Method statement for the installation of pre-stressed pre-cast concrete oor slabs

Site details
Contractor: The name & contact details of the contractor. Project name and site address: Insert relevant details. Site manager: Name, telephone number and email address.

Transfer of information from client / contractor to ooring sub-contractor

The person responsible for the provision of craneage must be agreed. Proximity hazards such as overhead power lines, third party air space, railway lines, etc., must be identied by the contractor, the necessary permissions obtained and the ooring subcontractor kept informed. The structural stability of the receiving structure must be conrmed. Structural obstructions which will foul or hinder the safe operation of the crane or safe placing of the oor units must be removed and eventually replaced by the contractor who is responsible for obtaining the approval of the structural engineer.

Attendances
Prior to any work taking place on site the client / contractor shall: Provide and maintain hard access roads, hard standing for the crane (a 12m x 8m consolidated, level hard standing, capable of carrying the outrigger loads as specied in the Lifting Plan) and stacking area / off-loading area.

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 Consider the site access from the public road onto and around the site before vehicles arrive on site, taking into account the site trafc management plan, the designated work area for the delivery vehicles and the storage area for materials. Clearly identify and communicate this information to the ooring sub-contractor. Provide and maintain perimeter scaffolding of the working area, together with handrails, guardrails, platforms or staging required for safe access and to prevent operatives from falling. Welfare facilities shall be made available to the ooring sub-contractor. The provision of passive fall protection must be agreed and in place this can be achieved by working platforms, staging, crash decks, safety nets, air bags or other soft landing systems.

Work activity
Pre-start checks: The pre-start checks must cover the following areas: Crane and lifting requirements; work at height; structural stability; ground conditions; proximity hazards and welfare facilities. Description of the contract: Brief description of the work to be completed may include the number of visits that will be necessary to complete the contract. Sequence of work and method of erection: The units will be xed in sequence (where possible) and placed in accordance with working drawings (see gure 1). Fall protection from trailers is required to mitigate a fall as personnel will be required to attach lifters to the concrete units and then clip on the relevant chains. Air bags must be erected around the trailer. Where airbags are not a reasonably practical solution, a pole and zip line should be erected to the trailer and a harness with a xed lanyard be worn to create a work restraint system. This will provide the person on the trailer a working area of 1.5m from the centre of the trailer and it should not be possible to reach the unprotected edge. A ladder will be used to gain access to the trailer. The ladder will be tied to the trailer, set at the appropriate angle and extend 1m above the working platform.

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 The slinger / banksmen will choke the chains around the oor units approximately 300mm in from each end of each unit, with the open face of the hook facing out toward the end of the slab. Two leg chains with a minimum safe working load (SWL) of 4.25t will be used to lift the oor units. The oor units will be lifted horizontally. Any exception to this must be carried out in accordance with the advice given in the Precast Flooring Federation code of practice. If a clamp is used to lift the units instead of chains, the clamp will securely grip the sides of each unit and lift, safety chains will be placed around the clamp and slab before lifting away from the trailer to the building, again under the control of a trained slinger / banksman. Where necessary, units can be moved into their nal position using crowbars or a small hydraulic jack. (Other relevant requirements should be detailed eg.whether propping will be required, where the work will commence from etc.) Crane details: Details to be provided of the crane type (mobile or tower crane), tonnage rating, contract lift or plant hire, name of crane supplier, general location of the crane etc. Communication between crane operative and banksman to be by two-way radios. Only approved lifting equipment with a current test certicate will be used. The installation foreman will inspect the crane documents, all lifting certicates, the thorough examination report for the crane and the record of training for the crane driver prior to the commencement of work. Maximum component weights and crane working radius: The maximum weight/radius for each component type must be stated and any recommendations from the crane supplier must be considered. The appointed person must ensure the heaviest lift is within the crane safe lifting radius. Deliveries and site access: Floor units to be delivered to the site on articulated lorries, and directed to designate loading areas. The contractor is to be given details of the number and size of lorries to be used and any access requirements. Site cutting of oor units: Pre-cast concrete units should not be cut or otherwise altered on site without consultation with the ooring sub-contractors technical department. If cutting is authorised then a diamond tipped petrol cut off saw will be used for cutting. When cutting is to take place appropriate PPE (see section on PPE below) will be worn and other people nearby made aware of any hazards associated with the cutting tasks i.e. all nearby personnel must wear PPE including eye and ear protection in addition to dust masks (to avoid inhalation of silica dust).

