The Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 1994 impose a number of duties on clients with regards to health and safety during the construction, alteration and maintenance of buildings. The main thrust of the Regulations is to require designers to ensure that their designs can be constructed and maintained safely.

A Project is notafible to the ‘Health and Safety Executive’ if the construction phase will [a] be longer than 30 days; or [b] will involve more than 500 person days of construction work; or [c] will involve at any one time 5 or more persons carrying out construction works. All works relating to the demolition or dismantling of a structure are notifiable.

Particular duties on the client are as follows: -

• To appoint a competent Planning Supervisor, who will co-ordinate health and safety matters during the design stage.
• To appoint a competent Principal Contractor, who will co-ordinate health and safety matters during the construction phase.
• To be satisfied that the Planning Supervisor, Principal Contractor and other designers and contractors working on the project, are competent and will allocate adequate resources to perform their functions as defined in the Regulations.
• To provide the Planning Supervisor with relevant health and safety information for the project.
• To ensure construction work does not start until a satisfactory ‘Health and Safety Plan’ has been prepared.
• To declare to the Health and Safety Executive the names and address of the client or agent for the project and address of the site.
• To ensure that a ‘Health and Safety File’ produced for the project can be inspected at a later stage e.g. prior to maintenance or refurbishment.

As you’re appointed Planning Supervisor we will on your behalf,

• Assess the competence of the Principal Contractor, designers and other contractors;
• Keep the Health and Safety Executive informed as to the nature of the works, those involved in the works and commencement and completion of the works;
• Prepare a pre-tender health and safety plan;
• Ensure that the Principal Contractor produces a ‘Construction Phase Health and Safety Plan’ and that it is regularly reviewed during the works;
• Issue you with a certificate confirming that the Contractors ‘Health and Safety Plan’ has been approved so enabling you to allow the works to commence;
• Ensure that a ‘Health and Safety File’ is produced.