Creating a Construction Phase Plan Template
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.
