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    All templatesConstruction · 3 pages · Updated 20 October 2026

    Task Method Statement Template (Daily SWMS)

    PDF ExcelFree, no email

    Three-page method statement for one task on one day on a construction or similar site: task, location and shift; who does it and who supervises; the steps in order with the hazards and the controls, highest control first; plant and materials; permits and isolations by reference; competence checked; emergency arrangements and a rescue plan; coordination with other trades; a stop-work rule; a briefing record each worker signs; and a review at the end of the task. The same document is called a method statement, a safe work method statement (SWMS), a safe work procedure or a task risk assessment, and the names and the work that needs one vary by country and employer. It is not the job safety analysis worksheet, a permit to work, a toolbox talk or a contractor induction record, and it does not say that your task needs a method statement.

    What's inside

    Page 1: the task, the people and the steps

    1. Task and day: task title, method statement reference and revision, project and site, principal or main contractor, location of the task, date and shift, who prepared it, the supervisor in charge for the shift, the task lead, the related risk assessment or JSA reference, the drawings and maker's instructions relied on, and a tick list of the high-risk features of the task (work at height, confined or restricted space, lifting, excavation, energised services, hot work, plant and vehicles, hazardous substances, demolition)
    2. Who is doing the task, and who supervises: name, employer, role on this task, and a column for anyone new, young or in training and who supervises them
    3. Steps in order, hazards and controls: each step, the hazards, the controls with the highest control written first, a control-type code (E eliminate, S substitute, C control at source or isolate, A administrative, P protective equipment) and who puts the control in place; one example row

    Page 2: what the task relies on

    1. Plant, equipment and materials: each item, checked before use, inspection tag or certificate, operator and authorisation, plus hazardous substances and loads
    2. Permits and isolations needed: reference only: type, reference number, issued by, validity and the condition that changes the method
    3. Competence and training checked: what was sighted and by whom, and what anyone not yet competent will do and who is with them
    4. Emergency arrangements: nearest first aider and kit, muster point, how an alarm is raised from the task, where emergency services are met and a rescue plan
    5. Coordination with other trades: who works nearby, the shared risk or clash and what was agreed

    Page 3: stopping, briefing and review

    1. Stop-work rule: a short statement anyone can use, the stop-work contact, the conditions that stop this task and who can say it may restart
    2. Briefing record: who briefed, when and how, and a sign-on table with time and "understood or the question asked" for twelve people
    3. Review at the end of the task: did it go as planned, what differed, near misses and stop-work events, changes before reuse, and the area handed back
    4. Sign-off: prepared by, supervisor in charge and, if needed, the site manager

    The headings, the control-type codes and the example row are ours, to change.

    What requires or shapes this record

    No source opened for this page makes a written method statement for every task a general requirement, and the British and US texts opened do not use the term in the provisions read. What they require is the substance: planning and monitoring the work, competent people, supervision, instruction and information, emergency arrangements and coordination between employers. Some jurisdictions go further for defined high-risk work: the Australian model code, for example, says a safe work method statement is required for the high risk construction work activities defined in the model WHS Regulations, and tells readers to check with their local regulator whether the code has legal effect where they are. The sources below are a British guidance and regulation, an Australian model code and a US federal standard. They say what a task-level plan has to achieve; the sections of this form are our own wording of those ideas and not the text of any law. This is not legal advice: check what applies to you with your regulator.

    • UK, HSE L153: Managing health and safety in construction, CDM 2015 guidance on the Regulations (free PDF), paragraphs 10, 11, 170 and 173 and Appendices 1 and 3 (paragraph 13) (opened 20 October 2026)

      HSE's guidance for Great Britain on the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. Paragraph 10 says the supervision, instructions and information needed depend on the risks and on the skills, knowledge, training and experience of the workforce, and that supervision must be effective. Paragraph 11 says the duty holders must cooperate, coordinate their work and communicate so that everyone understands the risks and the measures that control them. Paragraph 170 says workers need closer supervision if they are young, inexperienced or starting a new work activity, and should always know how to get supervisory help. Paragraph 173 says contractors must give workers the procedures for serious and imminent danger, which should make clear that a worker exposed to such danger should stop work immediately, report it and go to a place of safety, and should name the person to report to and who has authority to act. Appendix 1 lists the general principles of prevention, which begin with avoiding risks and include giving collective protective measures priority over individual ones. Appendix 3 lists detailed safety method statements among the documents that should not be put into the construction phase plan, which is why this form is a separate task-level record that a plan can point to. Appendix 3 paragraph 13 says that, where the plan includes site rules, they should cover topics such as hot works and emergency arrangements. The guidance does not give a method statement form and does not say that every task needs one.

