Health and Safety Executive

Are you a designer?

What you need to do

Designers are required to undertake the following actions:

  • Client awareness – check that the project client is aware of their duties under CDM before you carry out any work;
  • Competence – check the CDM competence of your business before you accept an engagement;
  • Pre-construction information – consider the pre-construction information and use it to inform preparation of your design;
  • Avoid foreseeable risk – in preparing a design, by eliminating hazards and reducing risk from remaining hazards.
  • Red Amber Green lists are practical aides to designers on what to eliminate or avoid, and what to encourage.

What you need to know – three key questions

Question 1: Who has designer responsibilities under CDM 2007?

Answer: The term ‘designer’ has a broad meaning and relates to the function performed, rather than the profession or job title. Designer duties apply to any business that prepares or modifies a design for a particular structure. This definition includes companies, partnerships and sole traders.

Question 2: Which construction projects attract designer duties?

Answer: Designer duties apply on all projects and there are additional requirement on notifiable projects. Designer duties therefore apply on:

  • major construction projects;
  • minor building works; and
  • small projects involving refurbishment and repair work.

Question 3: When do designer duties commence?

Answer: Designer duties apply from project conception. The designer is critical to securing reduced risk in the construction phase and during future maintenance and use of structures.

 

Client awareness

Designers are not permitted to commence work until any client for the project is aware of their duties under CDM 2007.

The way designers meet this duty can be built into routine business procedures covering client meetings and liaison.

It is sensible to retain written evidence that client awareness has been established before work is started for any client on a project.

Competence

Designers should not accept a project engagement unless their design business, and those carry out or managing design, are competent.

The CDM Approved Code Appendix 4 provides the core criteria for demonstration of competence and the standards to be achieved.

  • the standards include policy and organisation; arrangements; sources of advice and training
  • design practices need to show how, in preparing the design, they eliminate hazards and reduce risk from those hazards remaining.

Pre-construction information

Project clients and CDM co-ordinators must prepare and promptly provide designers with pre-construction information (PCI).

Designers should consider the PCI and use it to inform preparation of their design. PCI consists of all the information that is relevant to the health and safety of those engaged in, affected by the work or using the structure as a future workplace.

Avoid foreseeable risk

Arrangements are required to avoid foreseeable risk in preparing a design by:

  • eliminating hazards giving rise to the risk; and
  • reducing risk from any remaining hazards.

Designers must consider risks to people:

  • carrying out or affected by the construction work;
  • cleaning windows;
  • maintaining the structure; and
  • using a structure designed as a workplace.

The amount of effort put into avoiding hazards and reducing risks should be proportionate to the degree of risk. Designers are not required to spend time, money and trouble on low-risk issues.

Information on residual risks must be provided. This information should focus on risks that may not be obvious to those who use the design. One good way of communicating this information is using notes on drawings.

Further information

Directgov - Business Link

15.12.11