CDM Client Support -
Commercial and Residential Consultancy

On a construction project, the term client refers to the individual or organisation for who is executing the project. This could be either commercial or residential. A commercial client is involved in a construction project as part of their business activities, exerting significant influence over the project's management. On the other hand, a residential client is any individual having construction work carried out for them unrelated to any business.

In the context of the CDM regulations, both types of clients have specific duties and responsibilities, mainly to ensure their project is suitably managed, prioritising health and safety. However, while commercial clients typically retain these duties, in most residential projects, these responsibilities are often transferred to other dutyholders such as contractors or principal contractors. Ultimately, the client's role in a construction project is central, whether they maintain or transfer their CDM duties.

Clients are key dutyholders in construction projects, and your responsibilities vary depending on whether you are working on a commercial or residential project. 

For commercial clients, you are held accountable for your influence over project management and must ensure you meet all your duties under CDM 2015. This includes the selection of competent contractors and designers, maintaining health and safety standards, and ensuring proper documentation is in place.

On the other hand, for residential clients, your duties are usually transferred to other dutyholders like contractors or principal contractors. However, it's crucial for you to have a clear understanding of the transition process and the responsibilities of the dutyholder assuming your client duties.

From appointing contractors to maintaining health and safety standards, we guide you through every step.

Our services address the unique CDM management needs of commercial clients. Besides regulatory compliance, we understand the extensive duties involved based on project size and type. We provide support in managing these duties, from identifying health and safety obligations to ensuring they align with CDM 2015.

Our team can act as your CDM advisor, assisting in:

• Sensible planning from start to finish to manage risks
• Appointing the right duty holders at the right time
• Ensuring your project is suitably managed to secure health, safety, and welfare

With our complete CDM service, we aim to protect your interests while ensuring that health and safety are fundamental aspects of your project.

Strategic planning is essential in managing health and safety throughout a project. This involves setting clear objectives, identifying potential risks, and organising resources and activities to control these risks. For commercial clients, strategic planning also includes taking into account the specific requirements of the CDM regulations.

To assist in this process, we provide:

• Guidance on developing a comprehensive health and safety plan that aligns with project goals
• Support in identifying and assessing potential health and safety risks
• Advice on suitable risk control measures
• Assistance in allocating appropriate resources for health and safety management
• Help in implementing a monitoring system to ensure the effectiveness of the health and safety plan

Through this strategic planning, clients can ensure that health and safety is integrated into project management, helping to achieve compliance with CDM regulations while maintaining project efficiency.

Our expertise in contractor and designer selection is grounded in an in-depth understanding of the CDM regulations and the required 'skills, knowledge and experience' for these roles. We provide:

• Guidance on the selection process: We assist you in defining the criteria for your procurement process, taking into consideration the size and complexity of your project.

• Review of contractor and designer competence: We evaluate the organisational capability and qualifications of your potential contractors and designers, ensuring they can effectively manage health and safety risks.

• Support in appointments: We guide you in appointing the CDM principal designer and contractor for projects involving more than one contractor, helping you fulfil your client duties.

Through these services, we aim to help ensure that your selected design and construction teams are capable of delivering a successful project while adhering to CDM regulations.

CDM regulations stipulate that a construction project is notifiable if it is expected to last longer than 30 working days and involves more than 20 workers at any point, or if the project exceeds 500 person days. If your project is notifiable, you, as the client, have a legal duty to notify the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) using an F10 form.

In this process, our team provides:

• Assistance in identifying whether your project is notifiable according to CDM regulations.
• Guidance in preparing the F10 form, ensuring all necessary details are accurately covered.
• Support in submitting the notification to the HSE, either directly or through a third party on your behalf.

Remember, prompt notification is crucial, and it should be done as soon as practicable before the construction phase begins.

In the transition of client duties for residential projects, the CDM 2015 regulations often assign the client responsibilities to the single contractor or the principal contractor. Our role as CDM consultants is to guide you through this process, ensuring a smooth transition and continued compliance with the regulations. 

