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.
What CDM Applies To
The CDM 2007 Regulations apply to most common building, civil engineering and engineering construction work.
Construction work means the carrying out of any building, civil engineering or engineering construction work and includes:
(a) The construction, alteration, conversion, fitting out, commissioning, renovation, repair, upkeep, redecoration or other maintenance (including cleaning which involves the use of water or an abrasive at high pressure or the use of corrosive or toxic substances), de-commissioning, demolition or dismantling of a structure;
(b) The preparation for an intended structure, including site clearance, exploration, investigation (but not site survey) and excavation, and the clearance or preparation of the site or structure for use or occupation at its conclusion;
(c) The assembly on site of prefabricated elements to form a structure or the disassembly on site of prefabricated elements which, immediately before such disassembly, formed a structure;
(d) The removal of a structure or of any product or waste resulting from demolition or dismantling of a structure or from disassembly of prefabricated elements which immediately before such disassembly formed such a structure; and
(e) The installation, commissioning, maintenance, repair or removal of mechanical, electrical, gas, compressed air, hydraulic, telecommunications, computer or similar services which are normally fixed within or to a structure.
What CDM Does Not Apply To:
(a) Putting up and taking down marquees and similar tents designed to be re-erected at various locations.
(b) General maintenance of fixed plant, except when this is done as part of other construction work, or it involves substantial dismantling or alteration of fixed plant which is large enough to be a structure in its own right, for, example structural alteration of a large silo; complex chemical plant; power station generator or large boiler.
(c) Tree planting and general horticultural work.
(d) Positioning and removal of lightweight movable partitions, such as those used to divide open-plan offices or to create exhibition stands and displays.
(e) Surveying - this includes taking levels, making measurements and examining a structure for faults.
(f) Work to or on vessels such as ships and mobile offshore installations.
(g) Off-site manufacture of items for later use in construction work (for example roof trusses, pre-cast concrete panels, bathroom pods and similar prefabricated elements and components).
(h) fabrication of elements which will form parts of offshore installations.
(i) The construction of fixed offshore oil and gas installations at the place where they will be used.
What extra responsibilities do the CDM 2007 regulations place on clients?
While there are no new client duties; pre-existing ones have been strengthened, the HSE says:
Clients already had duties under HSWA 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 to ensure construction projects were carried out safely. However under the new CDM 2007, clients are explicitly instructed to take reasonable steps to ensure that:
- Construction risk can be carried out without risk to health and safety;
- Welfare arrangements are in place before work begins;
- Any structure designed for use as a workplace complies with the Workplace Regulations;
- Sufficient time and resources are allocated to achieve these duties and
- To indicate to contractors and designers how much time is available for planning and preparation before work starts.
An accompanying ‘Approved Code of Practice’ ACoP, due to be published some time from February 2007, gives simple advice on how to fulfil these duties, says the HSE.
However, a client will no longer be able to appoint a ‘client’s agent’ to take on their legal duties and criminal liabilities under CDM.
What other significant changes do the CDM regulations of 2007 bring in?
The Executive believes that this provision of CDM 1994 was confusing. Even if the client appointed an agent, they continued to have duties and criminal liabilities under the HSWA 1974 and the MHSWR 1999.
A client can still appoint a professional to carry out their duties but the legal responsibility to comply with CDM stays with the client.
Other changes to the regulatory regime include:
Other changes to the regulatory regime include:
- Duty holders must be sure that anyone they appoint to carry out or manage design or construction is competent; and
- Duty holders themselves need to ensure that they are competent.
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
Will CDM help with demolition?
CDM regulations play an invaluable role in the life cycle of development and demolition that occurs in process plants and manufacturing sites. The safe demolition of disused facilities is crucial and the CDM regulations provide a structured base from which to work. Many companies are understandably nervous of undertaking the demolition work that may be required at a site, especially when they consider the CDM regulations they have to adhere to. There is often a belief that costs will be prohibitive and the risks difficult to manage. In this instance, an impartial project management company can offer an important support service in this situation and provide services to assist with the adherence of CDM regulations:
- Fulfilling obligations under CDM
- Undertaking a full scoping and pricing study
- Selecting competent demolition contractors
- Managing the demolition project in reference to CDM
- Assessing the environmental impact
CDM Training for business
As well as understanding the ways in which CDM regulations affect your business, there is also the need for a constant monitoring or to ensure a safety-driven business culture. Training staff to be aware of and monitor CDM regulations can enable CDM safety to become part of everyday life. A project management/training company can support your CDM learning programme by a number of different techniques:
- Tool box talks for staff
- CDM training for Duty Holders
- Alliance and team building events to spread the safety message
- CDM mentoring for inexperienced construction staff
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