    • UK, Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/51), regulation 15 (duties of contractors) and regulation 13 (principal contractor) (legislation.gov.uk, opened 20 October 2026)

      Regulation 15(2) says a contractor must plan, manage and monitor construction work under their control so that, so far as is reasonably practicable, it is carried out without risks to health and safety. Where there is more than one contractor, regulation 15(3) says each must comply with the directions of the principal designer or principal contractor and with the parts of the construction phase plan relevant to their work. Regulation 15(7) says a contractor must not employ or appoint a person to work on a construction site unless that person has, or is in the process of obtaining, the necessary skills, knowledge, training and experience. Regulation 15(8) and (9) say each worker under their control must have appropriate supervision, instructions and information, including the procedures to follow in serious and imminent danger and information on the risks identified by the risk assessment. Regulation 13(3) (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/51/regulation/13) says the principal contractor must organise cooperation between contractors and coordinate their implementation of legal requirements. The regulations opened do not contain the term method statement, and they do not say that this form, or any form, is required.

    • Australia, Safe Work Australia, Model Code of Practice: Construction work (published 20 March 2020, last updated 14 November 2024), section on safe work method statements, and the Interactive SWMS tool page (opened 20 October 2026)

      A model code, which has legal effect only where a jurisdiction has adopted it (the page tells readers to check with their local regulator). It says a safe work method statement (SWMS) is required for the high risk construction work activities defined in the model WHS Regulations, and that it is a written document identifying those activities, the hazards and risks they cause, the control measures, and how the measures are to be implemented, monitored and reviewed; other construction activities do not need one, but their risks must still be managed. The companion tool page lists the high risk work, for example work with a risk of a person falling more than two metres, in or near a confined space, or near a shaft, trench or tunnel. The code says the person responsible for carrying out the work should prepare it, in consultation with the workers; it must give clear direction, with no statement that leaves a decision to supervisors or workers ("use appropriate PPE" is its example of a statement that does not); it must reflect the workplace, so a generic SWMS has to be reviewed for the site; and it must be readily accessible to workers. If work is not being done in accordance with the SWMS, the work must stop immediately or as soon as it is safe to do so, and not restart until it can be done in accordance with it. A SWMS is kept until the work is completed or for at least two years after a notifiable incident, and is reviewed with the workers when controls are revised. The tool page says it is based on the model laws and does not ensure compliance. Whether a SWMS is required for your task is for your regulator and your contract.

    • US, 29 CFR 1926.20(b), 1926.21(b) and 1926.32(f), OSHA construction standards (eCFR, text current to 16 October 2026, opened 20 October 2026)

      Section 1926.20(b) makes the employer responsible for initiating and maintaining the programs needed to comply with the part, which must provide for frequent and regular inspections of job sites, materials and equipment by competent persons designated by the employer. Equipment that does not comply is tagged out or removed, and only employees qualified by training or experience may operate equipment and machinery. Section 1926.21(b)(2) says the employer must instruct each employee in the recognition and avoidance of unsafe conditions and in the regulations applicable to the work environment, and paragraphs (3) to (5) add instruction on harmful substances and on flammable liquids, gases or toxic materials. Section 1926.32(f) defines a competent person as one who can identify existing and predictable hazards and has authorisation to take prompt corrective measures. The sections opened do not use the term method statement and do not set a form. The text was read through the eCFR API because osha.gov blocks scripts, so OSHA's own guidance was not read.

    Each source checked on 20 October 2026. Not legal advice; check the text in force for your site.

    Field by field

    The form keeps one task and one day on three pages, and it points to your risk assessment, permits and procedures instead of copying them. The headings, the control-type codes (E, S, C, A, P) and the example row are ours and can be changed. Keep the same headings from one method statement to the next, so that supervisors and workers know where to look, and write the controls in words that leave no decision to the person on the day.

