The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015
CDM 2015 - Principal Designer (PD)
A principal designer is a designer who is an organisation or individual (on smaller projects) appointed by the client to take control of the pre-construction phase of any project involving more than one contractor.
Principal designers have an important role in influencing how risks to health and safety are managed throughout a project. Design decisions made during the pre-construction phase have a significant influence in ensuring the project is delivered in a way that secures the health and safety of everyone affected by the work.
Principal designers must:
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plan, manage, monitor and coordinate health and safety in the pre-construction phase. In doing so they must take account of relevant information (such as an existing health and safety file) that might affect design work carried out both before and after the construction phase has started
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help and advise the client in bringing together pre-construction information, and provide the information designers and contractors need to carry out their duties
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work with any other designers on the project to eliminate foreseeable health and safety risks to anyone affected by the work and, where that is not possible, take steps to reduce or control those risks
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ensure that everyone involved in the pre-construction phase communicates and cooperates, coordinating their work wherever required
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liaise with the principal contractor, keeping them informed of any risks that need to be controlled during the construction phase
On a domestic client project where the domestic client does not appoint a principal designer, the role of the principal designer must be carried out by the designer in control of the pre-construction phase. When working for a domestic client, the client duties will normally be taken on by another dutyholder (often the principal contractor on projects involving more than one contractor). However, the principal designer can enter into a written agreement with the domestic client to take on the client duties in addition to their own.
Further guidance on who a principal designer is; why they are important in influencing how health and safety is managed and incorporated into the wider management of a project; when they should be appointed and for how long; and what skills, knowledge and experience they need to carry out their duties in a way that ensures health and safety is available on the HSE website at: Are you a principal designer?
The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015) came into force on 6 April 2015, replacing CDM 2007. MCGEEVER Ltd provides guidance on the legal requirements for CDM 2015 and offer site management to help anyone with duties under the Regulations:
Advice is given to clients that require an understanding of:
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the law that applies to the whole construction process on all construction projects, from concept to completion; and
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what each duty holder must or should do to comply with the law to ensure projects are carried out in a way that secures health and safety.
McGeever Ltd offer these services in order to quality control all onsite activities and to ensure that all subcontractors that enter the site are aware of their obligations and requirements of the site as they arrive, so that we minimize risk, highlight residual hazards and give guidance on safe working practices at every stage of the process.
Whether its as a client representing Principal Designer (PD) or acting Principal Contractor (PC) we can bring our competent and qualified experience to your project.
CDM 2015 - Principal Contractor (PC)
A principal contractor is appointed by the client to control the construction phase of any project involving more than one contractor.
Principal contractors have an important role in managing health and safety risks during the construction phase so they must have the skills, knowledge, experience and, where relevant, organisational capability to carry out this work.
The principal contractor must:
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plan, manage, monitor and coordinate the entire construction phase
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take account of the health and safety risks to everyone affected by the work (including members of the public), in planning and managing the measures needed to control them
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liaise with the client and principal designer for the duration of the project to ensure that all risks are effectively managed
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prepare a written construction phase plan (PDF) before the construction phase begins, implement, and then regularly review and revise it to make sure it remains fit for purpose
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have ongoing arrangements in place for managing health and safety throughout the construction phase
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consult and engage with workers about their health, safety and welfare
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ensure suitable welfare facilities are provided from the start and maintained throughout the construction phase
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check that anyone they appoint has the skills, knowledge, experience and, where relevant, the organisational capability to carry out their work safely and without risk to health
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ensure all workers have site-specific inductions, and any further information and training they need
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take steps to prevent unauthorised access to the site
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liaise with the principal designer to share any information relevant to the planning, management, monitoring and coordination of the pre-construction phase
When working for a domestic client, the principal contractor will normally take on the client duties as well as their own as principal contractor. If a domestic client does not appoint a principal contractor, the role of the principal contractor must be carried out by the contractor in control of the construction phase. Alternatively, the domestic client can ask the principal designer to take on the client duties (although this must be confirmed in a written agreement) and the principal contractor must work to them as 'client' under CDM 2015.
Further guidance on who a principal contractor is; why they are important in influencing how health and safety is managed during construction work; when they should be appointed; and what skills, knowledge and experience they need to carry out their duties in a way that ensures health and safety is available on the HSE website at: Are you a principal contractor?
