CDM Audit and Inspection Services

CDM Inspections and Audits

Our approach
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Ensuring adherence to the Construction (Design and Management) (CDM) regulations is essential for the safety of construction projects. Our CDM audits and inspections go beyond routine checks, identifying potential risks and assessing safety measures to guarantee compliance with the 2015 regulations.

Complying with the CDM regulations is crucial for the safety of all people working on any construction and building project. This involves understanding the role of the Principal Designer, adhering to the 2015 regulations, and ensuring compliance at all stages. An essential tool in this process is conducting regular CDM inspections and audits. These help in identifying any potential risks and assessing the effectiveness of the implemented safety measures.

Our approach

When it comes to CDM 2015, we understand that it covers the entire lifecycle of a structure, from concept to completion. As your trusted partner, we offer assurance audits and inspections on behalf of clients to delve into how duties are discharged on each project.

We want to ensure that you have the right processes in place. But more importantly, we want to make sure that these processes are physically working as intended throughout the life of your project.

From understanding the passage of risk information to the application of the Principles of Prevention through design, we cover it all. We also pay special attention to the measures in place for Health and Safety files, ensuring that they are presented in a way that provides real value to end users.

Our assurance audits and inspections aren't solely focused on safety during the build phase. While that's undoubtedly important, our audit takes a broader approach. We dig deep into all the elements of a project's life for the design, construction and decomissioning phases. Our aim is to identify where and how risks are managed and mitigated effectively.

By conducting this comprehensive audit, we provide you with insights and recommendations that strengthen your overall CDM compliance. Our goal is to ensure that your project progresses smoothly, minimising risks and maximising safety every step of the way.

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The Health and Safety Act 1974 (HSWA) is the principal legislation governing occupational safety in Great Britain. Its introduction has significantly influenced the CDM regulations.

The Act, often called HSWA or HASAWA, established the fundamental structure for the encouragement, regulation, and enforcement of workplace health, safety, and welfare within the UK.

The impact of this Act on CDM is significant. It has led to a paradigm shift in the UK construction health and safety, redistributing safety management responsibility throughout all phases of a project. This includes the creation of new health and safety dutyholders, such as the clients and the designers.

It's also worth noting that the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 has a broader reach, affecting businesses and self-employed individuals. The Act has provisions for 'effective planning, organisation, control, monitoring and review' of measures to protect people at work. This, in turn, influences the processes and procedures implemented under the CDM regulations.

The HSWA 1974 has played an important part in shaping the CDM regulations and continues to be a reference point in CDM inspections and audits.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) acts as the UK's national independent watchdog for work-related health, safety, and illness, the HSE enforces regulations for CDM projects.

Primarily, the HSE is tasked with ensuring that all dutyholders, including clients, designers, principal contractors, and workers, comply with their respective responsibilities under the CDM 2015 regulations. This includes overseeing the correct implementation of the Principles of Prevention in design and management decisions throughout a project's lifecycle.

The HSE facilitates the notification process for certain construction work under CDM 2015, enabling a more streamlined and efficient safety regulation system.

Our CDM inspection and audit services act as a vital support mechanism, reinforcing the HSE's regulatory framework. By ensuring that dutyholders meet and exceed their responsibilities under CDM 2015, we collectively contribute to a safer, more compliant, and efficiently regulated construction environment in line with the HSE's overarching mission.

The process of CDM compliance can be broken down into three main stages:

Understanding the regulations: This is the foundation of CDM compliance. It includes gaining a thorough understanding of the CDM 2015 regulations and the roles and responsibilities assigned to clients, designers, contractors, and other parties involved in the project. This stage involves the study of the CDM regulations and the identification of the duties and responsibilities of each role.
Appointment of competent parties: The second stage involves the appointment of competent individuals capable of fulfilling the roles and responsibilities outlined in the CDM regulations. This stage ensures that the appointed parties possess the necessary skills, knowledge, experience, and organisational capability to manage the project effectively, meeting health and safety requirements.
Implementation and monitoring: The final stage involves the implementation of the CDM regulations throughout the construction project and the continuous monitoring of compliance. This includes the preparation and revision of necessary documents like the construction phase plan and the health and safety file. Regular audits and inspections are conducted to ensure ongoing compliance and to identify any areas for improvement.

Our CDM audit and inspection services are designed to assist you in achieving and maintaining compliance with CDM 2015. Led by our team of experts, our approach involves a comprehensive examination of internal processes and live projects, ensuring a thorough assessment of compliance with regulatory requirements.

Suitability arrangements for managing projects - We initiate our audit and inspections process by identifying whether suitable arrangements are in place to meet the CDM 2015 Regulations. For clients, this involves a careful examination of your ability to manage a construction project effectively, meeting health and safety requirements. Our experts review appointing contractors and designers, ensuring they possess the necessary skills, knowledge, experience, and organisational capability.

Time and resource management - This includes a review of the management arrangements throughout the project's duration, ensuring that health and safety risks are managed in a proportionate manner. We aim to assist clients in creating an environment where the construction work can proceed with optimal efficiency and safety.

Principal Designer and Contractor oversight - We specifically focus on verifying that clients appoint Principal Designers and Principal Contractors with the requisite capabilities. Ensuring that these appointed parties carry out their duties in managing the project is a crucial aspect of our audits and inspections. We assess the steps taken to provide suitable welfare facilities throughout the construction work and review the maintenance and periodic review of management arrangements.

Pre-construction information and documentation - Our audit and inspection services encompass a detailed evaluation of the provision of pre-construction information to every designer and contractor involved in the project. We ensure that this information is comprehensive and provided in a timely manner. Additionally, we review the preparation of a construction phase plan by the Principal Contractor before the commencement of the relevant phase.

Health and safety file compliance - Our experts assess whether the Principal Designer prepares a health and safety file for the project, and if it is regularly revised as necessary. We emphasise the importance of making this file available to anyone requiring it for subsequent work at the site, ensuring that crucial safety information is accessible and up-to-date.

The CDM Health and Safety regulations experienced substantial revisions in 2015, introducing a simplified structure and highlighting the client's role.

Ensuring compliance and effective health and safety management requires a thorough understanding of these changes. Our support includes expert guidance to understand the changes in CDM regulations, keeping you informed and equipped to meet the evolving requirements.

We provide comprehensive support in adapting to the updated framework, emphasising the importance of staying ahead of regulatory updates.

In preparing for a CDM audit and inspection, it's important to have a comprehensive checklist that aligns with the CDM 2015 regulations. Here are key elements to consider:

Project management - Check if suitable arrangements are in place to meet the CDM 2015 Regulations.
Contractor and designer appointment - Verify the appointed contractors and designers have the necessary skills, knowledge, experience, and organisational capability.
Time and resource management - Ensure that health and safety risks are managed throughout the project's duration.
Principal Designer and Contractor oversight - Check that the appointed Principal Designer and Principal Contractor are carrying out their duties effectively.
Pre-construction information and documentation - Assess the comprehensiveness and timeliness of pre-construction information provided to all designers and contractors.
Health and Safety file compliance - Ensure the health and safety file for the project is prepared, regularly revised and made available as necessary.