The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007

CDM regulations apply to most common building, civil engineering and engineering construction work. They require clients of construction work to make reasonable arrangements for managing projects (including the allocation of sufficient time and other resources) so that:

1. Work can be carried out without risk to the health and safety of any person,
2. The welfare of people working on the construction site is addressed (e.g. providing sanitary and washing facilities, drinking water etc.)
3. Any structures designed for use as a workplace have been designed taking account of the provisions of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992.

Under the regulations the client has a duty to appoint certain roles (listed below). They must take reasonable steps to ensure only competent people are appointed or engaged; and any person taking on a role must only do so if they are competent. The client must:

• Appoint a CDM co-ordinator – required to give suitable and sufficient advice and assistance to the client, ensuring suitable arrangements for the co-ordination of health and safety measures during the project, collating and providing health and safety information, liaising with the principal contractor, and notifying the HSE where required;
• Appoint a principal contractor – responsible for co-ordinating health and safety aspects during the construction phase;
• Ensure that the CDM co-ordinator is provided with health and safety information about the premises or site where construction work is to be carried out.

Appointments need to be made in a timely manner so that there is time to develop suitable health and safety plans before construction begins. Everyone involved in the project must seek the co-operation of, and co-operate with others working on the project. Also, any person working under the control of another person has to report anything they are aware that is likely to endanger the health or safety of themselves or others.

Every person involved in design, planning and preparation of a project must take account of the general principles of prevention of accidents and ill health.
For the purposes of these Regulations, a project is notifiable to the Health and Safety Executive if it is not for a domestic client (in which case there is no requirement for notification) and the construction phase is likely to involve more than 30 days or 500 person days of construction work.
A health and safety file must be developed that contains information relating to the project which is likely to be needed during any construction work, and future maintenance or modification. The file is passed on to the client at the end of the project. It should include any of the following where appropriate:

• ‘Record’ or ‘as built’ drawings and plans used and produced throughout the construction process;
• The design criteria;
• General details of the construction methods and materials used;
• Details of the equipment and maintenance facilities within the structure;
• Maintenance procedures and requirements for the structure;
• Manuals produced by specialist contractors and suppliers which outline operating maintenance procedures and schedules for plant and equipment installed as part of the structure;
• Location and nature of utilities and services, including emergency and fire-fighting systems.

The client must be given the safety file at the end of the project and take reasonable steps to ensure that it is kept available for inspection by those considering future construction work.

Reference – The regulations are available free