    Task title
    Why: Names the one task the statement covers. A statement that covers a whole job cannot be briefed, checked or stopped at the level where the work is done.
    Common mistake: Writing "roofing" or "groundworks", which is a trade and not a task with a start and an end.
    Location of the task
    Why: The controls, other trades and emergency route depend on where the task is, so the area, level or grid line is written down. The Australian model code says a SWMS must reflect the site, the work environment and the workers.
    Common mistake: Reusing last week's statement for a different area without changing the location, the neighbours or the route to the muster point.
    Date and shift
    Why: This is a daily record: it is briefed to the people working that shift, and conditions, people and neighbours change from day to day.
    Common mistake: Leaving the date blank, so a signed sheet cannot be tied to the day the work was done.
    Supervisor in charge
    Why: Names who supervises, who is briefed, who can restart after a stop and who reviews at the end. HSE's guidance says contractors must provide appropriate supervision and that workers should always know how to get supervisory help.
    Common mistake: Naming a supervisor who is off site that day, with no one named to cover.
    Related risk assessment
    Why: Points to the risk assessment, JSA or procedure behind the statement so the two stay consistent. The method statement states what will be done, and the assessment explains the analysis.
    Common mistake: Copying a long hazard analysis onto the page, so that no one reads either document.
    Who is doing the task
    Why: Lists each person, the employer and the role, and flags anyone new, young or in training. HSE's guidance says such workers need closer supervision.
    Common mistake: Listing only the lead, so the briefing record and the people on site do not match.
    Steps in order, hazards and controls
    Why: The core of the statement: the work in sequence, with the hazards and the controls for each step, so that the people doing it can follow it without making a decision on the day. The Australian model code says the controls must be specific and should not leave a decision to supervisors or workers.
    Common mistake: Writing "use suitable PPE" or "take care" instead of naming the control, and putting all hazards in one box instead of by step.
    Control type
    Why: The code (E eliminate, S substitute, C control at source or isolate, A administrative, P protective equipment) shows which kind of control each line relies on and pushes the writer to start with the highest. HSE's guidance lists avoiding risks first and giving collective protective measures priority over individual ones.
    Common mistake: Filling every line with P (protective equipment) because it is the easiest control to write.
    Plant, equipment and materials
    Why: Lists what the task uses, who is authorised to operate it and whether it was checked before use. The US standard requires equipment that does not comply to be tagged out or removed, and operators qualified by training or experience.
    Common mistake: Listing the plant but not checking the inspection tag on the day.
    Permits and isolations needed
    Why: Records which permits and isolations the task relies on, by reference only. The permit is the authorisation and its conditions belong on the permit, not here; this line makes sure the task is not started without one.
    Common mistake: Copying the permit conditions in, so that the two versions differ after a change.
    Competence and training checked
    Why: Records that tickets, training and induction were checked before the work. The British regulations say a contractor must not appoint a person without the necessary skills, knowledge, training and experience, or being in the process of obtaining them; the US standard requires operators qualified by training or experience.
    Common mistake: Ticking the box from the previous week's check, for people not on the site that week.
    Emergency arrangements
    Why: Writes down the nearest first aider and kit, the muster point and how an alarm is raised from where this task is. HSE's guidance says workers must be given the procedures for serious and imminent danger, and says site rules should cover emergency arrangements.
    Common mistake: Referring to the site induction, so that the person at the roof edge cannot find the number or the muster point.
    Rescue plan
    Why: For work at height, in confined or restricted spaces and similar tasks, a person may be left suspended, trapped or overcome. The plan names who rescues, with what and how quickly, and that the plan has been tried.
    Common mistake: Planning to call the emergency services as the rescue plan, without a way to reach someone before they arrive.
    Coordination with other trades
    Why: HSE's guidance says dutyholders must cooperate, coordinate and communicate so that everyone understands the risks and the measures to control them. Overhead work, shared access and services are where trades hurt each other.
    Common mistake: Writing "none" because nobody was asked.
    Stop-work rule
    Why: Says that anyone can stop the task and who can restart it. HSE's guidance says a worker exposed to serious and imminent danger should stop work, report it and go to a place of safety, and the Australian model code says work not done in accordance with the SWMS must stop and not restart until it can be.
    Common mistake: A stop-work rule on paper that nobody has used because the person who can restart is also the person who is pressing for the work to go on.
    Briefing record
    Why: Shows who was briefed, by whom, when and how, and what each person said. The Australian model code says workers should understand the hazards and risks, understand and use the controls and know what to do if work is not going to the SWMS, that this information can be given in workplace-specific training or a toolbox talk, and that a SWMS may record the workers consulted with their signatures. The column for understood, or the question asked, makes the signature mean more than presence.
    Common mistake: A signature sheet signed on the way to the work, so late arrivals and people who did not understand are not caught.
    Review at the end of the task
    Why: Asks if it went as planned, what differed, near misses and stop-work events, and what must change before the statement is used again. The Australian model code says work and the SWMS should be reviewed after a stoppage and revised before work restarts, and it says the review is done in consultation with the workers affected.
    Common mistake: Filing the statement without the review, so a near miss is known to the crew only and the same statement is reused unchanged.

