The CDM (Construction Design and Management) Regulations were first introduced in 1994 in the UK to ensure the health and safety of everyone involved in construction projects. The regulations have since been revised in 2007 and again in 2015. The main changes introduced in the CDM Regulations 2015, compared to the previous edition, include:
- Structural simplification of the regulations to make them easier to understand and follow.
- The regulations place more emphasis on the client’s responsibility for ensuring that construction work is carried out safely, and require the client to appoint a Principal Designer and a Principal Contractor where more than one contractor is involved
- The replacement of the Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) with more targeted guidance.
- Replacement of the role of CDM Coordinator with a new role of the Principal Designer (PD).
- Removal of Competence Assessment – all consultants should self-assess if they are competent to deliver their roles.
- Domestic clients are no longer exempted from the Regs, but their CDM duties are passed on to the Contractor.
- Change to the threshold for appointment of the Principal Designer, to require coordinators (Principal Designer & Principal Contractor) where there is more than one Contractor involved in the project at any one time.
- The new regulations require that a Construction Phase Plan be produced for every construction project, regardless of size. The plan outlines the health and safety arrangements and procedures that will be in place during the construction phase of the project.
- The threshold for notification to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) using the F10 form has changed; the requirement is for the project to last 30 days AND involve 20 workers at any time OR last longer than 500 person days.
- The regulations require that a risk assessment is carried out for every project, identifying the potential hazards and risks associated with the work, and specifying the measures that will be put in place to control those risks.
- For client-led domestic projects, the client must ensure that the work is carried out safely, including appointing a Principal Designer and a Principal Contractor where necessary, and ensuring that the construction phase plan is in place. The client must also provide information about the property, including any known hazards, to all duty holders.
