METHOLOGY

METHOD STATEMENT

This Method Statement describes the management arrangements and systems of work to be adopted by VMT
CIVILS (the Company) during civil engineering and groundwork operations on the above project. The document,
with its appended risk assessment, will suffice for the majority of work undertaken by the Company but will require
alterations or additions for certain or other projects. Where additions and amendments are necessary, they will be
listed at the bottom of this page and appended to the document.

INDEX

1. Preamble
2. Development of the Health & Safety Plan
3. Site Management
4. Security
5. Sub-Contractors
6. Manual Handling
7. Training
8. Emergency Procedures
9. Personal Protective Equipment
10. Concrete, Seal work and steel works
11. Overhead and Buried Services
12. Excavation Works
13. Other Work Activities
14. Documentation
15. Alteration and Modification of Method Statement
16. Hygiene and Welfare Facilities
17. Risk Assessment
18. Communication and Co-operation

1. Preamble

1.1 The work to be carried out by VMT CIVILS comprises civil engineering and buildings works, as detailed
in the contract documentation.

1.2 This method statement covers operations by the Company which take place on site controlled and
managed by a principal contractor, defined as VMT CIVILS. Where the Company is engaged to act as
Principal Contractor, a separate, project specific health and safety plan will be produced in accordance
with CDM.

1.3 The Company will confirm to the principal contractor that all his operatives have previous experience of
all aspects of work involved in projects of this type. Evidence of training may be made available for
inspection if required.
2. Development of The Health & Safety Plan

2.1 Any relevant information contained within the Health & Safety Plan developed by the principal
contractor must be passed to the Company for reference.

2.2 Copies of all relevant health & safety documentation will be retained on site by the principal contractor
for reference by the Company as necessary.

2.3 The Company will make the following documents and information available on site, ensure that they
are applicable and relevant to the project in hand and that, where appropriate, they have been passed
to the client

a) This method statement

b) Generic and specific Risk Assessments prepared by the Company
c) Evidence of training for site personnel
d) Proof of induction records
e) Inspection records for the plant and equipment to be used
f) Such other information and documentation as is necessary

3. Site Management

3.1 The Company will be represented on site during working hours by an experienced foreman/supervisor

3.2 The supervisor may obtain guidance from the head office, the project team or the principal contractor,
who advise VMT CIVILS on health and safety.

3.3 The Company site supervisor will be responsible for ensuring that all works carried out by the
Company’s employees are carried out according to this Method Statement, Health & Safety legislation,
the principal contractor’s health and safety requirements and their own safe systems of work. This will
be achieved with the assistance of induction training and toolbox talks.

3.4 Toolbox talks will be given to operative by Company supervisors, using the information contained in the
VMT CIVILS Toolbox Talk Manual and/or sheets will be forwarded to the principal contractor on
request.

3.5 The Health and safety officer and his safety representatives will ensure that all work equipment is
checked and certificated as appropriate. No work equipment will be used unless it is safe and suitable
for its intended purpose.

4. Security

4.1 The principal contractor will be responsible for securing the site against unauthorized entry outside
working hours.

4.2 All equipment, tools and materials supplied by the company will be placed into safe storage whenever
the site is to be left unattended.
4.3 Additional care will be taken by the company to ensure that loading, unloading and other hazardous
operations do not take place in areas where other site contractors, member of the public and other non-
construction personnel are present or may enter.

5. Sub-Contractors

5.1 Where sub-contractors are engaged by the Company individually on a labour only basis, they will be
treated by the Company as employees for the purposes of health and safety management.

5.2 Sub-Contractor companies will be selected after consideration of previous contracts, references and/or
responses provided to the sub-contractor Assessment Questionnaire. Once selected, contractors will
be provided with a copy of our Safety Code for sub-contractors and instructed to adhere to the rules
and conditions laid down.

6. Manual Handling

6.1 All manual handling operation carried out by Company employees will be assessed by the General
foreman who will advise on the methods to be adopted. Safe manual handling techniques are provided
in the VMT CIVILS employee handbook.

6.2 Full procedures for assessing manual handling tasks and ensuring safety during manual handling
operations are contained within the Company safety manual. These will be adhered to at all times by
our employees, who are given free access to all health and safety information.

6.3 Steel, precast slabs and other heavy goods will be handled using mechanical means wherever
reasonably practicable. In some instances, two-man lifting may be appropriate and this will be
permitted only with the express permission of the General foreman.

