CDM (+BIM) Flashcards
What are the duties of a Principal Designer (in the context of CDM)?
’ • Informing the Client of their duties under the regulations.
• Planning, managing and monitoring health and safety in the pre-construction phase, including; identifying, eliminating or controlling foreseeable risks; and ensuring designers carry out their duties.
• Helping compile pre-construction information and providing it to designers and contractors.
• Preparing the health and safety file and then reviewing, updating and revising it as the project progresses.
• Liaising with the Principal Contractor to help in the planning, managing, monitoring and co-ordination of the construction phase.
• Taking into account the general principles of prevention.
• Ensuring that all persons working in relation to the pre-construction phase cooperate with the client, the Principal Designer and each other.
• Checking that designers have sufficient skills, knowledge, experience and (if they are an organisation) the organisational capability to carry out the work.
If a client fails to appoint a Principal Designer, the Client must carry out their duties (not in the case of domestic clients).
What are the Designers responsibilities (in the context of CDM)?
In CDM, the term ‘design’ includes amongst other terms the word ‘specification’, which includes anyone who choses a method of working, prepares a design drawing or specifies a product. THIS MEANS ANYONE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME A DESIGNER VERY EASILY AND OFTEN WITHOUT REALISING. Designer’s must:
• Ensure they have the necessary skills, knowledge and experience.
• Not commence work unless they are satisfied that the Client is aware of their duties under CDM.
• Apply the principles of prevention in all of their work. Where it is not possible to eliminate health and safety risks, they must ensure appropriate information is included in the health and safety file and communicated to the site team.
• Ensure that any information they provide is easy to understand and provided in good time.
Note: Designers do not have a responsibility for controlling site risks, only for minimising the risks that their ‘design’ produces.
What are the duties of a Contractor (in the context of CDM)?
’ • Plan manage and monitor construction works under their control, ensure they are carried out without risk to H&S;
• Coordinate with other contractors;
• Comply with instructions given to them by the PD or PC.
What is CDM 2015? What are some key sections?
CDM are the main set of regulations for managing the health, safety and welfare of construction projects. The regulations govern the way that all projects of all sizes are planned and executed. Key requirements include:
• The principles of prevention must be implemented;
• All people must cooperate and collaborate;
• Excavations must be safe to enter and inspected by a competent person at the start of every shift. Reports must be kept of these inspections;
• Traffic must be managed to ensure the safety of site workers and the public;
• Emergency procedures must be in place;
• There must be suitable fire detection and fire fighting equipment.
What is the purpose of the Health and Safety file? What are the contents?
To provide information that anyone carrying out subsequent work on the building will need to plan and carry out that work safely. It may include:
• A brief description of the work carried out;
• Any hazards that have not been eliminated through the design and construction processes, and how they have been addressed (e.g. surveys or other information concerning asbestos or contaminated land);
• Key structural principles (e.g. bracing, sources of substantial stored energy – including pre- or post-tensioned members) and safe working loads for floors and roofs;
• Hazardous materials used (e.g., lead paints and special coatings);
• Health and safety information about equipment provided for cleaning or maintaining the structure;
• The nature, location and markings of significant services, including underground cables; gas supply equipment; fire-fighting services, etc.;
• Information and as-built drawings of the building, its plant and equipment.
What should be in the Pre-construction Information?
- The project, including key dates and the Client’s brief and team;
- Planning and managing the project, such as resources to be allocated to each stage;
- H&S hazards of the site, including construction hazards and how they should be addressed;
- Any relevant info in an existing H&S file.
What are the aims of CDM?
- Plan works so risks are managed and controlled throughout.
- Have the right people at the right time.
- Cooperate and coordinate works.
- Have the right information about the risks and how they are being managed.
- Communicate this information effectively to those who need to known.
- Consult and engage with workers about the risks and how they are being managed.
When is a project notifiable under CDM? Does CDM apply if a project is under the threshold?
The Client is responsible for notifying the HSE when projects are:
• scheduled to last more than 30 working days with more than 20 workers at any one point, or
• will total more than 500 person days (e.g. 50 people working for 10 days).
CDM applies regardless of whether a project is notifiable or not.
What is Building Information Modelling (BIM)?
BIM is a collaborative way of working underpinned by digital technology. The name can be slightly misleading as it focusses on data, rather than models. The purpose of BIM is to ensure that appropriate information is created in a suitable format at the right time so that better decisions can be made throughout the design, construction and operation of built assets. It is not about creating a 3D model for its own sake, and it is not an add-on process. BIM is fundamental to the way a project is set up and run. There are various levels:
0 – Unmanaged CAD (Computer Aided Design).
