What is a CDM Principal Designer & do you need one?
CDM Principal Design Services
This information looks at the CDM Principal Design Support Services – Health and Safety.
In 2015, the regulations that govern building works in the home changed. The Government’s Construction (Design & Manufacture) Regulations (CDM 2015) set out the requirements for any design on a construction project and the new role of CDM Principal Designer was created.
A CDM Principal Designer must be appointed on any construction project involving, or likely to involve, multiple contractors. This will apply to most home renovations, extensions, and new build projects.
Most construction projects usually require many different professionals, such as consultants and contractors. The CDM Principal Designer takes the lead on health and safety matters before construction work starts on site. (the pre-construction phase of a project) This is to minimise potential safety problems and delays right from the outset.
In this blog, we set out the role of the CDM Principal Designer and look at what they do and when you should appoint them.
What is a CDM Principal Designer
The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015) sets out legal requirements that apply to the whole construction process on all construction projects, from concept to completion.
As one of the duty holders, defined under CDM 2015, the CDM Principal Designer can be an organisation (or individual) who takes the lead in planning, managing, monitoring and coordinating matters relating to health and safety during design and planning stage of a project (the pre-construction phase).
What is the role of a CDM Principal Designer?
CDM Principal Designers have an important role in influencing how risks to health and safety are managed throughout a project. They ensure that the project is safe to build, use and maintain (and demolish).
The exact nature of the risks to health and safety on a project will depend on each individual project. The CDM Principal Designer will work with other designers, contractors and the client to consider and identify these risks, and to plan how to eliminate (eg, design out the risk), reduce or control them.
To be able to perform the role, the CDM Principal Designer must have the right skills and experience. When deciding who to appoint, you should ensure that they have:
- Technical knowledge of the construction industry.
- An understanding of how health and safety is managed through the design process.
- Skills to be able to oversee health and safety during the pre-construction phase of the project and the ongoing design.
It’s important to understand that CDM Principal Designers are not Health and Safety inspectors nor architectural designers. They evaluate risk and establish a procedure for project safety.
To ensure that a project is carried out without risks (where possible) to health and safety, a CDM Principal Designer will need to action the following:
- Plan, manage, monitor, and coordinate health and safety in the pre-construction phase.
- Help and advise the client in bringing together pre-construction information. Assisting in providing any information that designers or contractors may need to carry out their duties.
- Work with other designers on the project to identify foreseeable health and safety risks to anyone affected by the work and take action to eliminate these risks through design. Where this is not possible, take measures to reduce or control these risks.
- Ensure that everyone involved in the pre-construction phase communicates and cooperates with each other and coordinates their design work, as required.
- Prepare a health and safety file and ensure it is appropriately reviewed, updated, and revised with any changes to the design, that occur during the course of the project.
The CDM Principal Designer’s role continues into the construction phase and involves:
- appraising modifications to existing designs during the construction phase. Assessing further design work that may be required and working with the designers and contractors to eliminate, reduce or control these risks.
- liaising with the Principal Contractor and share any relevant information to assist the Principal Contractor with the management and coordination of health and safety matters.
- reviewing and updating the health and safety file, as appropriate.
For further details check Health and Safety Principal Design Role
Do I need a CDM Principal Designer on my project?
As per the above, yes – CDM 2015 applies to all construction work including domestic projects. Under these regulations, a CDM Principal Designer must be appointed on projects likely to require multiple contractors.
Appointing the CDM Principal Designer as early as possible in design process is essential. This will avoid potential delays and unnecessary costs.
Given the wide range of disciplines involved in the design process, the CDM Principal Designer’s role is key. It involves being both a:
- facilitator – ensuring everyone involved during the projects pre-construction phase is collaborating and communicating effectively
- coordinator – working with others in the project team. Coordinating to ensure that the significant and foreseeable risks are managed throughout the design process
With several duties to perform before work starts on site, an early involvement is essential. CDM Principal Designers have an important role to fulfil in influencing the design process. Also influencing how risks to health and safety are managed throughout a project.
On domestic client projects if the client does not appoint a CDM Principal Designer, then the role defaults to the Architect. Check that your Architect is happy to fulfil this role. If this is not something that they can do or are willing to do, CLPM can support you with this role.
CLPM Support Services for Clients and CDM Principal Design Services
In summary, CDM 2015 applies to all construction projects (including domestic projects). Any construction project that is likely to involve multiple contractors must have a designated a CDM Principal Designer.
CLPM promotes best practice. We offer support services to clients and Designers (undertaking the CDM Principal Designer role) to enable each to seamlessly fulfil their relevant duties under CDM 2015.
If you are interested in further information, why not have a look at our project management section and our blogs.
If you’re carrying out a major building project and would like to learn more about the CDM Support services CLPM can offer, please get in touch. We’d love to hear from you!
Call 01923 896550, email info@cl-pm.com
Blog: CDM Principal Design Support Services – Health and Safety
