How do the health and safety regulations apply to domestic extension projects?
Health and safety should always be the priority when you are planning any changes to your home. It’s easy to get swept up in the design aspect and focus on how everything will look once it is finished, but tradespeople need safe working conditions and the finished construction has to be up to the standard required by law.
The Construction Design and Management Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015) lay out who is responsible for maintaining health and safety standards during construction work. But how do health and safety regulations apply to domestic extension projects? We explain more below.
What is CDM 2015?
Whether you are the property owner (referred to as a domestic client), designer or contractor, depending on your role in the extension work, you have a responsibility to maintain health and safety standards. CDM 2015 is used to ensure that no-one is injured or harmed while the work is being carried out, and that the property is safe to use once everything has been completed.
Below is a brief summary of what CDM 2015 regulations require. You should ensure that all projects have:
Workers onsite who have the right level of skill, training and experience required for the project.
Contractors that can provide relevant supervision and instruction while the works are carried out.
A construction phase plan that is made clear in writing. It should detail health and safety measures that will be in place on site, covering all aspects of work and associated risks.
If there is more than one contractor involved in the project, you should:
Ensure a principal designer and principal contractor are hired for the job.
Create a health and safety file to maintain records during construction. This is used to identify potential risks that everyone should be aware of throughout the duration of the project.
All of the above must be applied if the work is set to last longer than 30 working days and has more than 20 workers onsite at any one time, or if the project lasts longer than 500 person days.
If all these conditions are met, you must also inform the Health & Safety Executive about the project. However, some domestic projects valued under £250,000 (excluding VAT) may not require more than 30 days of work or exceed 500 person days. This is something the principal contractor will be able to verify ahead of the construction phase.
Who is classed as a domestic client?
Your main role is to appoint a Principal Designer (architect) and a Principal Contractor (building company). Depending on the scope of their involvement in the project, if you have a written agreement with the architect they will be responsible for ensuring CDM 2015 regulations are met during the pre-construction phase.
Who is a principal designer?
If you appoint an architect for the extension project, and you sign up to a written contract, they then become the principal designer. The architect will be responsible for all health and safety during the pre-construction phase, accounting for any design work that is carried out before and after the start of construction.
In broader terms, they also become the project manager, ensuring that everyone involved in pre-construction is communicating and working from the same page. They must also inform the principal contractor about any potential risks or issues that need to be assessed before construction begins.
Who is a principal contractor?
Building extensions require the involvement of people from a variety of different trades, so a principal contractor has to be appointed. They will be responsible for putting together the construction phase health and safety plan and manage the various works taking place onsite. They must also regularly review this plan to ensure it remains relevant and maintains safety for everyone hired on the project.
This involves planning and monitoring construction from start to finish and assessing the various health and safety risks posed to workers onsite. The principal contractor will remain in contact with the principal designer and client throughout the project and ensure that the quality of work expected is delivered.
How to plan health and safety for your extension project
Health and safety planning might seem a little complicated and daunting, especially if you have never planned for an extension before. Thanks to our knowledge and experience in this area, we can help you prepare everything you need for your extension, and can even recommend reputable contractors who understand the requirements of CDM 2015. Call us today to book a free consultation on 07984 760 920 or send us a message here and we’ll get right back to you.
