CDM Co-ordinator
Our Services
Over the last five years we have provided our CDM services to more than 100 projects ranging from new build offices and residential developments, office refurbishments and fit outs and some specialist civil engineering procedures.
Why Shore Engineering?
Shore Engineering understands the need to ensure that the client’s interests are protected, whilst at the same time providing an efficient and friendly professional service so projects are not delayed for purely procedural reasons.
We have an exceptional spread of professional qualifications and experience covering health and safety, design and construction.
Under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007, the CDM Coordinator is appointed by the client for Notifiable projects, to act as a key project advisor in respect of construction health and safety matters.
We carry out the following functions in accordance with the Regulations:
- Provide advice and assistance as required to help comply with duties under the regulations, including briefing the client on duties, advising on the appointment of designers and contractors, and implementation of adequate project management arrangements.
- Prepare and issue the Notification to the Health and Safety Executive, with updates as required.
- Co-ordinate design work, planning and other preparations for construction with respect to health and safety matters. This includes attendance at selected design and construction meetings to aid effective communication and co-operation.
- Identify, collect and review the pre-construction information.
- Provide designers and contractors with selected pre-construction information relevant to each.
- Help manage the flow of information between clients, designers and contractors.
- Review and report on the suitability of the initial construction phase plan and the welfare arrangements.
- Arrange for compilation of the Health and Safety File for the project, based upon information provided by the client and contractors, and its handover to the Client on completion of the works.
About the Legisation
Failure to comply with The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 can lead to Clients for construction projects being prosecuted in the criminal courts.
This applies to any project carried out in the course or furtherance of a business (ie excluding those for a domestic client). The client remains responsible legally for ensuring that client duties are met, whatever arrangements are made in practice.
Construction work is widely defined and can include for example even decorating.
The regulations have the most significant impact for projects that are “Notifiable”, ie when the construction phase is likely to be more than 30 days duration or involve more than 500 person days.
For Notifiable projects a CDM Co-ordinator (CDMc) must be appointed as soon as practicable, and should be before the project proceeds beyond initial design, to advise and assist in complying with the Regulations. Here is a summary of the main legal duties that the CDMc either manages on your behalf or advises you on how to comply:
- Notify the project formally to HSE;
- Ensure with that projects are well managed with effective co-operation and communication between the parties;
- Ensure that structures and workplaces are designed so as to be safe and healthy to build, maintain and use;
- Appoint a competent Principal Contractor;
- Appoint competent designers (if required);
- Compile any information that may be needed to prepare safe designs and to carry out construction work safely;
- Allow enough time for planning and preparation before work starts on site;
- Ensure that construction work does not start until the Principal Contractor has prepared a suitable Construction Phase Plan and made adequate arrangements for Welfare on site;
- Ensure that the impacts of any design changes during the project are properly assessed;
- Prepare a Health and Safety File at the end of the project so information needed to ensure that future construction and maintenance can be carried out safely is logged.
Of course, some of these requirements are to the client’s benefit. No-one wants their project delayed by deaths, accidents or HSE enforcement action or for workplaces to be built that do not comply with health and safety law. And it is certainly beneficial for a building to be safe to maintain.
