Home › Answers › AI for trades

Can AI write a method statement?

Last checked: 18 October 2026 · The AI Till, UK

A prompt to try

"Write a method statement for [job] at [type of property] in the UK. Include scope, sequence of work, plant and tools, PPE, permits, isolation, waste, emergency arrangements and who supervises. Use plain English and British spelling. Don't invent site details; leave gaps marked [CHECK]."

What to check

• Every step matches how you'll actually do the job.
• Hazards and controls match your risk assessment.
• Trade-specific rules are right, such as safe isolation for electrical work or Gas Safe requirements.
• Names, emergency contacts and site rules are filled in.

Is a method statement a legal requirement?

The law requires you to assess risks, and to write them down if you have five or more employees. A separate method statement isn't always required by law, but construction work falls under CDM 2015, and clients may ask for RAMS before work starts.

What HSE says in more detail:

• Risk assessment. Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, employers must identify hazards, decide how likely and serious the harm could be, and remove the hazard or control the risk. If you employ five or more people, you must record the significant findings.
• Method statements. HSE says that for demolition, dismantling or structural alteration, the arrangements must be recorded in writing before work begins, usually in a method statement. For other construction work, method statements are not required by law, but HSE describes them as an effective way to plan, manage and monitor the work.
• CDM 2015. Every contractor must plan, manage and monitor their own work and their workers. If you're the only contractor on a project, you must make sure a construction phase plan is drawn up before setting up the site.

Worked example: replacing a garden wall

Say you're a bricklayer in Swindon asked by a homeowner to take down and rebuild a 15-metre garden wall. The client's letting agent wants RAMS before you start.

1. Write your notes first: wall length and height, access, neighbours, waste, who's on the job, the tools you'll use.
2. Run the prompt with those notes. Ask for gaps marked [CHECK] where it doesn't know.
3. Fill every [CHECK] yourself: emergency contacts, nearest A&E, how you'll keep the public away, where the skip goes.
4. Compare it with your risk assessment. Manual handling, dust, falling masonry and cutting all need controls that match.
5. Read it as if you were the labourer. Could they follow it? If not, simplify.
6. Sign, date and share it with the client and everyone on the job.

Taking a wall down may count as demolition or structural alteration, so check HSE's guidance on whether the arrangements must be written down in law for your job.

Common mistakes

• Leaving AI's generic steps in. "Ensure the area is safe" tells nobody anything.
• Copying last job's statement without changes. HSE says the statement should be revised when circumstances change.
• Mismatched documents. A control in the method statement that isn't in the risk assessment, or the other way round.
• Nobody reads it. Brief the team before work starts.

Related questions

Can I reuse an AI method statement?

Use it as a template, but update it for each job and site.

Which AI is best for RAMS?

Any major chatbot can draft one. See what is the best AI for contractors?

What does RAMS stand for?

Risk assessment and method statement. HSE describes the method statement as drawing on the conclusions of the risk assessment, so the two should match.

Do I need RAMS for domestic jobs?

CDM 2015 applies to domestic projects too. HSE says that when you're the only contractor for a domestic client, you take on the client duties as well as your own, though this should be no more than you'd normally do to comply with health and safety law.

Sources

• HSE: managing risks and risk assessment at work
• HSE: Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015
• HSE: steps needed to manage risk
• HSE: construction administration, including method statements
• HSE: CDM 2015 contractors' roles and responsibilities

Checked 18 October 2026. Rules and prices change, so check the source before you rely on it. This is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice.

More on ai for trades

• Are trade jobs safe from AI?
• Can accountants use AI?
• Can AI do construction takeoffs?
• Can AI help with CIS?
• Can AI write a COSHH assessment?
• Can AI help with health and safety risk assessments?

All ai for trades answers · All answers · Guides · AI tools directory