1 – Managed CAD in 2D or 3D.
2 – Managed 3D environment with data attached, but created in separate discipline models. There is a common area which is shared amongst the project team that everyone works from. Different disciplines check out and check in information.
3 – Single, online, project model with construction sequencing, cost and lifecycle management information.
There are further unofficial levels which include things like ‘Digital Twins’, where a digital model is an accurate live representation of the physical structure, updating based on automatic data from sensors/cameras etc.
What are the duties of a Client (in the context of CDM)?
Note: the below is correct for non residential clients.
• Ensuring other duty holders are appointed (including the Principal Designer (PD) and Principal Contractor (PC) if there is more than one designer/contractor as otherwise it defaults to the Client).
• Ensuring the roles, functions and responsibilities of the project team are clear.
• Ensuring that the people and organisations they appoint have the necessary skills, knowledge, experience and (if an organisation) the organisational capability to manage health and safety risks.
• Ensuring sufficient time and resources are allocated.
• Ensuring the PD and PC carry out their duties. This could be done by arranging project progress meetings or via written updates.
• Ensuring welfare facilities are provided (shared duty with the PC).
• Maintaining and reviewing arrangements to ensure they remain relevant.
• Provide pre-construction information to all parties.
• Ensure the PD prepares a health and safety file and the PC prepares a Construction Phase Plan (before the works start).
• Provide the health and safety file to anyone who acquires the structure.
• Notify the HSE if the project is scheduled to last more than 30 days and will have more than 20 workers at any time, or if the construction works will total more than 500 person days.
What are the four key documents in CDM?
1) The Project Notification Form (F10), which is the responsibility of the Client. It must be displayed in the site office.
2) The Pre-construction Information, which is the responsibility of the Client.
3) The Health and Safety file, which is the responsibility of the Principal Designer.
4) The Construction Phase Plan, which is the responsibility of the Principal Contractor.
What are the duties of workers (in the context of CDM)?
’ • Take care of their own H&S, and others who may be affected by their actions;
• Report anything like to endanger either theirs or someone else’s safety;
• Cooperate with employers, fellow workers, contractors and other duty holders.
What are the duties of a Principal Contractor (in the context of CDM)?
The Principal Contractor is appointed by the Client and their responsibilities under CDM are:
• Before the construction site is set up, preparing, reviewing and revising the construction phase plan for the project setting out health and safety arrangements and site rules.
• Planning, managing, monitoring and coordinating the construction phase of a project.
• Consulting and engaging with workers.
• Liaising with the Client and Principal Designer.
• Ensuring anyone they appoint has the necessary skills, knowledge, and experience and, where they are an organisation, the organisational capability to carry out the work in a way that secures health and safety.
• Coordinating the work of contractors and ensuring that the contractors under their control cooperate with each other.
• Ensuring suitable site inductions are provided.
• Ensuring reasonable steps are taken to prevent unauthorised access.
• Ensuring that suitable welfare facilities are provided and maintained throughout the construction phase (dual duty with PC).
• Ensuring that the construction phase plan is appropriately reviewed, updated and revised during the construction phase.
• Providing the Principal Designer with any information in the Principal Contractor’s possession relevant to the health and safety file.
If the client fails to appoint a Principal Contractor, the client must fulfil the duties of the Principal Contractor (not in the case of domestic clients).
What should be in a Construction Phase Plan?
- Project description and key dates;
- Health & Safety aims of the project;
- Stages of work (e.g. tunnelling, fit-out etc.);
- Known services;
- Anyone else working on the job, and arrangements between parties;
- Roles and responsibilities;
- Site rules;
- Access arrangements;
- Inductions/training/welfare info etc.
Who is responsible for providing welfare under CDM? What are the minimum requirements?
The Principal Contractor must provided and maintain welfare facilities throughout the construction phase for notifiable projects. Clients must check to ensure the PC has provided adequate welfare facilities. Welfare must include:
• Toilets (Note these must be suitable and sufficient. Not minimum requirements are given. However, BS6465 recommends a ratio of 1 toilet to 7 persons and that if portable, toilets are emptied once a week).
• Places to wash (hot and cold water).
• Drinking water.
• Changing rooms.
• Facilities to rest.