Our services include:

• Clarification of transition process: We provide clear explanations of how duties are transferred, who assumes these responsibilities, and the implications for your project.
• Assistance with contractor selection: We guide you in selecting competent contractors who can handle both their contractor duties and the additional client duties.

This service is particularly beneficial for residential clients who may need support with managing construction projects, helping to ensure that your project is carried out safely and effectively.

Architect-led project management for residential clients involves a more integrated approach to project management, where the architect or designer not only designs the project but also manages its construction. This approach provides several advantages:

• Better communication and coordination, as the architect is involved in every stage of the project.
• Efficient decision-making, as the architect has a comprehensive understanding of the project.
• Quality assurance, as the architect can oversee the project to ensure it aligns with their design intent.

However, in assuming client duties under CDM 2015, architects need to meet certain responsibilities, such as:

• Ensuring health and safety considerations are integrated into project management.
• Liaising with the principal contractor throughout the construction phase.
• Planning, managing, monitoring, and coordinating health and safety in the pre-construction phase.

Our team of CDM consultants can assist residential clients who appoint architects or designers to manage their projects, ensuring they meet responsibilities effectively, maintain legal compliance, and achieve successful project coordination.

In the CDM client brief, clients express their key project requirements, their vision, and convey their objectives for the project. This brief should cover:

• The main function and operational requirements of the completed project
• The expected project management approach, including health and safety concerns
• A realistic timeframe and budget
• A single point of contact for any queries or discussions

This document is crucial in ensuring that all parties involved understand the client's expectations and align their efforts accordingly. It also helps you as the client comply with your CDM duties by clearly defining the project scope and requirements. It's a tool for communicating your motivation for initiating the project, which can help in garnering support and commitment from the team. 

Our team can support clients in the drafting of this brief, ensuring it is comprehensive, clear, and effective in guiding the project. This support includes helping clients articulate their project vision, define their operations and management requirements, establish reasonable timelines and budget, and identify the appropriate point of contact.

The CDM principal designer is a key role in ensuring health and safety measures during the pre-construction phase. They are responsible for:

• Planning, managing and monitoring pre-construction phase to ensure health and safety.
• Coordinating with other designers and contractors in the project team.
• Assisting clients in the selection process of the principal contractor.
• Preparing and providing relevant information to others involved in the project.
• Ensuring designers comply with their duties.

It is crucial to establish a written agreement with the CDM principal designer affirming their understanding and acceptance of these responsibilities. This agreement should clearly outline their duties, the project's scope, and the expected timelines.

We provide expert guidance on CDM principal designers' responsibilities, emphasising the importance of written agreements to confirm their commitment to client duties for residential projects.

Continuous compliance review and maintenance form an important part of the CDM compliance process. This process involves regular monitoring of your ongoing construction projects and maintenance activities to ensure that they align with the CDM regulations.

As part of our CDM support, we help clients:

• Conduct regular compliance reviews: We thoroughly examine project progress, considering aspects such as health and safety measures, contractor performance, and adherence to CDM regulations.

• Identify potential non-compliance issues: By closely observing project execution, we identify any potential areas of non-compliance with CDM regulations and provide recommendations for adjustments.

• Implement necessary changes: We guide you in implementing the necessary changes to ensure continuous adherence to CDM regulations.

This ongoing review and maintenance can help you maintain a high level of CDM compliance, ensuring the health and safety of everyone involved in your construction projects.

In line with our commitment to transparency, we provide clients with clear and comprehensive documentation. This includes important documents necessary for construction projects under CDM 2015 such as the pre-construction information, the construction phase plan, and the health and safety file. These documents encapsulate essential health and safety information required at each stage of the project, ensuring that all key stakeholders are informed and aligned.

To emphasise transparent communication, we encourage an open dialogue with our clients. We believe in the importance of understanding the needs and expectations of our clients, and aligning these with the project objectives. We also stress the importance of regular communication throughout the project, providing updates and reports to keep the client informed of the project's progress and any potential issues.