The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations (CDM), which will come into effect on 6th April 2015, will change the way that construction work operates on a domestic and commercial scale across the UK.
Under the new rules, “construction work” will range from minor tasks like installing a shower to national building projects (such as HS2), and businesses that contract for any construction work will need to comply with the new legal requirements.
Following 6th April, commercial firms will have a legal obligation to appoint a principal designer and principal contractor whenever work involves more than one contractor.
Replacing the “competence” requirements in the previous CDM, clients that opt to appoint other contractors on a project will have to ensure that the chosen candidate has the right skill, knowledge and experience.
If the contractor also happens to be an organisation then a client must ensure that they have the resources necessary to fulfil a role.
The period in which clients must notify the Health and Safety Executive of planned construction work will also change, though a specific timeframe has not yet been fully confirmed.
Those that choose to ignore the changes in legislation will be at risk of being served with substantial fines or, if it is an individual who is responsible, they could face a prison sentence.