Bricklaying method statement template: sequence the work around real controls

A bricklaying method statement should set out the approved wall design, access and material-delivery arrangement, sequence of laying and checking, dust and cement controls, and the stop points for changes. It should agree with the risk assessment and the actual site. A generic paragraph saying “bricklayers will use PPE” cannot decide whether a scaffold is adequately loaded, a wall is stable while built, a cut can be made without hazardous dust, or a heavy block can be handled repeatedly.

Copy the fields below into the contractor's controlled RAMS or method statement and have a competent person adapt them. This is a planning framework, not structural design or permission to erect a wall. The existing Complys generic method-statement template owns the broad format; this page is the brick-and-block work sequence with specific health and site-interface decisions. HSE's construction work-at-height, manual-handling, construction dust and cement guidance supports the hazard checks. The competent contractor must also check the drawings, product information and site rules.

Controlled document cover

Use a plan or marked-up drawing so “east wall” cannot be confused with another work face. Record who checks setting-out, ties, movement joints, supports and temporary stability. The wall design must come from the project specification and competent designer, not from a generic web form. If the work changes from facing brick to heavy blockwork or from ground level to an elevated lift, review the method rather than carrying the old risk score forward.

Pre-start stop gates

The stop column is deliberate. A wall may be perfectly specified but unsafe to build from a scaffold loaded with too many packs, or the right material may arrive without a safe means of moving it to the work face. Confirm the scaffold was designed/erected for the intended loads and inspected by a competent person under the applicable work-at-height requirements. HSE's construction FAQ explains planning, competence, inspection and platform protection. Do not treat a visible inspection tag as a substitute for the inspection record or load plan.

Copyable sequence and control table

Replace the examples with the actual project sequence. The supervisor must approve any change before the crew proceeds.

Do not copy the table's order if the engineer or actual site requires another sequence. Identify the walls or piers that need propping or staged loading, and the point at which temporary support can be removed. If the building is occupied, separate residents or the public from the work and give them accurate route changes. If other trades need openings or penetrations, coordinate before laying rather than chasing through a finished wall.

Handling and delivery decisions

Choose brick and block sizes, pack locations, mechanical aids and working heights to reduce repeated lifting, carrying, bending and twisting. Do not make “two-person lift” the default solution for heavy blocks. HSE's construction manual-handling FAQ says two-worker laying of blocks over 20 kg has not proved workable and is no longer recommended; select suitable lighter units where the design permits and assess the whole repetitive task. Record the route from delivery to work face and how mortar is supplied. A pallet dropped far from the wall can create thousands of avoidable carries.

Check the stability and capacity of the unloading area, forklift or hoist, scaffold loading bay and the final stack location. Do not stack packs on a platform because space is available; compare actual loads with the design and competent inspection. Plan cut-unit and waste return routes so walkways and access ladders stay clear. If mechanised lifting is used, link to the actual lifting plan, equipment inspection and operator competence rather than assuming the bricklaying method statement covers all lifting duties.

Dust, cement and health controls

Cutting, drilling or grinding bricks, blocks and mortar can release respirable crystalline silica and other construction dust. HSE's dust guidance recommends reducing the amount of cutting through design and sizing, then using effective controls such as suitable water suppression or on-tool extraction with appropriate respiratory protection where required by the assessment. Record the chosen cut station, equipment, supply, maintenance, residue management and who checks it. Do not cut dry in a doorway merely because the cut is small, and do not assume a disposable mask alone controls a high-dust task.

Wet mortar and cement can cause dermatitis and serious burns. HSE's cement guidance calls for assessing contact, reducing exposure where possible, choosing suitable impervious gloves, providing washing facilities, training and monitoring skin health as appropriate. Specify how gloves are kept clean, how contamination inside gloves is avoided and what happens after a splash. A glove brand or standard number copied from another product is not a substitute for the actual COSHH assessment and supplier data.

Dust, noise and vibration from power tools, slips on mortar, and physical strain from repetitive laying may need separate controls. The method statement should cross-reference the risk and COSHH assessments so the steps use the same controls that were selected there. If workers report symptoms or a control fails, stop that task and review it.

Access, weather and workface release

Plan safe working platforms before the wall rises. HSE's work-at-height guidance gives priority to avoiding height where practicable, then preventing falls with suitable collective protection. Do not use ladders as a routine bricklaying platform for strenuous or material-heavy work. Specify edge protection, safe access between lifts, brick guards or falling-object controls where necessary, and exclusion below. The scaffold's competent inspection and alteration process must remain separate from the bricklaying crew's informal adjustments.

Wall stability can be affected by height, unrestrained lengths, openings, fresh mortar, wind and change to the design. The structural designer or competent temporary-works process sets the safe build and support sequence. Record the actual weather/wind stop condition from that plan; do not invent a universal wind speed. If a prop, tie or designed connection cannot be installed, stop the affected stage until the engineer approves a change. When work finishes mid-wall, make sure the partly built structure is safe to leave for the next shift and against foreseeable weather or site traffic.

Change, emergency and handover form

At handover, record the completed area, inspection/quality points, remaining temporary supports, defects, curing or loading restrictions and who accepts the work. Do not strike scaffold or remove temporary support before the responsible competent person confirms that it is safe. Keep the final controlled version of the method statement and the crew briefing evidence with the project records.

Example. A crew is told to switch to a heavier block midway through a partition. The original design, manual-handling assessment and scaffold loading plan assumed lighter units. The supervisor stops the affected work, checks the structural specification and load route, considers a suitable lighter alternative or mechanical aid, and obtains the scaffold/handling review. Only then is the method revised and briefed. Changing the block name in a PDF without changing the physical plan would be a paperwork response.

Questions contractors ask

Is this template enough to start bricklaying?

No. It needs site-specific drawings, structural/temporary-works decisions, access design, risk and COSHH assessments, competence and a crew briefing. A competent person must verify that the chosen sequence and controls work at the actual location.

Does every UK bricklaying job need a formal RAMS document?

The legal requirement is to assess and manage risks and plan construction work appropriately; specific document requirements depend on the work and dutyholder context. A main contractor or client may require a combined RAMS. Do not repeat the live generic site's claim that every bricklaying job legally needs a particular template format without checking the facts.

What if only a few bricks need cutting?

Still assess the cutting method and dust exposure. Minimise cuts, use effective suppression or extraction as appropriate and control people nearby. The small number of units does not make dry cutting automatically safe.

Next step

Walk the work face with the drawings and this sequence table. If the supervisor cannot point to the approved access, material route, dust control or stability hold point, resolve it before the crew starts. The observed Complys RAMS page is a potential product destination, but its generated trade coverage, timing, pricing and approval claims must be verified from implementation before publication. This template does not claim Complys designs the wall, approves scaffold loads or certifies the method safe.

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