health and safety executive health and safety executive cdm 2007 training package session 4 -...

Health and Safety Executive

Health and Safety Executive

CDM 2007 Training

Package

Session 4 - Designers

Version: September 07

Who are designers? (1)

• A ‘designer’ has a wide definition under CDM 2007

• If you design or specify building work, then you are a designer with duties under CDM

• Duties apply to all projects, including non-notifiable and domestic

• It includes people who prepare – Drawings– Design details, analysis and calculations – Specification and Bills of Quantities

• The design could be on paper, computer or verbal

CDM 2007 Designers – Slide 2

Who are designers? (2)

• Designers include – Civil and structural engineers– Building services engineers – Those specifying or purchasing materials – Temporary works designers – Interior fit out designers– Clients who specify – Design and construction contractors– Statutory bodies that require features that are not

statutory requirements

• Statutory requirements are exempted i.e. Building Regs requirements are not designs under CDM 2007


Who are designers? - Overseas designers

• Where the design work is undertaken by oversees designers, the designers duties under CDM 2007 falls on:– Person who commissions it if in GB or – The client for the work


Duties on designers (1)

• Designers have to:– Ensure clients are aware of their duties– Make sure they (the designer) are

competent for the work they do– Co-ordinate their work with others as

necessary to manage risk – Co-operate with CDM co-ordinator and

others– Provide information for the health and

safety file CDM 2007 Designers – Slide 5


• Designers have to avoid foreseeable risks SFAIRP by:– Eliminating hazards from the

construction, cleaning, maintenance, and proposed use (workplace only) & demolition of a structure

– Reduce risks from any remaining hazard

– Give collective risk reduction measures priority over individual measures



Designers must also:

• Take account of the Workplace (Health, Safety & Welfare) Regulations 1992 when designing a workplace structure

• Provide information with the design to assist clients, other designers, & contractors

• In particular – inform others of significant or unusual/ “not obvious” residual risks



• Designers have to be given relevant information by the CDM co-ordinator

• Risks which are not foreseeable do not need to be considered

• CDM 2007 does not require “zero risk” designs

• Amount of effort made to eliminate hazards should be proportionate to the risk


HSE’s expectation of Designers - apply the ERI(C) principles (1)

Eliminate hazards• By experience• By red amber green lists (optional)• By challenging existing practice• By considering implications of their actions • By talking/listening to contractors• By complying with Workplace (Health, Safety and

Welfare) Regulations 1992Reduce remaining risks- Collective measures- Individual measures


HSE’s expectations of designers – apply the ERI(C) principles (2)

Inform others

• Provide relevant information to project team: other designers, CDM co-ordinator, contractors

• In particular: highlight significant, “not obvious” risks, & those that are difficult to manage


Designing out risk – example of what can be done

Simple design measure to reduce risk


Designing out risk – example of what not to do

Inherent risks for future maintenance of flue pipe


Designers - Information

• Provide the right information to the right people at the right time

• How to inform – Method of informing is optional– Notes on drawings – Written information with the design– Suggested sequence of construction

(only if not obvious)

• If in doubt – discuss itCDM 2007 Designers – Slide 13

Designers – co-operation

• A more managed approach will be necessary for larger projects:– integrated team involving designers, principal contractor

and other relevant contractors– the appointment of a lead designer, where many

designers are involved– agreeing a common approach to risk reduction during

design– meetings of the design team (including the CDM co-

ordinator) with contractors, and others– regular reviews of developing designs– encourage site visits, so designers can see how risks

are managed on site and vice versaCDM 2007 Designers – Slide 14

Designers - Paperwork

• Competent designers eliminate hazards and reduce risks – manage the risk, not paperwork.

• Design risk assessments (DRAs) are seen by many as unhelpful and should be discouraged– Just say no to thoughtless DRA but yes to

eliminating hazards

• CDM 2007 does not require designers to produce copious amounts of paperwork detailing generic hazards and risks


Designers - Records

• Designers under CDM 2007 are not legally required to keep records of the design process

• But – Brief records why key decisions were

made will be helpful when designs are passed to another, to prevent decisions being reversed for the wrong reasons


Designers – design review

• A process of design review will help to ensure buildability, usability, & maintainability

• Designers should involve the contractor when reviewing buildability

• Designers should involve the client (or building operators) when reviewing usability and maintainability

• Involve the CDM co-ordinator if project is notifiable


Additional duties for notifiable projects

• Check that the client has appointed a CDM co-ordinator

• Only ‘initial’ design work is permitted until a CDM co-ordinator has been appointed

• Co-operate with the CDM co-ordinator, principal contractors and with other designers or contractors so all can confirm with their CDM duties

• Provide relevant information for the health and safety file


Designers - “Do not……”

• And never have been asked to control risk on site - they can only influence what is within their control

• Take into account unforeseeable hazards and risks

• Design for possible future uses of structures that cannot reasonably be anticipated from their design brief

• Specify construction methods, except where the design requires a particular construction sequence

• Exercise a health and safety management function over contractors or others

• Have to consider trivial risksCDM 2007 Designers – Slide 19

Designers – Key messages

• If you design or specify building work, then you are a designer with new duties under CDM

• Competent designers eliminate hazards and reduce risks – manage the risk, not the paperwork

• Design for safety and health for those that build, use, maintain and demolish – it’s safer by design

• Tell others about significant risks which remain – give the right information to the right people at the right time


health and safety executive health and safety executive cdm 2007 training package session 4 -...

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