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Structural stability
Stability and bearings: The contractor (or the domestic client if they are acting as contractor) must ensure that all load bearing masonry walls are fully cured and ready to receive concrete units. No units will be placed onto bearings that the ooring sub-contractors foreman considers to be in an unsafe or unt condition. External brick or blockwork courses should be either level with, or no more that 225mm below the bearing level coursework. All non load bearing walls should be left 225mm below the level of the bearing walls so that they will not interfere with any lifting equipment, eg. chain slings.

Personnel
Foreman: The foreman, (name of foreman) will identify himself to the site management on arrival at site. Slinger / signaller (banksman) erectors: The banksman and erectors names are: Training: All operatives will be fully trained and copies of training certicates for the following will be available for inspection: abrasive wheels; slinger/signaller/banksmen; rst aid; appointed persons. Appointed person: Name the appointed person who will be in control of the lifting operations and responsible for preparing the lifting plans. Other site operations / third parties: Where co-operation and co-ordination with other site operations / third parties is required this must be stated.

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Health and safety management and control measures

Personal protective equipment: All operatives will wear the following: - safety helmet, high visibility vest, gloves and safety footwear. The following PPE must be used when cutting concrete oor units: safety glasses/goggles; ear defenders; dust mask (PP3). Water dust suppression must be applied to the saw. All operatives and erectors will comply with any other specic site requirements. Site rules: All operatives and erectors will be informed (via a site induction / toolbox talk) of the contractors site rules and expected to comply with them. Specic site hazards: Any specic site hazards must be identied and dealt with prior to placing operations commencing on site. e.g. provide suitable protection to up-standing steel reinforcing starter bars or provide adequate bearing for props. Access to the work area: The provision of safe means of access to the work area is the responsibility of the contractor / client. Positioning of components: The foreman must give consideration to the robustness of the bearings to withstand the standard methods of positioning to determine the need for properly designed temporary support to the components or additional bracing of the bearings. Work at heights: The contractor / client must provide and maintain perimeter scaffolding of the working area, together with handrails, guardrails, platforms or staging required for safe access and to prevent operatives from falling. Leading edge protection: This is provided by using a passive and collective system e.g. safety nets / air bags etc. Air bags and associated ination equipment to be installed by ooring subcontractor. Air bags must be installed so as to ensure appropriate coverage of the work area. The absolute minimum coverage should be 4.8m ahead of the leading edge and 2.4m behind or to the side where the storey height is less than 4m.

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The system must be continually monitored during the operation to ensure the air bags are fully inated and work suspended immediately in situations of non-compliance. Welfare facilities: The contractor / client must provide access to welfare facilities. The ooring subcontractor will make a rst aid box available.

Amendments and additional information

Amendments to the method statement: Should any part of this method statement require amendment or alteration, this must be notied for agreement by all relevant parties prior to it being enforced. Communicate method statement: Communicate to all relevant parties (via a toolbox talk) and ensure it is signed by all personnel. This method statement was prepared by: R. Leveller. Date: 01/03/11. (Note - this method statement has been developed using the site specic risk assessment, the designers residual risk register and the Precast Flooring Federations code of practice: For the safe erection of precast concrete ooring and associated components.)

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Method statement record: Please sign to conrm you have read and understand this method statement.

Name:

Company:

Signature:

Date:

A. BaNKsmaN B. SlINgER C. DRIVER

Floors & Co. Ltd Floors & Co. Ltd Floors & Co. Ltd

31/03/11 31/03/11 31/03/11

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Figure 1: First oor slab layout

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