Preparing for a safe build site
Since 6 April 2015, all new self-build projects are required to comply with the requirements of the Construction, Design and Management (CDM) Regulations 2015. The CDM Regulations are intended to ensure health and safety issues are properly considered through the life of a project, to reduce the risk of harm to those who build, use and maintain the building. Under CDM, the various individuals involved in a construction project are known as ‘dutyholders’ (outlined right) — more on which later.
The CDM Regs put health, safety and welfare high on the agenda of anyone taking on a building project. (Environmental concerns are covered in other regulations.) Responsible self-builders may now be thinking, “So what? The work was always going to be done properly”. However, depending on the role you take (for instance, you may hope to project manage the build) and your project, CDM raises the stakes significantly by reinforcing standards and responsibilities and creating a layer of bureaucracy that is now required to prove the building site will operate safely.
“The CDM regs put health, safety and welfare high on the agenda of anyone taking on a building project”
The CDM rules on DIY builds
Complying with the regulations starts well before building begins.
