The Health and Safety Blog

CDM Coordinator - a proactive integral member of the project delivery team and a key health and safety advisor to the client.

As client accepting low fees will increase your chances of risk management problems with your project. We believe our fee is probably the most competitive in the industry. Our costs reflects what’s necessary to carry out a full and proper CDMC function as required by the CDM Regulations and associated ACOP and industry guidance.

CDM Coordinators fee typical guide - 0.1% where the build cost is between £1.5m and £5m.  Fees are negotiable above £5million, whilst projects below £1.5m usually attract a fee of between £850 and £1,500.

If clients accept low fees then the following just will not happen.

What do our CDM coordinators costs allow?

• We will provide adequate resources to deliver the CDM coordinator Role.
• We will attend design team meetings,
• We will coordinate health and safety aspects of the design,
• We will liaise with principal contractors and manage pre construction information,
• We will produce health and safety files,
• We advise and assist our clients from start to finish.

It’s fair to say that the “cheapest price does not mean best value” what it means is that CDM coordinators will not be able to operate as efficiently and effectively as they should do as the key adviser to the client if the fee won’t allow them to do so.

By the way; any Designer, Architect or Engineer who recommends Veritas Consulting to their client can claim a 5% commission.

…expert CDM Coordinators Birmingham, West Midlands – learn more about the CDM C Service and make a quick online enquiry here.

safetymatters CDM Regulations CDM Coordinator, CDM Coordinators, CDM Regulations

Creating a Construction Phase Plan compliance with the CDM Regulations

The Construction Phase Plan must be prepared by a Principal Contractor for a notifiable project in compliance with CDM prior to works commence.  A Construction Phase Plan seeks to convey information provided by the client, CDM Coordinators, designers and others and efforts must be made to produce a document which is as comprehensive as possible.

It should be noted, however, that an initial Construction Phase Plan does not seek to be exhaustive – there may be unidentified hazards, which are present on the site, in the existing structures or arise during the planned works.  The focus in this stage of the Plan document is to highlight known major hazards, particularly those which may be regarded as non-standard or abnormal in some way.  The absence of a reference to a specific hazard should not be taken as a warranty that such a hazard is not present or cannot and will not arise during the works.

A Construction Phase Plan addresses health and safety issues.

Using a Construction Phase Plan Template

The Construction Phase Plan is to be developed by the principal contractor throughout the life of the project and should become a specific document which sets out the arrangements for securing the health and safety of all those carrying out the work and all others who may be affected by it.

When developing the health and safety plan the principal contractor should identify the hazards and assess the risk at each of the main stages of the construction phase including but not necessarily limited to those identified in the pre construction information.  The principal contractor should also identify his organisation and arrangements for managing health, safety and the environment.

The Construction Phase Health and Safety Plan needs to be kept up to date, modified and altered in the light of changing circumstances.  As the construction work progresses safety method statements and information from contractors starting during the various work stages will invariably mean parts of the health and safety plan have to be amended and updated.

Regular reviews of parts of the plan need to be made if there are design changes unforeseen circumstances etc.  It is vital that such changes are notified to all those working on site who may be affected, in particular the CDM Coordinator.

Purchase a fully editable Construction Phase Plan Template and other useful document templates right here

safetymatters CDM Regulations CDM Regulations, Construction Phase Plan

CDM Legal Liabilities of Project Managers

This brief overview raises the question of what the Project Manager’s criminal liabilities would be if their advice or omissions contributed to a Client failing to fulfil one of their statutory duties.

Ultimately, the project manager could be prosecuted through application of Section 36 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASWA). This states that “where the commission by any person of an offence under any of the relevant statutory provisions is due to the act or default of some other person, that other person shall be guilty of the offence, and a person may be charged with and convicted of the offence by virtue of this subsection whether or not proceedings are taken against the first-mentioned person.”

In other words, a PM could be prosecuted for causing a Client to breach CDM 2007 whether or not the Client is also prosecuted.

