Client Details

STRATEGIC WATER RESERVOIRS

Work Method Statement

Earthworks
Document Ref. No.: OPRWMS101

Status

Date

Description

October 2012
Earthwork Method Statement

Originator

Page 1 of 13

Reviewed

Approved

Client

-OPR-MS-101

MS No: -OPR-MS-101
Issue: 1
Date Submitted:
MS Category:

METHOD STATEMENT
WORKS INFORMATION
CONTRACT NO:

CONTRACT TITLE:

Strategic Reservoir.

ACTION

NAME

Prepared By

SIGNATURE

DATE

D McPherson

Checked By
Approved By

THIS METHOD STATEMENT TO BE READ IN CONJUNCTION WITH

METHOD STATEMENT NO. 1 GENERIC INFORMATION

SCOPE OF WORKS: Earthwork

Supervision
Name

Position

Company

Telephone No.

Project Director

Construction Manager
Senior Site Engineer
Safety Manager
QA Engineer
Superintendent
Foreman

October 2012
Method statement earth work

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-OPR-MS-101

CONTENTS
1. METHOD OF WORKING
2. WORKING HOURS
3. SHIFT TIMES/HANDOVER ARRANGEMENTS
4. MILESTONES/CONTINGENCY ARRANGEMENTS
5. WORKING/POSSESSION ARRANGEMENTS
6. IDENTIFICATION/EXPOSURE OF HIDDEN SERVICES
7. PLANT & EQUIPMENT (INCLUDING CERTIFICATION)
8. LIFTING ARRANGEMENTS (INCLUDING DIAGRAM/PERMIT/CERTIFICATION)
9. LIGHTING ARRANGEMENTS
10. STANDBY/CALL OUT ARRANGEMENTS
11. RESOURCES (EMPLOYEE/SPECIALIST CONTRACTORS)
12. COMPETENCE REQUIREMENTS/CERTIFICATION OF RESOURCES
13. PPE REQUIREMENTS
14. ACCESS/EGRESS ARRANGEMENTS/SPECIAL CONDITIONS
15. ENVIRONMENTAL MEASURES: NOISE/DUST/SMOKE/VAPOUR/POLLUTION
16. TEMPORARY STRUCTURES/WORKS/CERTIFICATION
17. RISK ASSESSMENTS AND CONTROL MEASURES
18. PROTECTION OF PUBLIC FROM WORKS AT HEIGHT

19. COSHH INFORMATION

October 2012
Method statement earth work

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-OPR-MS-101

1.

Method of Working
This Method Statement sets out to describe the works involved in the Briman Strategic
Reservoir Project Earthworks - for Site Preparations, Excavations and Backfilling and
must be read in conjunction with the attached Risk Assessments.
It should be noted that it may be necessary to update this document if during detailed
design other solutions are proposed than the assumed at this stage. Alternatively
details of certain construction procedures may be presented later in separate
documents without updating this method statement as new appendices. Since at that
time the document should be complete itself, then some of the descriptions in the
present document might be repeated in the above said appendix briefly. Finally we will
have a complete method statement.
No works will commence until all involved personnel in the activity are briefed on the
work to be undertaken and signed onto the site induction and method statement briefing
sheets.
Details of Ground Investigation Reports The geotechnical investigation Survey setting
out Permanent bench marks/grids will be established based on survey control points
provided by the clients Project Manager/Engineer using high precision survey
instrument Total Station.
The geotechnical report has been carried out by Aces (Arab Centre for Engineering
Studies) and will be used as a guideline, to carry out interpretation of the ground
conditions for the assessment of the materials to be excavated.
The existing level will be surveyed by the Joint Venture Construction Team and
recorded prior to commencement of the excavation.
Haul Roads:
Temporary Haul Roads will be established
Before and during the Earthworks to facilitate
The movement of heavy Plant & Dump trucks.
Reflective plastic delineators will be established along
Along the edge of haul roads for night time working.
Pedestrian access will be demarcated from
Haul Road locations.

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Method statement earth work

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An even consistent grade prevents gear searching, in turn reducing waste spillage.
Weight will be as evenly distributed through front & back wheels as possible.

On steep spots, excessive weight is put on back tyres.

Rolling resistance stress (tyre twist) rise above tolerances causing reduced tyre life
and more tyre blowouts on the haul ramp.
As trucks gear search, lurching causes material to spill off the back of the trailor
increasing spillage.

Haul Road Maintenance:

All roads where hauling operations take place must be kept wet to prevent dust
escaping into the atmosphere.

Roads will be kept wet by means of water trucks.

Haul roads will be graded at intervals, so they are kept free of potholes and any
irregularities in the road surface.

Any rock or oversize material which falls onto the roads shall be cleared away as
soon as practically possible with loading machine and dump truck.

Traffic Management signage will be kept clean and will be constantly checked
against high wind movements and corrected if spun in the wrong direction by the
wind.

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Method statement earth work

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Rock Breaker/Drill & Blast

Loose and fractured vertical face rock will be broken out with an excavator with
rock breaker attachment. Dozer with ripper blade will break up loose and
fractured horizontal rock. At depth the harder banked cubic meters of rock will
require drill & blasting to loosen up into movable stock. A separate specialist
method statement will be produced by the blasting engineer, in conjunction with
the governing explosives authorities for any drilling & blasting operations.

