Introduction
The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations (CDM 2015) are the main set of regulations for managing the health, safety and welfare of construction projects.
CDM applies to all building and construction work and includes new build, demolition, refurbishment, extensions, conversions, repair and maintenance.
This information is based on sound industry practice and will particularly help small businesses and organisations deliver building and construction projects in a way that prevents injury and ill health.
There are six guides: one for each of the five duty holders under CDM and an additional one for workers.
The six guides are:
- Client
- Principal designer n Principal contractor n Designer
- Contractor
- Worker
There are two important phases of a construction project: before and during construction or building work. They are:
- the pre-construction phase: the inception, design and planning stage of a project (before the construction or building work starts), although it is acknowledged design and planning continues into and through the construction phase.
- the construction phase: the start-to-finish stage of the construction or building work.
Designers and contractors should be appointed at the earliest opportunity to help prepare and plan your project. You should also get involved so you can give your views as and when required.
Experience has shown that, when designers and contractors are involved early in the project, everyone is better able to plan ahead and solve problems together to deliver a more successful project.
Even the simplest tasks, such as arranging routine maintenance or minor building work, require adequate time to plan and manage the work safely.
Preparation: the client brief
A client brief explains to others what your project is about and your requirements before, during and after the build.
What Do You Have To Do In The Pre-Construction Phase?
The pre-construction phase is defined as any period during which design or preparatory work is carried out for a project.
As the client, you must ensure that construction work is properly planned, resourced and managed to protect the health, safety and welfare of those carrying out work on, or who may be affected by, your project.
What Do You Have To Do In The Construction Phase?
There are a number of things you should do while construction work is being carried out.
Ensure the construction phase plan is in place:
The principal contractor is required to produce a plan of how they will manage health and safety on site during the construction phase.
Before the work starts on site you will need to satisfy yourself that a construction phase plan is prepared. You do this by checking with the principal contractor that the plan is relevant and meets the requirements of the job.
The plan should be project-specific, take into account the pre-construction information provided, and its contents should be proportionate to the site risks.
Ensure welfare facilities are in place:
You must ensure suitable welfare facilities are provided on site.
You should check that they are in place from the very start of the site work by:
- agreeing that your existing welfare facilities are available to those carrying out the work
- carrying out a site visit
- asking for confirmation from the principal contractor (or contractor on a single contractor project) of what facilities are being provided.
The Health & Safety File
At the end of the project, you must ensure that the principal designer provides you with the health and safety file. On projects where the principal designer’s role has finished before the end of the project, the principal contractor will have taken on responsibility for the file and for handing it over to you.
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