CDM and health and safety

The role of the CDM Coordinator

Under the old system, a planning supervisor was appointed by the building owner/commissioning owner to assess the competency of the contractors and review the overall compliance of the project.

This has now changed:

  • the building owner has increased duties of ownership for the health and safety of a project;
  • the planning supervisor has become a CDM Coordinator.

Projects meeting certain criteria must be notified to the Health and Safety Executive under a form F10. There are exemptions; project notification will only be required if the project:

  • lasts more than 30 days; or
  • involves more that 500 person-days on site (the previous category relating to 5 or more persons carrying out construction work, no longer applies).

Nevertheless, clients, project managers and coordinators should be familiar with the Approved Code of Practice (ACoP), which explains how to comply with the Regulations.

If you are considering acting as a CDM Coordinator, read the Regulations carefully and consider your competency to act, given the scale and scope of the project.

You will also need to:

  • assess the risks inherent in the project (typically, scoring the risk on a numerical scale);
  • assess how the contractor's pre-tender health and safety plan addresses areas of risk by either managing them or reducing the risk from any original proposals.

CDM is the one key area where surveyors would be advised to obtain some form of training (for example, by a seminar or accreditation course), so that they can demonstrate some form of documented competency to the Health and Safety Executive or to clients who – as part of the appointing process – need to be assured that they have appointed a 'competent person'.

Remember:

  • As a specifier you will be regarded as a 'designer' as defined by the Approved Code of Practice.
  • You need to be able to demonstrate that you have considered the implications of the CDM Regulations, and that you have made adjustments to the working protocols, where appropriate, to achieve this.
  • On a larger project it may be appropriate to appoint an external CDM Coordinator.

HSE guidance: The Health and Safety Executive provides free information sheets and related publications.