Health

Healthand
andSafety
Safety
Executive
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 nonnotifiable 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
CDM 2007 Designers Slide 3

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

CDM 2007 Designers Slide 4

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

Duties on designers (2)

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
CDM 2007 Designers Slide 6

Duties on designers (3)

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
CDM 2007 Designers Slide 7

Duties on designers (4)

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
CDM 2007 Designers Slide 8

HSEs 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 1992
Reduce remaining risks
- Collective measures
- Individual measures
CDM 2007 Designers Slide 9

HSEs 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

CDM 2007 Designers Slide 10

Designing out risk example of

what can be done
Simple design
measure to reduce risk

CDM 2007 Designers Slide 11

Designing out risk example of

what not to do
Inherent risks for future
maintenance of flue pipe

CDM 2007 Designers Slide 12

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 it
CDM 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 coordinator) with contractors, and others
regular reviews of developing designs
encourage site visits, so designers can see how risks are
managed on site and vice versa
CDM 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

CDM 2007 Designers Slide 15

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
CDM 2007 Designers Slide 16

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
CDM 2007 Designers Slide 17

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
CDM 2007 Designers Slide 18

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

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 risks

Design for possible future uses of structures that cannot

reasonably be anticipated from their design brief

CDM 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 its safer by design

Tell others about significant risks which remain

give the right information to the right people at
the right time
CDM 2007 Designers Slide 20