    Worked example

    IllustrativeA method statement for an invented task: 24 roof sheets fitted to the north bay of a warehouse extension in two lifts of 12 (invented site, people and references)

    SectionEntry
    1 Task and dayMS-0318 revision A. Fit 24 profiled roof sheets to the north bay of a warehouse extension, eaves 8 m, Tuesday day shift 07:00 to 15:30. Supervisor in charge is the site foreman; the roofing lead is the task lead. Related risk assessment RA-211.
    2 WhoFour people: the roofing lead, two roofers (one in their second week, working beside the lead) and the telehandler operator. All four sign the briefing.
    3 Steps, hazards and controlsStep 1: set the exclusion zone below the north eaves and fit edge protection (C and A). Step 2: lift the sheets in two lifts of 12 by telehandler with a tag line (C and A); the lift stops in wind above the limit set in the statement. Step 3: fix 12 sheets, then the next 12, from behind the edge protection, with harnesses only where the protection has to be open (C, then P). Step 4: remove the edge protection last and hand the area back.
    4 and 5 Plant and permitsTelehandler with a current inspection tag and an operator whose ticket was sighted that morning. Work at height permit WH-114 on the site system, valid to 15:30. No isolations needed.
    7 EmergencyFirst aider: the site foreman, kit in the cabin. Muster point at the site gate. Rescue plan: a trained person with a rescue kit stays on site and the plan was practised the week before; the alarm is a radio call to the foreman and the horn.
    8 Other tradesA drainage crew works at ground level on the south side. The exclusion zone keeps them away from the north side and the foreman told their lead at 06:50.
    10 BriefingAt 07:10 the lead read the statement and walked the area. Four signed, each writing Y; the roofer in their second week first asked how to clip on at the corner, was shown, and then wrote Y.
    11 ReviewFinished at 14:20 with 24 of 24 sheets fixed in two lifts. One difference: a strap on the second bundle slipped and no sheet fell, the zone was empty. Recorded as a near miss; change for revision B is a second strap, owner the lead, before the next lift.

    The task, the people and the references are invented to show how the form is used and are not recommendations. Wind limits, rescue arrangements, controls and who needs a permit must come from your own risk assessment, the maker's instructions, your contract and the rules that apply to you.

    When a spreadsheet stops being enough

    A paper form or a shared document works for a few tasks a week with one supervisor. It stops working when many method statements are open on a site at once, when each shift's briefing signatures must stay tied to the revision and the day, when other contractors and the principal contractor need to see the current statement before work starts, and when a near miss on the review sheet has to turn into a change that someone owns and finishes.

    A software record holds one method statement per task with its revisions, links it to the risk assessment, the permits and isolations, the competence records and the workers, takes the briefing and sign-on on a phone per shift (including people who arrive late), works without a signal where the work is, and keeps the review and its actions. Ask what happens to workers already briefed when a statement is revised mid-shift, and who can see and stop it. The list below applies the same sourced-capability rule as the job safety analysis software guide. Nothing in it shows that a product holds method statements per task with a shift briefing and sign-on, so test it with one of your own statements.

    Same rule for every product: tagged “Risk Assessment”, “Hazard Management”, “Safety Management”, “EHS Management”, “EHS”, “Construction Safety”, “Permit to Work”, “Permits to Work (PTW)” or “Control of Work”, with a sourced job safety analysis (JSA/JHA) or pre-task planning capability in its record, or one the vendor stated to us, labelled as vendor-stated. Documented and conditional capabilities qualify; check the linked scope before treating a module as included.

    Tekmon pays for a sponsored placement (above); its place in this list follows the same rule as every entry. How lists are ordered

    All 15 matching profiles are shown. Documentation review, not hands-on testing or a claim of compliance.