Excavation

The area to be excavated has been split into 32 zones. See attached sketch.

The 360 degree excavator will excavate starting from the north end of the site,
loading directly into 8 wheeler dump trucks, for removal via the temporary haul
roads.
The excavation and muck shift will continue in this manner until the excavation
reaches the temporary haul road.

During the bulk excavation additional 360 degree excavators will start
excavation, taking two sides of the excavation simultaneously and coming back
up to a suitable place where a temporary access ramp will be constructed.

As the excavation progresses an additional 360 degree excavator fitted with a

hydraulic breaker will track in the excavation breaking and trimming the
perimeter of the excavated area.

Cut slopes Vertical excavated faces will be demarcated at the tow of the
excavation to prevent access below. The Briman Construction team will ensure
that the slopes of all cuttings and rock are such that stability is inspected and
maintained daily.

Any over excavated material of soft or non-compacted material at formation

level will be removed and refilled with approved excavated material.

The finished surface of formation will be trimmed to the required profiles and
levels within the specified design.

Disposal of excavated material The excavated material will be transported to

the dumping yard of an approved location.

Inspection and acceptance of works Upon completion of excavation, a hold

point will be offered up for inspection so to proceed with subsequent activities

Sub-formation, capping and compaction will be in accordance with approved for

construction drawings and approved method statement.

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Method statement earth work

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October 2012
Method statement earth work

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Load & Haul

Loading will be carried out using a combination of front end loaders and 360
degree excavator.

Loading areas will be prepared as level as practically possible and will be

maintained during and after loading operations, namely spillage & oversized
material will be removed.

A site speed restriction on haul roads of 25Km per hour will be enforced on site.

All excavator/shovel operators must plan their works with the site supervisor
before commencing, for example pre-shift meetings.

Find out if there are any hazards in the allocated area of work, for example
traffic patterns in the area that day, surveyors, drills, haul trucks etc.

Inform your supervisor if you have been by mistake allocated equipment for
which you do not have a license. Do not attempt to operate.

Any machine defects identified for example, poor brakes, steering defaults,
defective lights, and any fluid leaks should be reported to the supervisor
immediately and the machine stood down until a full inspection by a competent
Plant Mechanic has been carried out.

An Out of Service Tag should be displayed on any plant that has been stood
down. An Out of Service tag can only be removed by a qualified person
affecting the repair.

Dumping Operations

Dumping operations will only take place in approved designated areas.

Entry to designated dumping areas will be restricted to plant operators &

supervision.

Any onsite dump should be inspected at the start of each shift before circuit
operations commence.

Truck and dozer operators on the dump must regularly check for any signs of
instability, berm slumping, cracks or bulges.

Periodic checks of the slope & angle of repose must be conducted by a civil
engineer, or person of similar qualification/competency.

Berms are to be used as a guide to the edge by operators, Not to be used as a

brake.

Dozer and grader will be utilized to distribute the dumped material, and to keep
the area free from oversized debris.

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Method statement earth work

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Trenching

The Project team will perform the required Site Survey, Layout on the location of
the underground piping. The Surveyor will conduct a site survey for the correct
location, coordinates from the reference benchmark as well as elevation from
the reference IFC plan drawings.

The layout location shall be staked with line to identify proper location of the
area to be excavated.

Excavation shall be performed in segments. Drawings and dimensions, grades

and elevations will be followed.

Open Excavations will be benched or supported internally with trench boxes.

Open Excavations will have clear ladder access areas demarcated from moving
vehicles.

Trenches will be protected and demarcated at the top with either rigid edge
protection or excavated material in the form of a Berm set back approximately 2
meters to prevent and plant or vehicles driving into the trench.

Trench Backfilling

2.

Trench Backfilling will be compacted locally around the installed pipe using a
plate compactor avoiding any displacement.
As soon as possible after the Geotextile is laid in the trench, backfill material
(Clean Sand) shall be dumped, spread and graded in layers, compacted as per
specifications
Backfill shall be compacted to a dry density equal at optimum moisture where
compaction shall be made at every layer or as determined in accordance with
the design specification.

WORKING HOURS
07.00 16.00 Saturday to Thursday

3.

SHIFT TIMES/HANDOVER Arrangements

The shift times are as listed in section 2. Prior to any handover to a different crew, there
will be a hold point for inspection and dimensional checking.

4.

MILESTONES/CONTINGENCY ARRANGEMENTS
The milestone is the safe excavation and indispensably necessary temporary
construction works. There are contingency arrangements, going from a soft start during
the mobilisation phase to ramping up and working on multiple faces.

October 2012
Method statement earth work

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5.

WORKING POSSESSION ARRANGMENTS

The works possession will be subject to the Phased handover of excavated zones. Debris
around the top of the excavation and compaction testing results will be verified prior to
concrete blinding works commencing.

6.

All operatives shall be protected with Personal Protective Equipment for the protection
of head, eyes, hands and feet as applicable.

