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Construction, Design and Management (CDM)
Information and guidance on managing health and safety in construction work commissioned or undertaken by Cumberland Council.
The following provides information and guidance on managing health and safety in construction work commissioned or undertaken by Cumberland Council (including by Community and Voluntary Controlled schools).
The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015) set out what people involved in construction work need to do to protect themselves from harm and anyone the work affects.
Whatever your role in a construction project, CDM 2015 aims to improve health and safety in the industry by helping you to
- Sensibly plan the work so the risks involved are managed from start to finish
- Have the right people for the right job at the right time
- Cooperate and coordinate your work with others
- Have the right information about the risks and how they are being managed
- Communicate this information effectively to those who need to know
- Consult and engage with workers about the risks and how they are being managed
CDM 2015 sets out specific duties for different categories of organisations and individuals. As well as being a "Client" under these regulations, the Authority undertakes the other defined roles at some time or another and also engages contractors to undertake some roles. It is possible for any party to undertake more than one role in a given project so it is important for project managers to understand the duties of each. See the menu to the left for details of the duty holders main responsibilities under in CDM 2015.
As part of ongoing training we have produced an E-Learning package which should be completed by anyone going out on site to show "understanding" of the CDM requirements.
CDM General Information
The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015) apply to any construction projects. Construction is defined in CDM Regulation 2 as "the carrying out of any building, civil engineering or engineering construction work" this can range from anything such as refurbishment, decoration, to the building of large structures, and to ultimate demolition of these. CDM 2015 aims to ensure that health and safety is paramount from concept to completion. These pages provide guidance on the legal requirements for CDM 2015 to help anyone whose duties come under the Regulations.
CDM 2015 requires specific people to become "Duty Holders". "Duty holders " (Under CDM 2015), have to comply with the Regulations to ensure that projects they are involved with are carried out in a way that secures health and safety throughout. Detailed duty holder roles are outlined in the links on the menu to the left.
The appropriate duty holders will be required to provide information to complete the Pre-Construction Information and the Construction Phase Plan and share with all parties to ensure co-operation and co-ordination.
Concerto can be used as a Project Management tool to track and monitor construction projects. This will enable Project Managers to document compliance with CDM 2015.
If you require any health and safety advice in relation to construction projects, please contact the Health and Safety Team healthandsafety@cumbria.gov.uk
Useful guidance for all duty holders under CDM 2015 can be found on the following links:
The CITB are the Construction Industry Training Board and a partner in the Sector Skills Council for the construction industry in England, Scotland and Wales.
Health and safety in procurement of construction works, goods and services
Procedure No 4 Managing Contractors in Construction Work.pdf
CDM Information for Clients
A Client can be an organisation or individual for whom a construction project is carried out. For works commissioned or carried out by Cumberland Council we will always have the "client" duty holder function in any construction project. Ensuring compliance with CDM 2015 and that suitable arrangements are in place for managing a project will be led by a nominated Project Manager.
We encourage all "Duty Holders" to track and monitor their projects on Concerto which can assist project managers to document compliance with CDM 2015.
A clients main duties include:
- ensuring that that other duty holders are appointed (where necessary) This must be done in writing - CDM Princ Designer Princ Contractor (PD PC) appointment letter
- ensuring that sufficient time and resources are allocated;
- ensuring relevant information is prepared and provided to other duty holders;
- monitoring to ensure that the principal designer and principal contractor carry out their duties;
- ensuring a Construction Phase Plan is provided to them which includes adequate welfare facilities and arrangements.
Once you have received notification from the Principal Designer that the Construction Phase Plan is adequate you can notify the Principal Contractor/Contractor that it has been received and addresses the arrangements for managing risks and that work can commence on site: Construction phase may start letter
A Principal Designer and Principal Contractor are required when there will be more than one contractor on-site. CDM 2015 requires that the HSE must be notified of any project defined as "construction work" which is likely to last longer than 30 working days and have more than 20 workers working simultaneously at any point in the project or exceed 500 person days..
Follow this link to a decision tree to determine what type of duty holders you require and whether the project is notifiable. Decision Tree
If the job is ''notifiable'' it is the Project Manager's responsibility to ensure that this is carried out.
On completion the client must ensure that the principal designer prepares a health and safety file for the project and that it is revised as necessary and made available to anyone who needs it for subsequent work at the site.