7. Training

7.1 No person will be permitted to operate any plant, machinery or equipment unless competent and
authorized to do so. Where formal training and certification is required, copies of relevant certificates
will be provided to the principal contractor on request.

7.2 All persons will be made aware of contents of this Method Statement and instructed to work according
to its requirements.

7.3 All site personnel working under the control of VMT CIVILS will receive site induction training which will
include reference to the following:-

a) The work to be carried out

b) Emergency and first aid procedures
c) Manual Handling
d) Lifting operations
e) General site safety
f) Information on other site activities which may affect operation

7.4 Records of training will be kept using the VMT CIVILS induction training schedule form.

7.5 The principal contractor may also provide induction training to company personnel prior to them
commencing on site.

8. Emergency Procedures

8.1 The evacuation/fire assembly point will be determined by the principal contractor and advised to the
Site agent/ supervisor, who will ensure that this and all other health & safety information is passed to
persons under his control.

8.2 Minor first aid will be attended to on site. The site Health and safety officer will be nominated the
person responsible for Company first-aid and emergency procedures while on site. A deputy will be
appointed if it is necessary for the nominated person to leave site during working hours.

8.3 A first aid kit will be kept in the site van.

8.4 Company employees will be instructed to report to the appointed person if they suffer any accident or
injury whilst at work. The appointed person will in turn notify the principal contractor.

8.5 All reportable accidents and dangerous occurrences will be notified to head office and the principal
contractor

9. Personal Protective Equipement

9.1 All out sites are designated as hard hat sites. Operatives will therefore wear safety headgear at all
times expect when in welfare accommodation.
9.2 Suitable safety footwear fitted with steel toe-protectors will be worn by all company personnel. Casual
shoes and trainers will not be permitted.

9.3 All personnel are required to wear high visibility clothing at all times. This clothing must be suitable for
the working environment and prevailing weather conditions.

9.4 A supply of eye, hearing and respiratory protection and protective clothing will be made available for
use where required and according to on site conditions. The wearing of PPE will be strictly monitored
by the health and safety officer as part of his supervisory duties.

10. Concrete Works and Seal work

10.1 Detailed procedures for working with concrete are contained in the company safety manual. And will be
adhered to at all times.

10.2 Proper Signage for all but the most basic layouts will be attended to by specialist contractors who will
be required to provide their own risk assessment, method statement and drawings prior to
commencement on site.

10.3 The health and safety officer will ensure that he is in possession of the latest edition of “health and safety
act of 93”. He will follow the guidance contained therein at all times.

Steel works

 Most of the steelworks will be done by a subcontractor and the subcontractor will also adhere
to health and safety as specified by the principal contractor
 Competent steel fixers have been appointed to check all steel related works
 Reinforcing steel will be stored at a place approved by the engineer and carried to site by the
principal contractor as and when required

11. Overhead and Buried Services

11.1 An assessment will be made on each site to establish if there are overhead or buried services that may
create a hazard to operatives.

11.2 Should buried services be present, the following system of work, detailed within the company safety
manual, will be followed:-

i) Obtain information from principal engineer

ii) Consult available drawings and Utility Services to obtain information as to the approximate
location of services and the feasibility of disconnecting them
iii) Use cable detection tools to obtain accurate information
iv) Mark service locations at ground level
v) Use hand-digging measures to expose live services.

Separate risk assessments/method statements will be prepared for operations of this nature which are
considered by the health and safety officer to contain special risks.

11.3 Should it become necessary to work near or under overhead lines, the following procedure will be
adopted.

The Company will not use any plant with which it is possible to approach within 6 metres of any overhead
cables mounted on steel pylons unless:-

a) A smaller clearance is permitted by the cable owners, confirmation of which must be obtained in writing
b) The plant is fitted with physical height restrictors
 Any work directly under or adjacent to other electricity cables may be carried out whilst the line are live,
by using a 3 ton mini-digger with a maximum boom height that cannot approach within 2.5 metres of the
cables.

All work near overhead electric cables will be carried out after due consideration of the HSE Guidance
Note GS6, a copy of which will be held by the health and safety officer.

12. Excavation Works

12.1 All excavation work will be carried out according to the safe systems of work laid down in the Company
Safety Policy.

12.2 Wherever reasonably practicable, the preferred method of ensuring safety in excavations will be by
battering or benching.

12.3 Drag boxes or other proprietary support systems will be utilized where the methods considered in Para
13.2 are deemed unsuitable or insufficient.

12.4 A supply of other shoring material will be available for instances where neither of the above methods for
preventing collapse are suitable.

