If you are about to alter or extend a building or structure, thinking of putting up a new one or demolishing an old one, then the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2007 place a number of specific duties on you. Typically you will need an adviser (CDM Co-ordinator) available to help you deal with these. On larger 'notifable' projects you are required to appoint a CDM Co-ordinator before significant detailed design work begins so they can advise and assist you with your duties. If you would like to know more about how our construction safety consultants could assist you please visit click CDM Coordinator
Background
The role of CDM co-ordinator is to provide the client with a specialist advisor for construction health and safety risk management matters. The role is to assist and advise the client on the appointment of competent designers and contractors and the adequacy of management arrangements. They ensure proper co-ordination of the health and safety aspects of the design process facilitating good communication and cooperation between project team members and co-ordinate the preparation of the health and safety file.
The early appointment of the CDM co-ordinator is crucial for effective planning and establishing management arrangements at the beginnign of the project. The regulations require the appointment to take place as soon as is practicable after initial design work or other preparation for construction work has begun. This will allow the client to appraise their project needs and objectives, including the business case and any possible constraints on development to enable them to decide whether or not to proceed with the project before appointing the CDM co-ordinator.
The CDM co-ordinator should be in a position to be able to co-ordinate the design work and advise on the suitability of the designs, and therefore they should be appointed before any significant detailed design work begins. This would include preparation of the initial concept and strategic brief. The reasoning behind this is that as the project enters the detailed design stage, it becomes more difficult to make fundamental changes that eliminate hazards and reduce risks associated with design decisions.
Duties of CDM Co-ordinators:
- Give suitable and sufficient advice and assistance to clients in order to help them to comply with their duties, in particular the duty to appoint competent designers and contractors; and the duty to ensure that adequate arrangements are in place for managing the project;
- notify HSE about the project;
- co-ordinate design work, planning and other preparation for construction where relevant to health and safety;
- identify and collect the pre-construction information and advise the client if surveys need to be commissioned to fill significant gaps;
- promptly provide in a convenient form to those involved with the design of the structure; and to every contractor (including the principal contractor) who may be or has been appointed by the client, such parts of the pre-construction information which are relevant to each;
- manage the flow of health and safety information between clients, designers and contractors;
- advise the client on the suitability of the initial construction phase plan and the arrangements made to ensure that welfare facilities are on site from the start;
- co-ordinate the production or updating of a relevant, user friendly, health and safety file suitable for future use at the end of the construction phase.
Clients are responsible for appointing competent and adequately resourced designers and contractors (including Principal Contractors). Most clients, particularly those whose involvement with construction work is limited or non-existent, will not have the expertise necessary to assess the competency and resources of designers and especially contractors. A competent CDM Co-ordinator will have this knowledge and expertise, and they should assist clients with these assessments.
If you have a project which demands or would benefit from our involvement please contact us on 01453 800100 for a complete service which also offers construction site safety visits from an experienced construction safety consultant.
