Principal Designer Services ( CDM 2015 )
Regulation 4 of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 sets out the Client’s duty to manage the health and safety of a construction project. For projects involving more than one contractor (including subcontractors), these regulations require the client to appoint a principal designer to help plan and manage the pre-construction phase health and safety on their behalf.
Working with the project design team, the Principal Designer helps to design health and safety risk out of the project and contributes to 4 key information packages for the Client:
1. The Pre-Construction Information pack
A Client must provide Pre-Construction Information (PCI) as soon as is practicable
A Client must provide Pre-Construction Information (PCI) as soon as is practicable to every Designer and Contractor appointed, or being considered for appointment. The PCI includes information already in the Client’s possession (e.g. existing Health and Safety File, an asbestos survey, structural drawings, services etc.) or which is straightforward to obtain through reasonable enquiry. The Client should expect the Principal Designer to assemble this information into a robust set of documents for the use of the key duty holders.
2. The F-10 Notification
Under certain circumstances a project is notifiable to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
A project is notifiable to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) if construction work is scheduled to last longer than 30 working days and have 20 workers working simultaneously at any point, or if the project will exceed 500 person days. Where a project is notifiable, notice must be supplied to the HSE as soon as is practicable before the construction phase begins via submission of the F-10 form.
3. The Construction Phase Plan
During the pre-construction phase, before setting up a construction site, the Principal Contractor must draw up a Construction Phase Plan
During the pre-construction phase, before setting up a construction site, the Principal Contractor must draw up a Construction Phase Plan which sets out the health and safety arrangements and site rules. The Principal Designer must assist the Principal Contractor in preparing the construction phase plan by providing to the Principal Contractor all the information the Principal Designer holds that is relevant, including the PCI and information obtained by the project design team.
4. The Health and Safety File
The file must contain information about the current project which is likely to be needed to ensure the health and safety of any subsequent works
The file must contain information about the current project which is likely to be needed to ensure the health and safety of any subsequent works, such as maintenance, cleaning, refurbishment or demolition. The Principal Designer is required to issue the Health and Safety File to the Client upon completion of the project, and the Client is required to present this file to future designers and contractors working on the property.
Kempton Smith Limited are Principal Designers and Incorporated Members of the Association for Project Safety with over 50 years of combined experience delivering successful building projects. Kempton Smith Limited also offer CPD sessions relating to construction health and safety, and the CDM (2015) Regulations. For more information on Principal Design or our CPDs, please email david@kemptonsmith.co.uk or call our offices on 02072544060.
The following Construction Industry Training Board guides detail the legal duties placed on the key duty holders involved in construction projects under CDM (2015), Click the buttons to download.