12.5 Ladders will be secured in convenient locations within all excavations where there is no other safe means
of access/egress.

12.6 The Company will supply sufficient physical barriers for erection around excavations greater than 2
meters in depth. Excavations less than 2 meters in depth will be surrounded by bunting or other suitable
material. The Company will be responsible for the erection and maintenance of these barriers.

12.7 Experienced banks men will be used to assist in the safe operation of plant where deemed necessary by
supervisory personnel.

13. Other Work Activities

13.1 VMT CIVILS possesses written safe systems of work for all usual civil engineering, concrete and
groundwork activities. These systems will be available on site at all times.

13.2 Where a work activity is not covered or detailed in the safety manual, advice will be sought from head
office.

14. Documentation

14.1 Where required, certificates of inspection, examination and testing of plant and equipment will be made
available for perusal.
14.2 Copies of operator licenses are also available for inspection.

14.3 All necessary statutory instruments and notices will be made available by the principal contractor.

14.4 A copy of the company safety manual will be available on site. All work will follow the conditions laid
down in the section entitled “Safe Systems of Work”.

14.5 The Health and safety will carry out daily inspections of all excavations and records the results in his site
diary. Where required, records of weekly thorough examinations will be kept in the approved manner.

15. Alteration and Modification of Method Statement

15.1 Alterations and modifications to this Method Statement will be communicated to the principal
contractor, all employees and any other person who may be affected by those changes.

15.2 No alterations or modifications to this Method Statement will be made without prior consultation with
those affected.

16. Hygiene and Welfare Facilities

16.1 Hygiene and welfare facilities will be provided by the principal contractor, in accordance with the
requirements of the Construction (Health, Safety & Welfare) Regulations 1996.

16.2 Employees will be instructed to use these facilities in an appropriate manner.

17. Risk Assessment

17.1 Risk assessments will be carried out in accordance with the Management of Health & Safety at Work
Regulations 1999. Generic assessments (contained in the company safety manual) may be used as
the basis for site specific assessments.

17.2 Generic assessments may be modified as appropriate by the Company in order to ensure that they are
relevant to operations at any particular site. It is essential that assessments are carried out and all
control measures put in place before the hazard arises.

17.3 A project risk assessment is appended to this method statement.

18. Communication and Co-operation

18.1 Prior to commencement on site, a meeting will be held and attended by all employees. The purpose of
this meeting will be to ensure that all personnel are:-
 i) Site inducted
ii) Aware of the contents of this project method statement and risk assessment
iii) Aware of the tasks which have been allocated to them and capable of carrying them out safely
iv) Aware of the activities and locations of their colleagues and other site contractors

18.2 Wherever practicable, work will be rotated so as to provide all employees with ongoing experience of
all aspects of the work.

18.3 The site agent and the Health & safety officer will attempt at all times to maintain close liaison between
VMT CIVILS, the principal Agent and any other site contractors. He will always endeavor not to
obstruct or delay other site activities, but only where this can be achieved without compromising health
and safety standards.

19. The Contractor shall excavate to the line and levels as shown in the drawings, or as directed by E.R. The
Contractor shall carry out all excavations in such manner and order as approved by the E.R and in
whatever material as may be found. All excavations shall be carried out to the required lengths, widths,
depths, inclinations or curvatures as may be necessary for the proper construction of the works or as
shown on the drawings. All excavations shall be sufficient to provide for the necessary working space.

20. The bottom of all excavations shall be carefully trimmed and levelled, well rammed and consolidated to
ensure good solid foundations. Before commencing the excavation of pipe trenches, the routes of the
pipelines shall be pegged out accurately.

21. Where the pipes are to be laid on a concrete bed, the width of the excavation at the bottom of the trench
shall be the width of the underside of the concrete bed. The trench shall be excavated to the depths
intended or shown in the drawings and shall be finished and trimmed accurately to level.

22. The Contractor shall lay sand since the trench is ready to receive the pipe. The bedding detail shall refer to
the drawing.

23. 5.2 LAYING PIPES AND FITTINGS

24. All pipes and fittings shall be laid to the lines and levels shown on the drawings or as otherwise directed by
E.R. Before any pipe is lowered into the trench, it shall be cleaned and re-examined for cracks and flaws. If
undamaged it shall be placed in position ready for jointing. After laying, the interior of pipes shall be
carefully cleaned again to remove any debris, dirt, stones or other matter that may have entered during
laying.

25. Where the pipe lines encounter obstruction of laying such as drain, a galvanised iron pipe shall be used for
crossing across the drain and exposed.

