Principle Contractor Duties
Good management of health and safety on site is crucial to the successful delivery of a construction project. The key duty of principal contractors is to properly plan, manage and co-ordinate work during the construction phase in order to ensure that the risks are properly controlled. Principal contractors must also comply with the duties placed on all contractors under the Regulations. Principal contractors are usually the main or managing contractor.
This allows the management of health and safety to be incorporated into the wider management of project delivery. This is good business practice as well as being helpful for health and safety purposes.
Although written plans are only legally required for notifiable projects, all projects must be properly planned and managed, and the principles set out below may be relevant to those who plan for non-notifiable projects.
What principal contractors must do
Principal contractors must:
(a) satisfy themselves that clients are aware of their duties, that a CDM co-ordinator has been appointed and HSE notified before they start work;
(b) make sure that they are competent to address the health and safety issues likely to be involved in the management of the construction phase;
(c) ensure that the construction phase is properly planned, managed and monitored, with adequately resourced, competent site management appropriate to the risk and activity.
(d) ensure that every contractor who will work on the project is informed of the minimum amount of time which they will be allowed for planning and preparation before they begin work on site;
(e) ensure that all contractors are provided with the information about the project that they need to enable them to carry out their work safely and without risk to health. Requests from contractors for information should be met promptly;
(f) ensure safe working and co-ordination and co-operation between contractors;
(g) ensure that a suitable construction phase plan (‘the plan’) is:
(i) prepared before construction work begins,
(ii) developed in discussion with, and communicated to, contractors affected by it,
(iii) implemented, and
(iv) kept up to date as the project progresses;
(h) satisfy themselves that the designers and contractors that they engage are competent and adequately resourced
(i) ensure suitable welfare facilities are provided from the start of the construction phase;
(j) take reasonable steps to prevent unauthorised access to the site;
(k) prepare and enforce any necessary site rules;
(l) provide (copies of or access to) relevant parts of the plan and other information to contractors, including the self-employed, in time for them to plan their work;
(m) liaise with the CDM co-ordinator on design carried out during the construction phase, including design by specialist contractors, and its implications for the plan;
(n) provide the CDM co-ordinator promptly with any information relevant to the health and safety file
(o) ensure that all the workers have been provided with suitable health and safety induction, information and training;
(p) ensure that the workforce is consulted about health and safety matters
(q) display the project notification.
Planning and managing health and safety in the construction phase
Principal contractors must plan, manage and co-ordinate work during the construction phase taking account of the information contained in the pre construction information provided by the client, and any other information provided by contractors.
The effort devoted to planning and managing health and safety should be in proportion to the risks and complexity associated with the project.
The principal contractor should work with other contractors to identify the hazards and assess the risks related to their work, including the risks they may create for others. Using this information and applying the general principles of prevention (see Appendix 7 of CDM 2007 ACOP) the principal contractor, in discussion with the contractors involved, must plan, manage and co-ordinate the construction phase. This includes supervising and monitoring work to ensure that it is done safely and that it is safe for new activities to begin.
Where the project involves high-risk work, for example alterations that could result in structural collapse, or work on contaminated land, specialist advice is likely to be needed at the planning stage.
The construction phase plan
The way in which the construction phase will be managed and the key health and safety issues for the particular project must be set out in writing in the construction phase plan. This plan should set out the organisation and arrangements that have been put in place to manage risk and co-ordinate the work on site.
It should not be a repository for detailed generic risk assessments, records of how decisions were reached or detailed method statements, but it may, for example set out when such documents will need to be prepared. It should be well focused, clear and easy for contractors and others to understand – emphasising key points and avoiding irrelevant material. It is crucial that all relevant parties are involved and co-operate in the development and implementation of the plan as work progresses.
Generic plans that do not contain the information relevant to the particular risks associated with the work will not satisfy the requirements of regulation 23 of CDM 2007. Photographs and sketches can greatly simplify and shorten explanations. It should also be organised so that relevant sections can easily be made available to designers and contractors.
Often the design and preparation for later work is not complete at the start of the construction phase. Nevertheless, the plan for the initial phase of the construction work must be prepared before any work begins. It should also address later activities that will require careful planning. It may only be practical to address such activities in outline form before work starts and most will require revision in the light of developments.
The topics that need to be addressed when developing the construction phase plan are shown at Appendix 3 in CDM 2007 ACOP. Where other available documents address these issues appropriately, the plan may refer to them; the information does not need to be repeated.
The plan must be tailored to the particular project.
Generic plans that do not contain the information relevant to the particular risks associated with the work will not satisfy the requirements of regulation 23. Photographs and sketches can greatly simplify and shorten explanations. It should also be organised so that relevant sections can easily be made available to designers and contractors.
Often the design and preparation for later work is not complete at the start of the construction phase. Nevertheless, the plan for the initial phase of the construction work must be prepared before any work begins. It should also address later activities that will require careful planning. It may only be practical to address such activities in outline form before work starts and most will require revision in the light of developments.
The topics that need to be addressed when developing the construction phase plan are shown at Appendix 3. Where other available documents address these issues appropriately, the plan may refer to them; the information does not need to be repeated.
Appendix 3 Construction phase plan
When drawing up the construction phase plan, you should consider each of the following topics. Information should be included in the plan where the topic is relevant to the work proposed. The plan sets out how health and safety is to be managed during the construction phase. The level of detail should be. proportionate to the risks involved in the project
Construction phase plan
1 Description of project
(a) project description and programme details including any key dates;
(b) details of client, CDM co-ordinator, designers, principal contractor and other consultants;
2 Management of the work
(a) management structure and responsibilities
(b) health and safety goals for the project and arrangements for monitoring and review of health and safety performance;
(c) arrangements for:
(i) regular liaison between parties on site,
(ii) consultation with the workforce,
(iii) the exchange of design information between the client, designers, CDM co-ordinator and contractors on site,
(iv) handling design changes during the project,
(v) the selection and control of contractors,
(vi) the exchange of health and safety information between contractors,
(vii) site security,
(viii) site induction,
(ix) on site training,
(x) welfare facilities and first aid,
(xi) the reporting and investigation of accidents and incidents including near misses,
(xii) the production and approval of risk assessments and written systems of work;
(d) site rules (including drug and alcohol policy);
(e) fire and emergency procedures.
3 Arrangements for controlling significant site risks
(a) Safety risks, including:
(i) delivery and removal of materials (including waste*) and work equipment taking account of any risks to the public, for example during access to or egress from the site,
(ii) dealing with services - water, electricity and gas, including overhead power lines and temporary electrical installations,
(iii) accommodating adjacent land use, (iv) stability of structures whilst carrying out construction work, including temporary structures and existing unstable structures,
(v) preventing falls,
(vi) work with or near fragile materials,
(vii) control of lifting operations,
(viii) the maintenance of plant and equipment,
(ix) work on excavations and work where there are poor ground conditions,
(x) work on wells, underground earthworks and tunnels,
(xi) work on or near water where there is a risk of drowning,
(xii) work involving diving,
(xiii) work in a caisson or compressed air working,
(xiv) work involving explosives,
(xv) traffic routes and segregation of vehicles and pedestrians,
(xvi) storage of materials (particularly hazardous materials) and work equipment,
(xvii) any other significant safety risks;
(b) health risks, including:
(i) the removal of asbestos,
(ii) dealing with contaminated land,
(iii) manual handling,
(iv) use of hazardous substances, particularly where there is a need for health monitoring,
(v) reducing noise and vibration,
(vi) work with ionising radiation,
(vii) exposure to UV radiation (from the sun),
(viii) any other significant health risks.
