services
  • Plant and equipment requirements with operator competency
  • Supervision and monitoring arrangements
  • Service strike emergency response procedure
  • Safe digging distances taken from HSG47 and the utility owner's own conditions
  • Insulated hand tools and non-toothed bucket requirements within the safe distance
  • Excavation inspection regime and record (start of every shift, and after any fall of material)
  • Gas monitoring and rescue arrangements where the dig exceeds 1.2 m or is in made ground

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Not starting with trial holes to confirm actual service positions before main excavation
  • Failing to mark service positions clearly and visibly on the ground
  • Using toothed buckets within safe distances of services
  • Not providing temporary support for exposed services during excavation
  • Backfilling around services without proper protection or surround material
  • Not having the service strike emergency procedure clearly displayed on site
  • Relying on a CAT & Genny scan taken days earlier instead of immediately before and during the dig
  • No inspection record for the excavation, so CDM 2015 reg. 22 cannot be evidenced
  • Treating a 1.5 m trench as an open excavation with no gas monitoring or rescue plan

Example Scenario

A drainage contractor in Birmingham is installing a new foul sewer connection that crosses beneath an existing gas main and alongside a fibre optic route. The utility company requires a method statement before approving a crossing agreement. Using Riskora, the site engineer generates a method statement covering trial hole procedures, hand-dig zones, mechanical restrictions, temporary support for the gas main during crossing, and backfill specifications — submitted for utility company review within the hour.

Create Your Method Statement in Minutes

Select your trade, pick your hazards, and generate a structured document — no training required.

Create a excavation near utilities method statement free

No card required · 1 lifetime safety document · Paid tiers add branding, sign-off and audit trails

Or learn more about the platform: See plans and one-off options →

Related Resources

Built for real job scenarios · Designed for UK contractors and competent-person review

All documents should be reviewed by a competent person before use on site.

Free safety-document builder

Create a excavation near utilities method statement free — preview before sign-up

Generate a preview first. Sign up only when you want to save, edit or export.

Create a excavation near utilities method statement freeAlready have a RAMS? Upload and rebuild it

Final RAMS must be reviewed and approved by a competent person before use.

Riskora is an assistive document preparation tool. All documents generated must be reviewed, verified, and approved by a competent person before use on site. Riskora does not replace professional safety judgment, and no output should be treated as a legal compliance guarantee.