Thursday, April 23, 2015

New CDM 2015 Regulations come into force

As of 6th April 2015, all construction projects will be subject to new Construction (Design & Management) 2015 Regulations (CDM). The CDM 2015 Regulations are the main set of regulations for managing the health, safety and welfare of construction projects. CDM 2015 applies to all building and construction work (commencing both before and after April 6th) and includes new build, demolition, refurbishment, extensions, conversions, repair and maintenance, from the beginning concept to the final completion.

Under the new CDM regulations, the key change will be the introduction of a Principal Designer (PD) to replace the CDM Coordinator (CDM-C). The role of the Principal Contractor (PC) will remain the same.

The Role of the Principal Designer

The Principal Designer is appointed by the client. Some key responsibilities of the Principal Designer include:
  • Coordinating and planning adequate Health & Safety before construction begins
  • Identifying foreseeable hazards of the project and being able to control and eliminate them
  • Making sure that designers adhere to the regulations and cooperate with others on Health & Safety matters
  • Liaising with the Principal Contractor to assist with the necessary planning, management, monitoring and co-ordination of the construction phase
  • Assisting the Client to identify, obtain and collate pre-construction information
  • Preparing the Health & Safety File

The Role of the Client

The CDM 2015 defines a client as anyone for whom a construction project is carried out. The regulations apply to both domestic and commercial clients. A client now has a responsibility to make suitable arrangements for managing a project. This includes making sure that:
  • Other duty holders are appointed
  • Sufficient time and resources are allocated
  • Relevant information is prepared and provided to other duty holders
  • The Principal Designer and Principal Contractor carry out their duties
  • Welfare facilities are provided
We have put the official route-map of information and responsibility on our website here