CDM Regulations 5 years on...

A five year review of the CDM (Construction Design and Management) Regulations 2007 has been undertaken by the HSE.

The CDM Regulations were put in place to improve health & safety in the construction industry with a focus on effective planning and risk management. The evaluation was a recommendation of the Löfstedt Report, which independently reviewed health & safety legislation.

Benefits

The evaluation found that respondents rated the benefits of CDM 2007 as outweighing the costs and the practices in the CDM industry improved between 2006 and 2010.

Increased Pricing Pressure

However the report also highlighted that there are still some concerns with the industry. In the current economic climate there is growing pressure on organisations to get projects completed quickly under tight budgets and this has lead to increased work being put to tenders, where price is often considered more important than competence.

Regulation Breaches

Approximately a third of all workplace fatalities occur in construction and thousands more are injured each year. Non compliance with CDM 2007 can lead to construction projects being halted and even prosecution.

The report makes no recommendations for changes to CDM 2007, but the HSE notes that the evidence it contains will inform policy development in this area. To read the full report visit the HSE website.

For further details on ensuring you meet the CDM requirements visit: 

• CDM in Practice
• NEBOSH Construction Certificate
• IOSH Managing Safely in Construction for teams