Excavation work in areas where personnel/vehicles access is required will be provided

with appropriate sign boards and warning lights as required.

No person shall be allowed to work or stand near the operating boom or the tail swing
of the excavator equipment.

A fail safe zone will be established at the head of the excavated embankment protected
by earth bunded edge protection to prevent any trafficking vehicles above nearing the
edge of the excavated area. A banks man will be in attendance with any plant
movement in or around the excavation.

Safe access to excavations will be provided at all times, namely an aluminum ladder
with handrail fixed top and bottom of the excavation.
IDENTIFICATION/EXPOSURE OF HIDDEN SERVICES

Before any works commence we will refer to the current statutory undertakers drawings and
a survey or equivalent will be carried out around the site to ensure that all services are
identified. Where reasonably practicable the service will be diverted or isolated. Where it is
not reasonably practical, the services will be protected from damage.

7.

PLANT & EQUIPMENT (INCLUDING CERTIFICATION)

The following plant is required to carry out this task safely and effectively.
Engineering Setting Out Equipment, Total Station, Dumpy Level, Staffs, Tripods,
String Lines.
360 degree Excavators
Hydraulic breaker attachments
Dozer
Front end Loader
Tipper Trucks
Water Truck
Service Vehicle
Site Lighting
JCB Telescopic Boom.
Rigid pedestrian Edge Protection.
Access Ladder
Small Tools.
Safety Signage

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Method statement earth work

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All plant will receive a visual inspection by a competent person before use. Certification for
the plant will be confirmed and filed in the plant file.
It is important to have a quarantine procedure for ensuring that defective or suspect
equipment, which has been withdrawn from service, does not get back into service without
the inspection and approval of a competent person.

8.

LIFTING ARRANGEMENTS (INCLUDING DIAGRAM/PERMIT/CERTIFICATION)

A lifting operations plan will be prepared for all mechanical lifting operations. Manual
handling operations will be kept to a minimum by using mechanical lifting aids when ever
reasonably practical.
Materials will be assessed for weight from manufacturers information sheets or kinetic
techniques for lighter materials to ensure operatives are not put at risk from Manual Handling
operations. Machines safe working loads shall be displayed and not exceeded.
Building materials weighing greater than 20kg will not be used for repetitive work. Where this
is necessary, adequate resources will be used to prevent a manual handling
accident/incident.

9.

LIGHTING ARRANGEMENTS
Excavation operations will be carried out during daylight hours and therefore lighting
arrangements are not required .Temporary task & site lighting will be provided if night shift
is required.

10.

STANDBY/CALL OUT ARRANGEMENTS

Call out fitters available for all plant on site

11.

RESOURCES (EMPLOYEE/SPECIALIST CONTRACTORS)

Construction Manager
Safety Manager
Licensed Blasting Engineer
Senior Site Engineer
Setting out Engineer
Chain Boy
Supervisors
Machine Operators.
Banks man
Plant Manager
Plant Mechanics
Labourers

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12.

COMPETENCE REQUIREMENTS/CERTIFICATION OF RESOURCES

All machine operators must have supplied relevant training certificates prior to any works
commencing. Certificates of competency and declaration of medical fitness forms to be
completed by all resources involved prior to any works commencing on site. All operatives
are to receive a site induction and a method statement briefing prior to the commencement
of the works.

13.

PPE REQUIREMENTS
All resources are to wear the following as a minimum:
Hard hat
Safety boots
Hi-visibility vest/jacket
Hand protection
Eye Protection when required

14.

ACCESS/EGRESS ARRANGEMENTS/SPECIAL CONDITIONS

All activities involving moving plant will be controlled by the nominated banks man.
All personnel on site will be entered on the Briman Reservoirs Project Site Access
Authority sheet on a daily basis.
All works in and around confined spaces activities has to be carried out by a
minimum of three operatives.

15.

ENVIRONMENTAL MEASURES: NOISE/DUST/SMOKE/VAPOUR/POLLUTION

Excavated muck will be taken from site by the muck shifting sub contractor for waste
management

Plant will be chosen to minimise noise/vibration.

Fuel containers will be marked with contents.

Fuel containers will be bunded or kept in bunded facility.

Fuel will not be stored near to watercourses or drains.

Surplus materials will be assessed for potential future use on other sites

16.

TEMPORARY STRUCTURES/WORKS/CERTIFICATION
Temporary works are not envisaged at this stage. (See site investigation boring log and test
results by Arab Centre for Engineering Studies).

17.

RISK ASSESSMENTS AND CONTROL MEASURES

See risk assessments attached to the rear of this method statement

18.

PROTECTION OF PUBLIC FROM WORKS AT HEIGHT

The work area will be cordoned off with fencing and warning signage to prevent members
of public entering the work area. Mobile security will be in place for out of hours working.

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19.

COSHH INFORMATION
Possible contact with: Engine Oil, Gas Oil, Engine Grease.
All COSHH sheets are available from the Safety Department.

APPENDIX A - Specific Risk Assessments.

APPENDIX B - Specific COSHH Information.

October 2012
Method statement earth work

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