Expert CDM Advisory Support for Clients, Designers and Contractors
The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 place clear duties on everyone involved in a construction project. Safe and Sealed provides specialist CDM advisory support to help clients, principal designers and principal contractors fulfil their obligations with confidence.
The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015) represent the primary legislative framework for health and safety in the UK construction industry. They apply to virtually all construction projects, regardless of size, and place specific duties on the client, the principal designer, the principal contractor and other duty holders.
Getting CDM right is not simply about ticking boxes. It is about embedding safety into the design and planning of a project from the outset, so that risk is properly managed throughout construction and beyond. Safe and Sealed provides experienced, accredited CDM advisory support to make sure your project meets its obligations from start to finish.
Our CDM consultants are members of the Association for Project Safety (APS), the leading professional body for CDM advisers and principal designers.
Our CDM Advisory Services
CDM 2015 Advisory Support
Whether you are new to CDM or simply want to ensure that your existing arrangements are robust, Safe and Sealed provides clear, practical guidance on your duties under the regulations.
We support:
- Clients in understanding and discharging their CDM duties, including the appointment of principal designer and principal contractor
- Principal Designers in coordinating pre-construction health and safety information and managing design risk
- Principal Contractors in developing and maintaining the Construction Phase Plan and managing on-site health and safety
We also advise designers on the need to consider and record hazards arising from design decisions, and how to communicate residual risks effectively.
Client and Duty Holder Assistance
Many clients undertaking construction or refurbishment work are not construction professionals. They may be landlords, developers, business owners or facilities managers who are unfamiliar with their CDM duties. Failing to appoint the right people or provide the right information can result in enforcement action and project delays.
Safe and Sealed assists clients to:
- Understand their duties under CDM 2015
- Make the correct appointments in writing and at the right stage of the project
- Establish the right information flows between duty holders
- Fulfil ongoing client responsibilities during the construction phase
- Ensure the project is set up correctly from day one
F10 Notifications
Projects that meet certain thresholds are required by law to be notified to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) before construction work begins. This is known as an F10 notification.
Safe and Sealed can:
- Determine whether your project requires notification
- Prepare and submit the F10 notification to the HSE on your behalf
- Manage updates to the notification where project details change
Pre-Construction Information
The client has a duty to provide pre-construction information to all relevant parties before the construction phase begins. This information must be compiled and shared in a clear, timely and proportionate manner.
We assist clients and principal designers to:
- Identify and compile all relevant pre-construction information
- Commission any surveys or investigations required (such as asbestos, ground conditions or structural assessments) where gaps are identified
- Present the information in a well-structured, accessible format
- Ensure that the principal contractor and designers have everything they need to plan the work safely
Construction Phase Plan Review and Site Inspections
The Construction Phase Plan (CPP) is a live document that must be prepared before construction begins and maintained throughout the project. Principal contractors are responsible for producing and keeping it up to date, but its quality varies enormously in practice.
Safe and Sealed provides:
- Review and critique of draft Construction Phase Plans, with written feedback and recommendations
- Development support where a CPP needs to be built from the ground up
- Periodic site inspections to monitor health and safety performance against the plan
- Written inspection reports with observations and recommended actions
Who We Work With
- Property developers undertaking new builds or significant refurbishment projects
- Commercial clients commissioning fit-outs and alterations
- Architects and design teams requiring principal designer support or CDM coordination
- Principal contractors seeking independent CPP review and site inspection
- Letting agents and property management companies overseeing maintenance and improvement works
Frequently Asked Questions
CDM 2015 applies to virtually all construction projects in Great Britain, including new builds, refurbishments, maintenance, repair and demolition. The scale and nature of the project determines which specific duties apply and whether F10 notification to the HSE is required.
A project must be notified where the construction phase will last longer than 30 working days with more than 20 workers working simultaneously, or where it will exceed 500 person-days of construction work. We can advise on whether your project meets this threshold.
The CDM coordinator role was introduced under the previous CDM 2007 regulations and was replaced by the principal designer role under CDM 2015. The principal designer must be a designer with the skills, knowledge and experience to manage pre-construction phase risks, and must be appointed formally in writing by the client.
We can provide CDM advisory and coordination support as a CDM adviser. For the formal principal designer role, the appointment must be made to a party with design influence over the project. We are happy to advise on the correct appointment and support whichever party holds that role.
The CPP must be proportionate to the project. It should cover the project description, management arrangements, site rules, emergency procedures, welfare provision and how specific risks identified during the pre-construction phase will be managed on site. We review CPPs against current guidance and best practice.
That depends on the level of support you require. Some clients want us to carry out periodic site inspections throughout the project; others simply need a CPP review at the outset. We are flexible and will agree the right level of involvement with you.