The CDM 2007 Regulations apply to most common building, civil engineering and engineering construction work.

A large town house that is being renovated.

You must notify the Health and Safety Executive of the site if the construction work is expected to either:

  • last longer than 30 days
  • involve more than 500 person days of construction work.

HSE should be notified in writing before construction work starts using form F10. Your notification should be sent to the HSE office nearest to the proposed site.

CDM 2007 places legal duties on virtually everyone involved in construction work. Those with legal duties are commonly known as ‘dutyholders’ and will include:

You should decide if you are a client under the definition of the regulation. However, it may not entirely absolve you from responsibility if you don’t make sure that the person carrying out the works has considered CDM.

A CDM client is someone who is having construction or building work carried out, unless they are a domestic client. A domestic client is someone who lives, or will live, in the premises where the work is carried out. The premises must not relate to any trade, business or other undertaking. Although a domestic client does not have duties under CDM, those who work for them on construction projects will.

You should decide if you are a client under the definition of the regulation. However, it may not entirely absolve you from responsibility if you don’t make sure that the person carrying out the works has considered CDM.

On all projects clients will need to:

  • check competence and resources of all appointees
  • ensure there are suitable management arrangements for the project welfare facilities
  • allow sufficient time and resources for all stages
  • provide pre-construction information to designers and contractors.

Where projects are notifiable under CDM 2007, clients must also:

  • appoint a CDM co-ordinator
  • appoint a principal contractor
  • make sure that construction work does not start unless a construction phase plan is in place and there are adequate welfare facilities on site
  • provide information relating to the health and safety file to the CDM co-ordinator
  • retain and provide access to the health and safety file.