Essential CDM 2015 Regulatory Guides UK for Construction Projects

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.

The Principal Designer is the most misappointed role in CDM 2015. Either it is not appointed at all. Or it is appointed too late. Or it is appointed to someone without the skills and influence to perform it effectively.

Designers have CDM 2015 duties before anything reaches a drawing. Regulation 9 requires health and safety to be an integral part of the design process.

On a Design and Build contract, who is responsible for design compliance? Most clients get this wrong. The assumption is simple: the contractor takes the design, so the contractor takes the duty.

There is a new client duty under the Building Safety Act, and most clients have never heard of it. It is not enough to appoint a competent Principal Designer and Principal Contractor.

When the Principal Contractor is on site, many clients assume their CDM exposure is covered. It is not.