Most people commissioning building work have never heard of CDM until someone mentions it, usually late. It applies to far more projects than owners expect, and the duties it places on the client can’t be delegated away.
What CDM is
The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 govern health and safety in construction. They apply to all construction work, from a domestic extension to a commercial development.
The principle behind them is that most construction accidents trace back to decisions taken before anyone got on site: in the design, the sequencing and the procurement. So the regulations place duties on the people making those decisions, not only on the contractor.
When a principal designer is required
Where a project involves more than one contractor – which is most projects of any size – the client must appoint in writing:
- A principal designer, to plan, manage and coordinate health and safety in the pre-construction phase
- A principal contractor, to do the same for the construction phase
“More than one contractor” catches far more work than people assume. A builder plus a separate electrician is two contractors. Most extensions, refurbishments and conversions are notifiable in this sense.
If the client doesn’t make the appointments, the client takes on those duties by default. That’s the part worth knowing.
What the role involves
In the pre-construction phase:
- Identifying and eliminating foreseeable risks at the design stage, where elimination is possible, and reducing what can’t be eliminated
- Coordinating between designers so that one discipline’s solution doesn’t create a hazard for another
- Assembling the pre-construction information and making sure everyone who needs it has it
- Liaising with the principal contractor on the construction phase plan
- Preparing the health and safety file
The health and safety file matters beyond the project. It’s the record handed to the client at completion covering residual risks, asbestos, structural information and anything a future contractor needs to know. On an existing building it also means obtaining the existing file where there is one.
The client’s own duties
These sit with the client and can’t be contracted out:
- Making the appointments in writing, and in good time
- Satisfying yourself that those appointed have the skills, knowledge and experience for the project
- Providing pre-construction information, including what you know about the building – asbestos surveys, previous works, services
- Making sure welfare facilities are provided on site
- Allowing adequate time and resources for the work to be done safely
- On a notifiable project, giving notice to the Health and Safety Executive
Domestic clients are treated differently: their duties generally pass to the contractor or the principal contractor. But a domestic client who takes an active role in the project can find that distinction less clear than they assumed.
Why it’s worth appointing properly
Two reasons beyond compliance.
It catches things early. A design coordinated for buildability and maintenance is a better design. Working out how a roof will be maintained before it’s built is cheaper than afterwards.
It leaves you with a record. The health and safety file is genuinely useful to the owner of a building, and a surprising number of buildings don’t have one.
Where it sits with our other work
CDM duties run alongside the rest of a project. We act as contract administrator on building contracts, and carry out design and specification work. See our surveying and design page.
Talk to us
We act as principal designer under CDM 2015 on projects across the Cotswolds, Gloucestershire and Bath. Get in touch to discuss a project.
Frequently asked questions
CDM applies to all construction work. Where there is more than one contractor, a principal designer and principal contractor must be appointed. For domestic clients the client duties generally pass to the contractor.
The client takes on those duties themselves by default, which is rarely what anyone intended.
It’s the record handed over at completion covering residual risks and information anyone working on the building in future will need. It stays with the building.
