Essential CDM 2015 Regulatory Guides UK for Construction Projects

Monday. For four weeks we have shown you pieces of it. Who is on site, live, and one control that alerts every one of them. Every CDM duty carrying its own evidence, its signature and its date. Phases that will not open until the work behind them is genuinely done. RAMS tracked as received, approved and briefed — three states, because they are three different duties. Permits on one register, with the authorisation and the expiry attached to the job. PC Site Manager goes live

A tick in a box is not evidence. Every compliance spreadsheet ever written will accept one anyway. That is the whole problem with them. Wouldn't it be great if you could: — Stop an item being marked done until the evidence is actually attached — Have the system name what is missing, rather than you finding out later — Make it impossible to quietly tick through a phase Here is a true story from building this software. While setting up a demonstration project, we marked the Con

Reviewing a subcontractor's RAMS properly takes the best part of an hour. You have nine of them waiting and a site to run. Wouldn't it be great if you could: — Have the first pass done before you open it — Know every one was checked against the same standard, not whoever had the time — Start from a drafted review rather than a blank page Nobody says this out loud, but under programme pressure RAMS get skimmed, signed and filed. Not because anyone is careless. Because a proper

"He has worked for us for years" is not a site induction. Regulation 13(4) of CDM 2015 places three duties on the Principal Contractor, and they are easy to read straight past: - Ensure a suitable site induction is provided - Take reasonable steps to prevent access by unauthorised persons - Ensure welfare facilities meeting Schedule 2 are provided throughout the construction phase "Suitable" is doing a great deal of work in the first one. A suitable induction describes that s

Hot works started at 2pm on Thursday. Who authorised it, and when does that authorisation run out? On most sites that answer lives on a paper permit, in a folder, in a cabin. Wouldn't it be great if you could: — See every live permit on one register, from anywhere — Have outstanding permits show on the dashboard before anyone asks — Keep the authorisation, the expiry and the close-out attached to the job Permits carry the highest consequence of any paperwork on site. Hot work

Which of your subcontractors' RAMS expired last week? If that question needs a search through an inbox, the answer is already a problem. Wouldn't it be great if you could: — See received, approved and briefed as three separate states, not one vague tick — Be warned before a method statement expires, rather than after — Link every RAMS to the work package it actually covers "We have their RAMS" is not the same as "we approved it". Approved is not the same as briefed to the ope

The permanent works get a design team. The temporary works get whoever is free. Falsework. Formwork. Propping. Excavation support. Façade retention. Scaffolding. None of it appears on the drawings the client signed off. All of it is holding something up while people work underneath. Regulation 19 of CDM 2015 requires all practicable steps to be taken to prevent danger from the collapse of any structure that may become unstable, or is in a temporary state of weakness, because

Most site failures are not bad decisions. They are omissions nobody noticed. The construction phase begins because the programme says it begins. Not because anyone confirmed the pre-commencement work was finished. Wouldn't it be great if you could: — Stop the next phase opening until the current one is genuinely complete — See exactly which item is blocking it — Prove, afterwards, that nothing was skipped A checklist in a spreadsheet cannot do that. It gets opened in week one

An inspector asks to see your Construction Phase Plan, your inductions and your welfare checks. How long before they are on the table? If the honest answer is "I'd have to ring the office", that is the finding. Wouldn't it be great if you could: — Open any CDM duty and see the evidence attached to it — Know who signed it off, and on what date — Do it from a phone, on site, while the inspector waits Enforcement rarely turns on an obscure technicality. It turns on the basics: n

The inspection is free. The letter afterwards is not. Fee for Intervention is the part of HSE enforcement almost nobody budgets for. If an inspector visits and identifies what they judge to be a material breach, HSE recovers its costs from you. Not a fine. An invoice. A material breach is not a prosecution or a prohibition notice. It is the inspector's written opinion that health and safety law is being contravened. That threshold sits lower than most duty holders assume. Wha

The alarm goes at 11:40. Can you name everyone on your site? Not roughly. Exactly. Wouldn't it be great if you could: — See who signed in this morning, live, from your phone — Alert every one of them in a single tap — Hand the marshal a printed muster sheet on the way out Most sites still run this on a paper book in the cabin, a WhatsApp group half the subcontractors are not in, and someone counting heads in a car park. That is the arrangement being judged if it ever goes wro

Navigating the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015) can feel overwhelming. These regulations are vital for ensuring safety and effective management on construction projects. To help you manage your responsibilities confidently, I will walk you through the key regulatory guides that clarify CDM 2015 requirements. Understanding these guides will empower you to meet your legal duties and maintain a safe working environment. Understanding the Role of C

Every CDM 2015 duty — managed, evidenced, audit-ready. One connected platform that runs the whole Principal Contractor role, from F10 notification through to the Health and Safety File at handover. Launching 4 September 2026.

Before your last construction project started on site — did you read the Construction Phase Plan? Not skim it. Actually read it.

The client assumed their architect was "handling CDM." No written appointment had been made. Then HSE visited. This is an anonymised account of a situation we encounter more often than we should.

Navigating the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015) can feel overwhelming. However, mastering the right tools and processes makes compliance straightforward and effective. This post will guide you through essential CDM compliance tools and practices tailored for UK construction projects. By the end, you will have a clear understanding of how to manage health and safety risks confidently and meet your legal obligations. Understanding CDM Compliance

"It's only a small job. CDM doesn't apply to us." One of the most persistent myths in UK construction — and there is no size threshold that removes your client duties.

Creating a safety workbook is an essential step in managing risks and ensuring compliance on construction projects. A well-designed safety plan workbook helps you organise safety information clearly and systematically. It supports communication between all parties involved and provides a practical reference throughout the project lifecycle. In this post, I will guide you through the process of developing effective safety plan workbooks tailored for construction projects in th

Most Clients Don't Realise… You are commissioning an office fit-out. No groundworks. No structural changes. No demolition. Is CDM 2015 relevant?

Under CDM 2015, the client is not a passive commissioner. They are a duty holder. That distinction matters. It means the client cannot simply hand the project to a contractor and step back.