New CDM regulations for domestic work

[^woody^]

If you are a home owner having home building work done, or if you are a builder doing work on domestic properties, how many of you are aware that as from 6th April, the Construction Design and Management Regulations can now apply to you?

You can now be responsible for the health and safety of workers and others while having work done on your home. And if the job lasts longer than 30 days, you need to notify the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) too.

Anyone drawing up plans for extensions now become designers under the CDM regulations and have responsibility too. As do subcontractors or anyone specifying anything.

Enjoy your new responsibility.

www.hse.gov.uk/construction/cdm/buildingcontrol.htm

 

[champagnecharly]

You can now be responsible for the health and safety of workers and others while having work done on your home. And if the job lasts longer than 30 days, you need to notify the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) too.

Actually guidelines are a little different than that..

Projects bigger than
30 working days and have more than 20 workers on site at any point

or

construction work is scheduled to exceed 500 person days,

have to ALSO register with the HSE

 

[tony1851]

What's more important than the threshold for notifiction is the fact that common-or-garden domestic extensions are now in the net (even though they don't need to be notified).

It seems that the person drawing the plans is deemed to be the 'principal designer', with responsibility for ensuring that the work is designed with safety in mind.

I don't fancy putting a pack of do's and don'ts together for the contractor, or being liable if some idiot drops a steel beam on his foot.

Now how can we get out of this one...........?

 

[champagnecharly]

I see.. yes you are right..
Its ludicrous at best. Its a responsibility that should and will only be taken for an extra fee. Of course that person will require to be insured for the responsibility.. At at time when there are not enough properties they make it even harder and more costly to extend or do anything for that matter.
In my business I trade with countries in the EU.. however at this rate I want out of anything to do with these ridiculous poorly thought through / blinkered directives are becoming crippling for the masses as to benefit the few.

 

[Norcon]

Can't see anyone being too bothered about that over here in the province. Things will just go on as normal.
Well out in the sticks it will any rode.

Did a job a few years ago with hse assigned to it and the bossman insisted on scaffolding on the formwork.
My usual preference is none. I told him if you want it scaffolded then do it yer self. As I wouldn't be breaking any sweat over it.

Which he did.
He fixed planks up in a rush before the pour and they almost caused one guy a bad fall.
I was smart enough not to use it.

 

[noseall]

Wot does H&SE mean?

 

[champagnecharly]

Health and safety executive = HSE

 

[noseall]

Health and safety executive = HSE

Ta duck. at least I know which clipboard wafting, hi-vis' wearing snoopers to avoid now.

P.S. Yo Charly, I wuz only having the craic about the HSE thing.

 

[wessex101]

What's more important than the threshold for notifiction is the fact that common-or-garden domestic extensions are now in the net (even though they don't need to be notified).

It seems that the person drawing the plans is deemed to be the 'principal designer', with responsibility for ensuring that the work is designed with safety in mind.

I don't fancy putting a pack of do's and don'ts together for the contractor, or being liable if some idiot drops a steel beam on his foot.

Now how can we get out of this one...........?

The designer's responsibilities are actually quite easy. You are only responsible for making sure that you do not include something inherently dangerous into the design....like chocolate fire doors or a balcony with no guarding. If for some reason the risk cannot be eliminated you just have to prepare a designers risk assessment and give it to the contractor.

All the usual construction risks are still down to the poor old contractor who has to produce reams of generic risk assessments and method statements. CDM does not work in commercial contracts so why the hell they thought it was a good idea to extend it to domestic work beggars belief.

 

[^woody^]

The designer is responsible for the design, the materials he specifies, how it will be put together, used, and how it will be maintained.

He needs to consider all those things and the risks to the workers building it, the occupants living in it, and the people who will come to maintain and repair it in the future.

Things like say, should he use a big heavy steel beam or specify a lighter timber beam - or alter the design for no beam. How will someone replace that big heavy patio door in a few years time. Should he specify an electric or thermostatic shower.

He can't rely on, or pass the responsibility for risk assessments to the contractor, and his risk continues long after the work is complete

 

[tony1851]

why the hell they thought it was a good idea to extend it to domestic work beggars belief.

I think that is probably because although domestic extensions are small beer compared to large commercial jobs, numerically they are probably responsible for most accidents in the industry.

 

[^woody^]

I think its related to tax and trying to stamp down on the black economy. It is more probable that the 'legitimate' firms will be able to comply with the bureaucracy, and be less bothered by the paper trail of all this.

 

[Nakajo]

Consider any project that involves two different contractors - even something as trivial as fitting a boiler generally requires a plumber and an electrician. Technically, CDM2015 applies in this situation. I'm looking forward to seeing how this one plays out (not)

 

[mfarrow]

Woody has summed it up nicely. If only it will stop the silly examples of underthinking and SEs sticking their fingers in the air as seen on here.

Went into builders merchants today for 2 padstones, of standard block dimensions. Guy on counter was surprised and relieved as he'd seen some weird and very over-egged specs recently which he struggled to satisfy. My designer even put on the design the option for making it out of blues instead. I think that's CDM2015 pretty well covered.

Unfortunately though, there will be no prosecutions for bad design.

 

[angelboy]

I think its related to tax and trying to stamp down on the black economy. It is more probable that the 'legitimate' firms will be able to comply with the bureaucracy, and be less bothered by the paper trail of all this.

I think that's the point.