What Must a Construction Phase Plan Actually Contain
- Paul Scanlon
- Jul 30
- 1 min read
"What actually needs to be in a Construction Phase Plan?" is one of the most searched CDM questions — and one of the most poorly answered in practice.
The short answer: a CPP must describe the project, the management arrangements for the construction phase, and how the significant risks will be controlled. It is a site-specific, project-specific document. It is not a health and safety policy.
Regulation 12 and Schedule 3 of CDM 2015 set out the required content. The key elements include:
A description of the project: location, nature of the work, key milestones, and sequencing.
The management structure: names and responsibilities of the principal contractor, site manager, and other relevant roles.
The arrangements for managing health and safety: welfare provision, induction procedures, site rules, and emergency arrangements.
The significant risks identified during the pre-construction phase — and the control measures the PC intends to apply.
Arrangements for monitoring, reviewing, and updating the plan as the project develops.
The CPP is not a generic health and safety policy. It is a project-specific document. A CPP produced before the design information was available — or before the site team was appointed — cannot adequately address site-specific risk.
If you are a client reviewing a CPP before construction begins, ask one question: does this document reflect the specific risks of this project, on this site, with this team? Or does it read like a template?
If the answer is the latter, send it back.
Get your free Client Guide to CDM 2015 here: cdm2015.co.uk/resource-download
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