How to Write a Method Statement for Electrical Work

Why electrical method statements get rejected

If you've ever had a method statement sent back by a principal contractor or CDM coordinator, it's usually for the same reasons: too vague, missing the isolation sequence, or no evidence that the people doing the work are actually qualified. Electrical work carries specific legal duties under the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, and a generic RAMS document copied from another job simply won't cut it.

This guide walks you through exactly what to include, in the right order, so your method statement satisfies the duty holder, the inspector and — most importantly — actually keeps your electricians safe.

When do you need a method statement for electrical work?

Not every socket swap needs a full method statement, but you do need one whenever the work involves:

• Work on or near live conductors (including proving dead)
• Installing or modifying a distribution board or consumer unit
• Temporary supplies on a construction site
• Work in hazardous areas — plant rooms, roof-mounted equipment, substations
• Any electrical task identified as a significant risk in your pre-construction phase plan

As a rule of thumb: if the task has a realistic potential to kill someone, write the method statement. Electrical work almost always meets that bar.

The sections every electrical method statement must include

1. Project and task description

Start with the basics: project name, site address, employer details, document reference number and revision date. Then describe the specific task — not just "electrical installation" but something like "installation of a new 63A single-phase distribution board in the ground-floor plant room and connection of six sub-circuits to the lighting and small power infrastructure."

The more specific you are here, the less likely it is that someone will misapply this document to a different job.

2. Scope and exclusions

Be explicit about what this method statement covers and what it doesn't. If a separate contractor is responsible for the HV switchgear, say so. Gaps in scope are where accidents happen.

3. Legislation and standards

Reference the relevant regulations so the reader knows you've approached this properly:

• Electricity at Work Regulations 1989
• BS 7671 (IET Wiring Regulations, current edition)
• Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
• CDM Regulations 2015 (where applicable)
• Any site-specific permit to work procedures

4. Personnel and competency

Name the operative or supervisor responsible for the work. List their qualifications — ECS card, JIB grading, AM2 certification or equivalent. If a competent person is required to supervise, name them and their role. Under the Electricity at Work Regulations, only competent persons should carry out electrical work, and your method statement needs to demonstrate that.

If you're using a subcontractor for part of the task, include their company details and confirm they hold relevant public liability insurance and any required registrations (e.g. NICEIC, NAPIT).

5. Plant, equipment and tools

List everything being used: test instruments (with calibration dates), insulated tools, voltage indicators, lock-off kits, PPE. Note any inspection requirements — for example, portable appliance testing (PAT) records for power tools being brought on site.

6. Isolation procedure — the most critical section

This is where most electrical method statements fall short. You must set out the full isolation and lock-off sequence, not just say "the supply will be isolated." A compliant sequence looks like this:

1. Identify the correct circuit at the distribution board using drawings and labelling
2. Switch off the circuit breaker or isolator
3. Apply a lock and personal danger tag — one lock per person working on the circuit
4. Prove dead using an approved voltage indicator, tested on a known live source before and after use (GS38 compliant)
5. Confirm absence of voltage at the point of work
6. Apply caution notices at the isolator and at the point of work

If live working cannot be avoided — and it almost always can be — you must apply the specific additional controls required under Regulation 14 of the Electricity at Work Regulations, including a separate risk assessment justifying why isolation is not reasonably practicable.

7. Sequence of work

Write out every step in the order they will happen. Don't describe the steps in generic terms — walk through the actual task. For a distribution board installation this might be:

1. Isolate and prove dead as above
2. Remove existing trunking covers and expose cable routes
3. Fix new board enclosure to wall using M8 fixings into masonry
4. Draw in sub-circuit cables from containment
5. Terminate cables to new MCBs — connections made dead
6. Complete circuit identification and labelling
7. Carry out insulation resistance and continuity tests
8. Reinstate covers and trunking
9. Remove lock-off equipment only after all personnel are clear
10. Re-energise and function test
11. Complete electrical installation certificate (EIC)

8. Risk assessment summary

Your method statement should reference or incorporate a risk assessment. At minimum, list the key hazards — electric shock, arc flash, fire from overheating, working in confined spaces, manual handling of heavy equipment — with the controls for each. A likelihood/severity matrix is not compulsory but helps demonstrate a systematic approach.

9. Environmental considerations

Note any environmental risks relevant to the site — working in wet conditions, proximity to water services, dust from chasing that could affect switchgear. State how these are controlled.

10. Emergency procedures

This section must be site-specific, not boilerplate. Include:

• What to do if someone receives an electric shock (do not touch — isolate first, then call 999)
• Location of the nearest first aider and defibrillator
• Site emergency contact numbers
• Location of the site assembly point
• Procedure for reporting incidents

11. Sign-off and review

The method statement should be signed by the person who prepared it and authorised by the responsible manager or supervisor. Include a version number and date. If the scope of work changes on site, the method statement must be reviewed and reissued — a common requirement that's just as commonly ignored.

Getting your electrical team to actually read it

A method statement only works if the people doing the job have read it before they start. Hold a short pre-start briefing, go through the isolation sequence and emergency procedures specifically, and get signatures on a briefing record. If anyone has questions or raises concerns at that point, the work should not start until those concerns are resolved.

A faster way to produce compliant method statements on site

If you're producing method statements regularly — across multiple projects or for different trades — the drafting process eats time. Safety Parrot lets you generate structured method statements and risk assessments in seconds using site photos and a few prompts, which you can then review, edit and issue. It's particularly useful when you're under pressure to get paperwork turned around quickly before a trade starts. Pay-as-you-go credits mean there's no subscription commitment.

A quick checklist before you submit

• Task described specifically, not generically
• Relevant legislation referenced
• Named competent persons with qualifications listed
• Full isolation and lock-off sequence included
• Sequence of work written step by step
• Hazards and controls covered in a risk assessment
• Emergency procedures are site-specific
• Document signed, dated and version-controlled
• Briefing record completed before work starts

Get these right and your electrical method statement will stand up to scrutiny — whether that's from a principal contractor's HSQE team, an HSE inspector or a coroner's court.