26. 5.3 BACKFILLING OF PIPE TRENCH AND COMPACTION

27. After the pipe laying has been approved by the E.R and before the pipelines are tested, only sufficient
backfilling of the trenches to prevent ‘snaking’ and to maintain the pipes in position will be permitted, but all
joints shall be left exposed. In backfilling pipe trenches, only approved materials free from stones or rocks
or other hard materials shall be carefully spread along the trench bottom between the pipes and trench
walls to a depth of about 150mm thick of the same materials shall be hand rammed. Further layers each of
about 150mm thick of the same materials shall then be spread and rammed in the same manner up to the
 top of the pipes. It shall be placed in layers each of 150mm thickness and hand or mechanically rammed
until the backfill is 300mm above the top of the pipes.

28. 5.4 TESTING OF PIPELINE

29. The Contractor shall provide all necessary equipment and material required for the purpose of testing work.

30. Test shall be carried out in the presence of a representative from Consultant or Pengurusan Air Pahang
Berhad if required. No pavement will be made for pipe laying until the mains have been satisfactorily
tested.

31. Wherever a section of any pipe has been laid, jointed and backfilled, it shall be prepared for testing by
sealing the both ends temporarily with end cap. The end cap shall be of cast iron or steel. The end cap at
the lower end or the section of the main shall be fitted with a valve inlet pipe for use to fill the section of the
main with water and the stop end at the higher end of the section of the main shall be fitted with a valve air
release vent pipe.
32. The test pressure to be applied shall be approximately 1.5 times the working pressure with details as
shown in the drawings or as directed by E.R.

33. In testing, the main shall be filled with clean water and after a period of 24 hours, the pressure shall be
raised by pumping to the specified test pressure. Pumping shall then cease and after a period of 3hours or
a pressure fall of 9m whichever is sooner, pumping shall be resumed and the quantity required to be
pumped, in order to restore the test pressure, divided by the time, shall be measure of the rate loss.

34. The length of main under test shall be deemed to have passed the test if the leakage does not exceed
0.05litres per mm of internal diameter per 24hours per kilometre of pipe length. If this specified rate of
leakage is exceeded, a thorough inspection of the section of the main shall be made. All leaks discovered
shall be repaired and the section shall be tested again.

35. The section of the main to be test shall be filled with water and the water shall be introduced into the
section of the main through the valve inlet in the stop end at the lower end of the section. During filling
provision shall be made for the air to escape from all high spots in the section by properly installing all air
valves and from the air release vent pipe in the stop end at the higher end of the section.

36. SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT

37. Safety
38. 1) Safety induction to be conducted to all new workers that involved to this activity and safety tool
box meeting shall be conducted every day to remind the workers about concerning the safety.
39. 2) All workers shall provide with proper PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) and shall be worn
every time they are entering the site. Safety Officer / Safety Supervisor shall ensure all the workers wear all
the safety equipment provided.
40. 3) Safety Officer / Safety Supervisor shall ensure that the activity shall carry out in a safe manner.
41. 4) All workers shall fully support and actively participate in all safety related activities and comply
with all practicable safety measures.
 42. 5) All workers shall be advised to report any accident or injury to supervisor and proper treatment to
be obtained.
43. 6) The Safety Supervisor / Safety Officer shall ensure that the workers understand the safety
regulations and explain in detail in particular hazards, where the workers are working and the precaution to
be taken to ensure their safety.
44. 7) Proper and adequate provision of temporary signage’s and barricades at diversions and
temporary haul road as necessary.

45. 6.2 Environmental

46. 1. All workers shall educate on good environmental management practices and well-disciplined to
environment.
47. 2) The garbage bin shall be provided at the working area and Supervisor shall ensure its must be
collected regularly and disposed of at the approved dumpsite.
48. 3) Safety Officer/Supervisor shall ensure that no open burning of construction or domestic wastes is
practiced.
49. 4) All workers shall ensure that all tools and equipment machinery are in good condition to avoid
any oil leakage that could harm to environment.

50. 5) Open burning of construction and domestic wastes on the site premises are strictly prohibited.

51. SITE PRODUCTION PLANING

52 Risk assessments will be carried out in accordance with the Management of Health & Safety at Work
Regulations 1999. Generic assessments (contained in the company safety manual) may be used as the basis for
site specific assessments.

53 Generic assessments may be modified as appropriate by the Company in order to ensure that they are
relevant to operations at any particular site. It is essential that assessments are carried out and all control
measures put in place before the hazard arises.

54 A project risk assessment is appended to this method statement.