CDM Co-ordinator (Formerly Planning Supervisor)
The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 (CDM Regulations) are aimed at improving the management, control and co-ordination of health, safety and welfare through the construction industry to reduce the number of fatalities, major accidents and ill health that occurs in the industry.
The CDM Regulations affect almost all aspects of construction including building, civil engineering or engineering construction work. This includes associated preparations, cleaning, maintenance, demolition and dismantling, installation, commissioning, decommissioning or dismantling of fixed plant.
MDA Services can advise on whether the CDM Regulations apply to a project and if it should be notified to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The amended CDM Regulations place higher emphasis on a client’s role in the planning of health and safety in construction. Clients cannot leave it to contractors to discover where hazards exist on a site.
The CDM Regulations place duties on all (clients, designers and contractors) involved to contribute to the health and safety of a construction site. The CDM Regulations also place a duty on designers to advise clients of the need for a planning supervisor and the client to make a timely appointment of a competent CDM Co-ordinator (planning supervisor).
Under the CDM Regulations, the principal duties of the client are:
- To select and appoint a competent CDM Co-ordinator (planning supervisor)
- To select and appoint competent designers
- To select and appoint a competent principal contractor
- To be satisfied that the CDM Co-ordinator, designers and principal contractor are competent and will allow adequate resources for Health and Safety
- To provide the CDM Co-ordinator with information relevant to health and safety on the project
- To ensure construction work does not commence until the principal contractor has prepared a satisfactory Construction Phase Health & Safety Plan
- To ensure the Health & Safety File is available for inspection by others, after completion of the project
Under the CDM Regulations, the CDM Co-ordinator's principal duties are:
- To ensure the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is correctly notified of the project
- To advise the client, if asked, regarding the competence of designers
- To ensure that as far as is practicable, designs comply with current legislation
- To ensure that designers co-operate with each other
- To prepare the Pre-Construction Health & Safety Plan
- To advise the client, if asked, on the contractors competence
- To review the principal contractors, Construction Phase Health & Safety Plan
- To co-ordinate the preparation of the Health & Safety File, containing relevant information about the finished project, and pass on to the client
MDA Services are qualified consultants specialising in construction health and safety and are members of The Association of Project Safety