Construction Design and Management Regulations

What is Construction Design Management (CDM):

Following its initial introduction in 1994, the Construction Design and Management Regulations (commonly known as the CDM Regulations) were re-introduced in April 2007, the revised Regulations are intended to make it easier for those involved in construction projects to comply with their health and safety duties.

The CDM Regulations are aimed at improving the overall management and co-ordination of health, safety and welfare throughout all stages of a construction project to reduce the large number of serious and fatal accidents and cases of ill health which happen every year in the construction industry. The HSE says that the new regulations focus on effective planning and management to manage the risk not just the paperwork.

The Regulations place duties on all those who can contribute to the health and safety of a construction project. Duties are placed upon clients, designers and contractors with more power given to the CDM Coordinator in what is considered a more authorative and policing role.

The revised regulations combine the Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations (1996) and CDM 1994 into one single set of regulations. However, they also introduce some important changes to the safety regime.

What the CDM Regulations include:

A new duty on designers to eliminate hazards and reduce risks, as far as is reasonably practicable. They will also have a duty to ensure that any workplace they design complies with the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992; A Client will no longer be able to appoint an agent to take on their legal duties and criminal liabilities, thereby making the CDM Coordinator appointment more predominant role in helping clients to fulfil their statutory duties under the revised regulations.

When Principal Contractors appoint contractors, they will have to tell those contractors how much time they have to prepare for on-site work; Contractors will have a similar duty towards those they appoint to work on-site, as well as being obligated to plan and manage their own work; and the role of Planning Supervisor, which carried responsibility for co-ordinating health and safety aspects of the design and the planning phase of the construction, was replaced by a CDM Project Co-ordinator.

A CDM Co-ordinator, like a Planning Supervisor, has to be appointed by the client if a project lasts more than 30 days or involves more than 500 person days of work. But, unlike the Planning Supervisor, the CDMC is now required to advise and assist the client on how to fulfil their duties, especially on whether other duty-holders' arrangements competencies and resources are adequate.

How can I ensure my business is CDM compliant:

To ensure that a company complies with the CDM regulations, it is recommended that a third party carries out a CDM audit on all relevant aspects of a business. A CDM compliancy audit provides an objective view of your company's strengths and weaknesses by a detailed evaluation presented in a formal report. If changes and alterations are required to existing arrangements in relation to CDM regulations, an objective Project Management Specialist can assist with the installation and compliancy of the implementation of new or updated systems and procedures measures. Alternatively, Companies can ensure compliance by selecting professional engineering support when performing those projects which include construction elements.

Since the inception of the 1994 CDM regulations and the new regulations which came in force in April 2007, PROjEN have supported many clients to ensure compliance with the legislation. PROjEN's involvement with clients is flexible and multi-faceted. We can provide CDM support as a stand alone role, such as CDM Coordinator on internal projects. Alternatively the role of Principal Contractor, CDM Coordinator and Designer can be represented within a turnkey project or alliance scenario.

How PROjEN can help:

In addition to working alongside our clients, PROjEN have been active in the interpretation and development of the legislation and have been involved in many safety initiatives. This means that our advice on procedural and documentation issues is comprehensive and highly developed. Services include:

• Safety Monitoring & Risk Assessment
• Pre-Construction & Construction Phase Plans
• Design & Construction Risk Assessments
• System Adequacy
• Compliance & Reporting
• Objective Auditing
• Advice on producing Method Statements & Risk Assessments