What is CDM?

Following its initial introduction in 1994, the Construction Design and Management Regulations (commonly known as the CDM Regulations) were re-introduced in April 2007, the revised Regulations are intended to make it easier for those involved in construction projects to comply with their health and safety duties.

The CDM Regulations are aimed at improving the overall management and co-ordination of health, safety and welfare throughout all stages of a construction project to reduce the large number of serious and fatal accidents and cases of ill health which happen every year in the construction industry. The HSE says that the new regulations emphasise planning and management to secure a safe project, rather than paperwork.

The Regulations place duties on all those who can contribute to the health and safety of a construction project. Duties are placed upon clients, designers and contractors with more power given to the CDM Coordinator in what is considered a more authorative and policing role.

The new regulations combine the Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations (1996) and CDM 1994 into one single set of regulations. However, they also introduce some important changes to the safety regime.

These include:

• A new duty on designers to eliminate hazards and reduce risks, as far as is reasonably practicable. They will also have a duty to ensure that any workplace they design complies with the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992;
• A Client will no longer be able to appoint an agent to take on their legal duties and criminal liabilities, thereby making the CDM Coordinator role more advisory in helping to fulfill their duties to comply with the Regulations.
• When Principal Contractors appoint contractors, they will have to tell those contractors how much time they have to prepare for on-site work;
• Contractors will have a similar duty towards those they appoint to work on-site, as well as being obligated to plan and manage their own work; and
• The role of Planning Supervisor, which carried responsibility for co-ordinating health and safety aspects of the design and the planning phase of the construction project, is to be replaced by a CDM Project Co-ordinator.

A CDM Co-ordinator, like a Planning Supervisor, has to be appointed by the client if a project lasts more than 30 days or involves more than 500 person days of work. But, unlike the Planning Supervisor, is required to advise and assist the client on how to fulfill their duties, especially on whether other duty-holders’ arrangements are adequate. At the most, only the initial design work for the job should have been completed before the position is filled.

How can I ensure my business is CDM Compliant?

To ensure that your company meets the CDM regulations, is recommended to have a CDM audit carried out by a third party. A CDM compliance audit provides an objective third party view of your company strengths and weaknesses in this area. The CDM compliance audit takes part in two separate stages. The initial approach is to gather information; this is followed by a detailed evaluation which will be presented in a formal report. If changes and alterations are noted in relation to CDM regulations, an objective project management company can assist with new implementation measures.

Who can help me ensure I comply and improve in line with CDM regulations?

Since the inception of the 1994 CDM regulations and the new regulations which came in force in April 2007, Britannia has supported many clients to ensure compliance with the legislation. Britannia’s involvement with clients is flexible and multi-faceted. We can provide CDM support as a stand alone role, such as CDM Coordinator on internal projects. Alternatively the role of principal contractor, CDM Coordinator and designer can be represented within a turnkey project or alliance scenario.

In addition to working alongside our clients, Britannia have been active in the interpretation and development of the legislation via our role as a member of the CDM Duty Holders Support Group and our involvement in many safety initiatives. This means that our advice on procedural and documentation issues is comprehensive and well developed. This covers areas such as:

• Support on the development of Risk assessment
• Development of Health and Safety Plans and Files
• Compliance and reporting
• Auditing of the Construction Site
• Chairing and Supporting the Design Risk Assessments Process

Britannia can work independently or alongside the client project owners, providing expert advice from day one. We supply crucial resource when it is needed, control budgets and programmes and ultimately deliver the project as the client originally intended. Our core business is the successful delivery of projects from feasibility, capital justification, front-end engineering, detailed design, through to full turnkey project completion, providing the client with single point responsibility.

Our up to date knowledge and translation of current legislation and CDM regulations which allows Britannia to provide practical help and advice at costs sufficient to satisfy current regulations.

What is a “CDM Coordinator"

The CDM co-ordinator (CDM-C) is the person who takes on responsibility for ensuring that the client and all the designers and contractors on the project carry out their functions with consideration for the health and safety of those who will build the structure and those who will maintain and use the structure once it is handed over.
The CDMC has his own list of responsibilities and he is also charged with assisting the client to comply with his own duties.
The CDMC is "the Clients friend and advisor" and is the one person in the desing team who is specifically looking at risk and hazard.

CDMC's are constantly looking at ways to reduce risk, not only for the builders but for the end users of the structure and those charged with maintaining and eventually demolishing the structure.
One important aspect of this job is to ensure that the builder does not push excessive burden of cost onto the client/maintainers of the structure.

This could be done by omitting access for maintenance and leaving the arrangements to be sorted out after construction this could lead to the requirement to hire elevated working platforms twice a year to clean, maintain or inspect the structure.
The cost of this over a 20 year lifespan of a building would far out weigh the cost of permanent access installation during construction, and as this is a safety issue which could then lead to inappropriate access equipment being used to reduce costs it is very much a part of the CDMC's role to look into these issues and to help the client to take an informed view.