Electrician method statement example
Last updated 17 October 2026
An electrician’s method statement should show the order of isolation, proving dead and reinstatement. “Isolate before work” is not a method.
An electrician’s method statement is the order of work for this circuit and this building. It should say how the supply will be identified, locked off, proved dead, and put back. A site-ready RAMS your principal contractor can review includes that sequence with the hazards, not a line that only says “safe isolation”.
Read the electrical RAMS template, then build a draft for the board and the rooms on this job.
Worked example
Replacing a consumer unit in an occupied house, with the kitchen circuit needed again the same day:
- Agree which circuits must stay off, and tell the occupier before the isolation.
- Identify the supply, lock it off, and keep the key with the person doing the work.
- Prove dead at the point of work with a proving unit that was checked before and after.
- Replace the unit. Do not remove the lock because someone wants a kettle.
- Inspect, test, and re-energise only when the covers are on and people are clear.
- Leave the certificate and the RAMS with the job pack. The certificate does not replace the briefing.
What the law is asking for
- Electricity at Work Regulations 1989. Electrical systems must be constructed and maintained to prevent danger. Work on or near live conductors is a narrow exception, not the default method.
- Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. The assessment covers shock, fire and other people in the building.
- Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, when the work is construction. Many occupied-building jobs still are.
- Work at Height Regulations 2005, if the method uses a podium, a tower or a ladder for lighting or containment.
Questions
Does a minor works job still need a method?
If other people are in the building, or the circuit cannot be treated as dead, write the sequence down. The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 do not switch off because the job is small.
Can the method say the circuit will stay live?
Only if a competent person has decided that dead working is not reasonable for that test, and the precautions are written. The electrical template assumes live working is not the plan.
Is the method statement the certificate?
No. An electrical certificate is a separate record of inspection and test. The method statement is how the work will be done without hurting people.