Further detailed guidance for Client's under CDM 2015 can be found on the following links:
Need Building Work Done - A Guide for Clients
Construction (Design and Management) Regulations
CDM Information for Designers
Designers are Person(s) preparing or modifying a ‘design’ for a construction project (including temporary works) or instructing someone else to do this.
Design is very wide ranging in scope: Design can be taken to include anything from specifying a decorative finish to designing a highly complex structure. The term 'designer' relates to the function performed, rather than the profession or job title. It is easy to unwittingly take on Designer duties under CDM.
Designers come from many professions and backgrounds including Architecture, Surveying, Engineering, Highways and the like. All designers should be aware of industry advice on avoiding hazards in their design.
Further detailed guidance for Designers under CDM 2015
CDM Information for Principal Designers
The Principal Designer (PD Duty Holder) is a legal term in CDM that describes a role that must be appointed by the Client in projects involving more than one contractor at any time during construction work. The PD can be an organisation or an individual. A PD's key duties are to manage, monitor and co-ordinate the pre-construction phase of a project to identify, eliminate or control foreseeable risks and ensure other designers undertake their duties. The PD must also provide relevant information to other duty holders and liaise with the Principal Contractor (PC) to help plan, manage and coordinate the construction phase.
The Principal Designer must also provide relevant information: Pre-Construction Information to other duty holders and liaise with the Principal Contractor to help plan, manage and coordinate the construction phase.
If the Client does not appoint the PD in writing then they retain those duties and responsibilities.
The following letter can be used to identify the Principal Designer CDM Princ Designer Princ Contractor (PD PC) appointment letter
At the end of the project the Principal Designer, or where there's no Principal Designer the Principal Contractor, must pass the H&S File to the Client.
If the Principal Designers appointment concludes before the end of the project, the Principal Designer must pass the H&S File to the Principal Contractor.
Detailed guidance for Principal Designers under CDM 2015
CDM Information for Contractors
A contractor is anyone who directly employs or engages construction workers or manages construction work. Contractors include sub-contractors, any individual self-employed worker or business that carries out, manages, or controls construction work. They must have the skills, knowledge, experience and, where relevant, the organisational capability to carry out the work safely and without risk to health.
Contractors and the workers under their control are most at risk of injury and ill health from construction work. Contractors therefore have an important role in planning, managing, and monitoring their work to ensure any risks are controlled.
Contractors on all projects must:
- make sure the client is aware of the client’s duties under CDM 2015 before any works starts.
- plan, manage and monitor all work carried out by themselves and their workers, taking into account the risks to anyone who might be affected by it (including members of the public) and the measures needed to protect them.
- check that all workers they employ or appoint have the skills, knowledge, training and experience to carry out the work, or are in the process of obtaining them.
- make sure that all workers under their control have a suitable, site-specific induction, unless this has already been provided by the principal contractor.
- provide appropriate supervision, information and instructions to workers under their control.
- ensure they do not start work on site unless reasonable steps have been taken to prevent unauthorised access.
- ensure suitable welfare facilities are provided from the start for workers under their control, and maintain them throughout the work
In addition to the above responsibilities, contractors working on projects involving more than one contractor must:
- coordinate their work with the work of others in the project team.
- comply with directions given by the principal designer or principal contractor.
- comply with parts of the construction phase plan relevant to their work.
Read detailed guidance for contractors under CDM 2015 on the HSE website.
CDM Information for Principal Contractors (PC)
Principal Contractor (PC). This is a legal term in CDM that describes a role that must be appointed by the Client in projects involving more than one contractor at any time during construction work. The PC can be an organisation or an individual and is usually the main or managing contractor. A PC's key duty is to co-ordinate and manage the construction phase to ensure the health and safety of everybody carrying out construction work, or who is affected by the work.
If the Client does not appoint the PD in writing then they retain those duties and responsibilities.
The following letter can be used to identify the Principal Designer -CDM Princ Designer Princ Contractor (PD PC) appointment letter
A Contractor in CDM means any person who in the course or furtherance of a business carries out or manages construction work. In CDM the Authority will therefore be considered to be a contractor if undertaking such work. In this procedure "External Contractor" means an organisation or individual (including consultants) contracted by the authority to undertake a specific role under CDM or any construction-based task and includes consultants.
Further detailed guidance for (Principal) Contractors under CDM 2015
Additionally the Authority places further duties to comply with the Link here to Managing Contractors Procedure