HSE Contractor Guidance at a Glance

Health & safety is a primary consideration when planning and executing any construction project. Construction is a high risk sector and it’s vital that workers are appropriately protected when working on-site.

Contractors must be fully aware of their obligations to ensure they operate compliantly. Full details can be found here.

Contractors on all projects must:

• Make sure the client is aware of client duties under CDM 2015 before any work starts.
• Plan, manage and monitor, making sure to review risks to ensure anyone that might be affected (including the public) has been taken account of.
• Check that the skills and knowledge of workers are appropriate for the project.
• Have site-specific induction for workers.
• Throughout project duration, make sure that supervision, information and instructions are provided.
• Ensure that access is controlled, with steps taken to prevent unauthorised access prior to starting work.
• Prior to project start, make sure that welfare facilities are provided and in place.

Might you be a Construction (Design & Maintenance) dutyholder?

CDM 2015 is health and safety governance for the construction sector. It’s logical stuff but it’s important to know your obligations in relation to the legislation to make sure you’re operating compliantly.

Different roles have different duties under CDM 2015 and we’ve summarised them below so you can see your responsibilities at a glance:

1) Clients

Clients are organisations for whom a construction project is carried out. They are responsible for appointing other dutyholders and allocating sufficient time and resources to the project. They must prepare relevant information for other dutyholders, ensure that principal designers and contractors carry out their duties and provide welfare facilities.

2) Domestic clients

Domestic clients are people who commission work on their own home. Whilst in scope of CDM 2015, their duties are usually transferred to contractors.

3) Designers

Designers prepare or modify designs for a building, product or system relating to construction work. In preparing these designs, they have an obligation to eliminate, reduce or control foreseeable risks during construction and in post-build maintenance.

4) Principal designers

Principal designers are the nominated design lead where more than one contractor is working on the project. They are responsible for planning, managing, monitoring and co-ordinating health and safety in the pre-construction phase. As well as removing foreseeable risks, they must also ensure designers carry out their duties.

5) Contractors

Contractors perform the construction work on-site. They must plan, manage and monitor work appropriately to avoid health and safety risks, co-ordinating as appropriate with other contractors.

6) Principle contractors

Principle contractors take the lead where more than one contractor is working on-site. They must liaise with the client and principal designer, using their direction to produce a construction phase plan. They have responsibility for site inductions, taking steps to prevent unauthorised access, providing welfare facilities and engaging workers in health and safety issues.

7) Workers

Workers work under the contractors. They must be consulted on health and safety matters and take responsibility for operating safely. They must report anything that may impact safety and cooperate with all other dutyholders.