UK construction-safety guidance by the Riskora Editorial Team
Producing a proper method statement for piling work is not optional — it is a legal and practical requirement for construction work in the UK. Whether you are a sole trader or managing a multi-phase project, documented risk management protects your workers, satisfies clients, and keeps you on the right side of HSE enforcement.
Example Method Statement
Method Statement for Piling Work
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A method statement for piling work is expected by most principal contractors and clients as part of the RAMS package for construction projects. While not always a strict legal requirement, failure to provide one often results in denied site access.
A construction contractor in UK needs to produce a method statement for piling work before starting work next week. The client has requested professional documentation as a condition of site access. Using Riskora, they select the relevant trade preset, review pre-populated hazards, adjust controls for their specific site, and generate a professional method statement in under 5 minutes — ready for review and sign-off.
CDM 2015 requires the work to be planned so it can be carried out without risk, and for piling that planning is specific and technical: BR470 for the platform design, LOLER 1998 for every lift of a cage, segment or hammer, and the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 for the percussive elements. Where the works affect neighbours, a Section 61 prior consent under the Control of Pollution Act 1974 may also be needed.
CDM Regulations 2015 · SI 2015/51
HSE
Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 · SI 1998/2307
HSE
Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 · SI 2005/1643
HSE
Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 · SI 1998/2306
HSE
Piling documentation stands or falls on the working platform. A rig that overturns has almost always tracked onto a platform nobody certified, and the Working Platform Certificate is the first document a principal contractor asks to see — usually before the method statement. Documentation that omits it reads as if the writer has never stood next to a rig.
| Hazard | Control measure |
|---|---|
| Rig instability or overturning on an inadequate working platform | Working platform designed to BR470, constructed and certified with a Working Platform Certificate signed before the rig tracks on, and re-inspected after heavy rain or any change in loading. |
| Contact with overhead power lines during mast raising | Overhead lines identified, exclusion zones and goalposts to GS6, mast height checked against clearance before every set-up, and diversion or shutdown agreed with the DNO where clearance cannot be maintained. |
| Falling objects and dropped attachments in the rig operating radius | Exclusion zone maintained around the rig at all times with only the banksman inside, pinned and secured attachments, and no one permitted under a suspended cage, auger or hammer. |
| Lifting reinforcement cages and pile segments | Lift plan by an Appointed Person, certified accessories inspected before use, tag lines rather than hands for control, and slinging by a trained slinger-signaller. |
| Noise and ground-borne vibration affecting operatives and neighbours | Noise exposure assessed against the 80 dB(A) lower and 85 dB(A) upper action values, hearing protection zones signed, and a Section 61 prior consent obtained where required by the local authority. |
| Arisings, spoil and wet concrete around the pile position | Bunded arisings area, covered and secured pile bores, immediate capping of completed bores, and skin protection for wet concrete handling. |
It is the written confirmation that the platform the rig will track on has been designed to BR470, constructed to that design and is fit to carry the rig. It is signed by the principal contractor or the party that constructed the platform, and it is required before the rig arrives, not after.
Yes, for every lift of a reinforcement cage, pile segment, hammer or auger. LOLER 1998 requires lifting operations to be properly planned by a competent person — in practice an Appointed Person — appropriately supervised and carried out safely.
Where the works are likely to cause a noise nuisance and the local authority operates prior consent under the Control of Pollution Act 1974. Applying for it in advance is normally preferable to receiving a Section 60 notice mid-programme, and the consent conditions should be reflected in the method statement's working hours.
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All documents should be reviewed by a competent person before use on site.
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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.