CDM Regulations 2007
The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 came into force in April 2007 and replaced Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994. The CDM Regulations apply to ALL construction/refurbishment jobs except for domestic clients commissioning work on their own homes.
The key aim of CDM 2007 is to integrate health and safety into the management of the project and to encourage everyone involved to work together to:
• Improve the planning and management of projects from the very start;
• Identify risks early on;
• Target effort where it can do the most good in terms of health and safety; and
• Discourage unnecessary bureaucracy.
These Regulations are intended to focus attention on planning and management throughout construction projects, from design concept onwards. The aim is for health and safety considerations to be treated as an essential, but normal part of a project’s development – not an afterthought.
The application of the CDM 2007 is in two ways: non-notifiable projects and notifiable projects. The dutys under each are highlighted on the table below. Dutyholders under CDM 2007 are:
• Clients – A ‘client’ is anyone having construction or building work carried out as part of their business. This could be an individual, partnership or company and includes property developers or management companies for domestic properties.
• CDM Co-ordinators – A ‘CDM co-ordinator’ has to be appointed to advise the client on projects that last more than 30 days or involve 500 person days of construction work. The CDM co-ordinator’s role is to advise the client on health and safety issues during the design and planning phases of construction work.
• Designers – The term ‘designer’ has a broad meaning and relates to the function performed, rather than the profession or job title. Designers are those who, as part of their work, prepare design drawings, specifications, bills of quantities and the specification of articles and substances. This could include architects, engineers and quantity surveyors.
• Principal Contractors – A ‘principal contractor’ has to be appointed for projects which last more than 30 days or involve 500 person days of construction work. The principal contractor’s role is to plan, manage and co-ordinate health and safety while construction work is being undertaken. The principal contractor is usually the main or managing contractor for the work.
• Contractors – A ‘contractor’ is a business who is involved in construction, alteration, maintenance or demolition work. This could involve building, civil engineering, mechanical, electrical, demolition and maintenance companies, partnerships and the self-employed.
• Workers – A ’worker’ is anyone who carries out work during the construction, alteration, maintenance or demoliton of a building or structure. A worker could be, for example, a plumber, electrician, scaffolder, painter, decorator, steel erector, as well as those supervising the work, such as foreman and chargehands.
The table below indicates the dutyholders obligations on non notifiable projects (under 30 days, central column of the table) and notifiable (over 30 days/500 person shifts, to the right of the table). Click here to download a copy.
Click this image to download the PDF version