CDM 2015 Duties Explained: Who's Responsible for What

The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 apply to every construction project in Great Britain, no matter how small. A homeowner having a loft converted is a CDM client. A one-day roof repair is a CDM project.

Here's who has to do what.

Client

The person or organisation the work is being done for. Duties:

• Appoint a principal designer and principal contractor in writing (if more than one contractor is involved).
• Make sure enough time and resource is allocated.
• Provide pre-construction information to designers and contractors.
• Ensure welfare facilities are provided on site.
• For notifiable projects (over 500 person-days, or more than 30 working days with more than 20 workers at any one time), submit an F10 notification to HSE.

For domestic clients, the duties usually pass automatically to the contractor (or principal contractor if there's more than one).

Principal Designer

Appointed by the client where more than one contractor is involved. Duties:

• Plan, manage and monitor the pre-construction phase.
• Coordinate health and safety in design.
• Help the client compile pre-construction information.
• Prepare the Health & Safety File and hand it to the principal contractor.

Principal Contractor

Also appointed by the client where more than one contractor is involved. Duties:

• Plan, manage and monitor the construction phase.
• Prepare a Construction Phase Plan before work starts.
• Coordinate all contractors on site.
• Ensure site rules are set and communicated.
• Consult with workers on H&S matters.
• Secure the site and provide welfare.

Designers

Anyone who prepares or modifies a design — architects, engineers, quantity surveyors specifying materials, even a contractor choosing a construction method.

• Eliminate foreseeable risks so far as reasonably practicable.
• If risks can't be eliminated, reduce or control them.
• Provide information about residual risks with the design.

Contractors

Anyone who carries out or manages construction work.

• Plan, manage and monitor their own work.
• Ensure workers have the skills, knowledge, training and experience (SKTE) for the task.
• Provide site-specific induction.
• Comply with the Construction Phase Plan.

Workers

• Be consulted on H&S matters.
• Take care of themselves and others affected by their work.
• Report anything they see that's likely to endanger someone.
• Cooperate with their employer.

The paperwork trail CDM expects

1. Pre-Construction Information (PCI) — from client, via principal designer.
2. Construction Phase Plan (CPP) — from principal contractor, before work starts.
3. RAMS — from each contractor for their tasks.
4. Site inductions and toolbox talks — recorded with signatures.
5. F10 notification — to HSE for notifiable projects.
6. Health & Safety File — compiled by principal designer, handed to client at project end.

Small-project checklist

Even on a two-week bathroom rip-out with a single trade:

• Client duties still apply (usually pass to the contractor for domestic work).
• CPP still required — it just doesn't need to be War and Peace.
• RAMS still required for high-risk tasks (asbestos, working at height, hot works).
• Induction still required.
• H&S File still handed over at completion.

Managing CDM records in SiteClick

SiteClick keeps every RAMS, toolbox talk, induction, permit and incident report against the project. Workers sign digitally on their phones with printed name, role and timestamp — so if HSE knock, the audit trail is already assembled.

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