Here is an approach used by the HSE in a prosecution on 12/11/08.

Calderbrook Estates had appointed a Michael Stephenson as a roofing contractor. An employee of Stephenson fell four metres from the roof and broke both his heels. Stephenson was prosecuted for a breach of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 for having failed to arrange a safe system of work. Calderbrook was prosecuted for exactly the same offence, by virtue of Section 36 of HASWA, due to their default:

Specifically, Calderbrook failed to supervise and monitor the work which it had partly organised thereby contributing to the accident and the offence committed by Stephenson.

…..To avoid risk of prosecution under section 36 of HASWA, PMs should therefore ensure that the Client’s duties are complied with insofar as these matters are under the control of the PM.

…..The Client cannot delegate their legal CDM liabilities to the PM but should a Client breach a Regulation due to the failures of a PM, the PM could face prosecution for that breach, whether or not the Client is prosecuted.

The above is taken from an APS newsletter

For advice and assistance YOU should contact Veritas Health and Safety Consultants on 0121 249 1281 …the expert CDM Coordinators

safetymatters CDM Regulations CDM Regulations, liabilities, project managers

On all non domestic construction projects, the Client is required to:-
• Check competence and resources of all appointees
• Ensure there are suitable management arrangements for the project including welfare facilities
• Allow sufficient time and resources for all stages
• Provide pre-construction information to designers and contractors
Read more…

safetymatters CDM Regulations, Construction, Health and Safety Law CDM Regulations

CDM2007 requires an assessment of the competence of organisations and individuals engaged or appointed under CDM2007. This specifically relates to those appointed as CDM co-ordinators; designers; principal contractors and contractors.

To be competent, an organisation or individual must have:-

(a) Sufficient knowledge of the specific tasks to be undertaken and the risks which the work will entail;
(b) Sufficient experience and ability to carry out their duties in relation to the project; to recognise their limitations and take appropriate action in order to prevent harm to those carrying out construction work, or those affected by the work.
Read more…

safetymatters CDM Regulations, Construction CDM Coordinators, CDM Regulations, Competence, Competence and Resource Assessment

The role of CDM co-ordinator is to provide the client with a key project advisor in respect of construction health and safety risk management matters. They assist and advise the client on the appointment of competent designers and contractors and the adequacy of management arrangements. They ensure proper co-ordination of the health and safety aspects of the design process. They facilitate good communication and cooperation between project team members and co-ordinate the preparation of the health and safety file.

The early appointment of the CDM co-ordinator is crucial for effective planning and establishing management arrangements from the start. The regulations require the appointment to take place as soon as is practicable after initial design work or other preparation for construction work has begun. This will allow the client to appraise their project needs and objectives, including the business case and any possible constraints on development to enable them to decide whether or not to proceed with the project before appointing the CDM co-ordinator.
Read more…

safetymatters CDM Regulations, Construction CDM Co-ordinator Role, CDM Coordinator, CDM Regulations

Duties of Contractors

What Contractors must do for all Projects (Part 2 of the CDM Regulations)
Contractors must ensure:

• Clients are aware of their duties.
• Not start work until they have obtained the pre-construction information from the client (or PC).
• Plan, manage and monitor their own work to make sure that their workers are safe.
• Ensure they and those they appoint are competent and adequately resourced.
•  Inform any contractor they engage, of the minimum time they have for planning & preparation.
• Provide workers (employed or self-employed) with any necessary information, training & induction.
• Report anything that they are aware of that is likely to endanger the H&S of themselves or others.
• Ensure that any design work they do complies with CDM design duties.
• Comply with the duties for site health and safety.
• Co-operate and co-ordinate with others working on the project.
• Consult the workforce.
• Not begin work unless they have taken reasonable steps to prevent unauthorised access to the site.
• Obtain specialist advice (e.g. from a structural engineer or occupational hygienist) where necessary.

  Read more…

safetymatters CDM Regulations, Construction CDM, CDM Regulations, Construction, Construction Phase Plan, Contractor, Contractors