2007 CDM Regulations

The 2007 CDM Regulations were substantially revised on 6 April 2015. These revisions seek to simplify and rationalise the regulations, integrating them better with EU legislation, and tackling small-scale construction sites that have lagged behind larger sites in terms of health and safety. The revisions also see the role of CDM Co-ordinator transferred to a Principal Designer and Principal Contractor. The Principal Designer (PD) is responsible for the pre-construction phase whilst the Principal Contractor is responsible for the construction phase.

This text in this article is provided for historical interest, and for projects started before 6 April 2015, where a CDM co-ordinator has already been appointed, for which transitional arrangements apply.

See CDM 2015 for information about the current CDM regulations.

The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations (CDM Regulations) are intended to ensure that health and safety issues are properly considered during a project’s development so that the risk of harm to those who have to build, use and maintain structures is reduced.

They were introduced in 1994 and came into force on 31 March 1995 following publication of European Directive 92/57/EEC on minimum safety and health standards for temporary or mobile construction sites.

They were substantially revised in 2007.

The Approved Code of Practice Managing health and safety in construction, provides practical guidance about how to comply with the regulations, including detailed descriptions of the duties imposed by the regulations. The code proposes that:

'...The key aim of CDM 2007 is to integrate health and safety into the management of the project and to encourage everyone involved to work together to:

• improve the planning and management of projects from the very start;
• identify hazards early on, so they can be eliminated or reduced at the design or planning stage and the remaining risks can be properly managed;
• target effort where it can do the most good in terms of health and safety; and discourage unnecessary bureaucracy.'

The CDM Regulations are divided into 5 parts:

• Part 1: Definitions and application of the regulations.
• Part 2: Duties that apply to all construction projects.
• Part 3: Additional duties that only apply to notifiable construction projects.
• Part 4: Practical requirements that apply to all construction sites.
• Part 5: Transitional arrangements and revocations.

Notifiable projects are those which last more than 30 days or involving more than 500 person-days of construction work.

The regulations apply from concept design onward and impose duties on:

• The client.
• Designers.
• The CDM co-ordinator.
• The principal contractor.
• Contractors.
• Workers.

It also requires the preparation of certain documentation:

• Pre-construction information (which should now include details of the CDM planning period).
• Construction phase plan.
• Notification to the health and safety executive (HSE).
• Health and safety file.

NB the 'CDM planning period' is now a requirement of the CDM regulations, intended to allow contractors sufficient time to assess health and safety issues and plan their works before commencing construction. Duty holders will need to ensure that time is allowed for this in the programme, both for the appointment of contractors and for the appointment of sub-contractors, and the client must include details of the CDM planning period in pre-construction information.

NB Whilst not part of the CDM Regulations, the Site Waste Management Plans Regulations place additional obligations on the client and the principal contractor for projects with an estimated cost of more than £300,000.

NB under the Health and Safety (Fees)Regulations 2012, the Fee for Intervention scheme allows the Health and Safety Executive to recover the costs of intervention from those who fail to comply with health and safety legislation.

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings

• CDM 2015.
• CDM 2015 legal considerations.
• CDM co-ordinator.
• CDM client.
• CDM Principles of prevention
• CDM workers.
• Construction phase plan.
• Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH).
• Design risk management.
• Dutyholder.
• Fee for intervention.
• Health and safety.
• Health and Safety Executive.
• Health and safety file.
• Health and safety inspector.
• Method statement.
• Notify HSE.
• Personal protective equipment.
• Pre-construction information.
• Principal contractor.
• Reporting accidents and injuries on construction sites.
• Risk assessment.
• Site induction.
• Site waste management plan.
• Work at height regulations.

[edit] External references

• The CDM Regulations in full.
• Approved Code of Practice: Managing health and safety in construction.
• Health and safety executive: CDM.
• Construction Skills detailed guidance for duty holders.
• Site waste management plans regulations.
• Löfstedt Review 2011.
• European Temporary or Mobile Construction Sites Directive (TMCSD).

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