Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007

The new CDM 2007 Regulations are now in force and will impact all construction projects in one way or another.

If you think you are not in the Construction industry and therefore they don’t affect you, you are probably wrong. For example, if you have responsibility for any property that needs occasional maintenance work then, as the Client, you have to comply with some very specific duties.

The "Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007" replace two previous sets of regulations:

The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994
The Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1996

The aim is to build health and safety into every stage of construction projects. That means everyone involved with a project must take account of health and safety – starting with the Client and including Designers, Principle Contractors, Contractors and Workers.

The new regulations are also aimed at discouraging unnecessary bureaucracy, eliminating hazards at the earliest stages of design and focussing effort where it will be most effective

Why New Regulations?

The Approved Code of Practice that accompanies the Regulations states the philosophy behind them in terms of:

If risks are eliminated or minimised, as well as paying dividends in terms of enhanced health and safety, it will also result in ". . .reductions in the overall cost of ownership because the structure is designed for safe and easy maintenance and cleaning work and because key information is available in the health and safety file."
(ACoP Page 1, Para 5)

This philosophy translates into a number of practical aims, including:

Make safety an integral part of managing construction projects
Identify risks as early in the design stage as possible
Encourage cooperative working between all parties
Improve project planning
Reduce bureaucracy

Where Are the Benefits?

Any legislation to do with Health and Safety has as its primary benefit the welfare of people – meaning the workers and anyone else affected by the work.

However, when handled correctly, the combination of legislation and looking after health and safety delivers other tangible benefits for companies, for example:

Productivity increases as lost time from accidents and incidents is reduced
Reputation is enhanced without the need to employ expensive PR consultants
Morale and Loyalty improves as employees see that their welfare matters
Vital Skills are retained and safeguarded
Penalty Payments from enforcement agencies are no longer a threat
Insurance Premiums can be negotiated down on the basis of good accident records

Whilst these benefits clearly apply to construction firms and those in related professions, many of them also impact directly on clients who either do their own building and maintenance work or contract it out to others.

Specific Duties

So what is at the core of the changes? In the past a Planning Supervisor was appointed for all notifiable projects.

("notifiable" means notifying the HSE about a project if the construction phase is likely to involve more than 30 working days or 500 person-days of construction work for the client)

Under the new regulations, the Planning Supervisor is replaced by the CDM Coordinator, who should be appointed as early in the project as possible to assist the client in complying with Health and Safety requirements.

Other roles also have defined duties under the new regulations, for example:

Designers, which includes anyone responsible for any part of the design work and could therefore include Architects, Project Managers, Quantity Surveyors, Engineers, Interior Designers or anyone else who is traditionally employed as a "contractor".
Principal Contractor, who is the key duty holder responsible for including health and safety compliance in the overall planning, effective management and coordination of the construction phase.
Contractor, covers any person who, as part of their business activities, carries out or manages construction work.

The regulations lay down very specific duties for these roles, along with the Client and the CDM Coordinator.

Contact EDP HS&E Consultants for all your health, safety and environment needs. We can check your current arrangements and advise you about any changes or improvements you need to make.

To discuss your requirements, without any obligation on your part, please gives us a call on 01744 766000 or complete the Enquiry Form on our website.

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