Being the great friends that they are, after a few wee drams, the CDM Consultant and Nessy start comparing myths and rumours that are commonly spread. CDM consultant goes first...

CDM only applies to construction companies

Total myth. Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 applies to construction activities. This means if you are a school, a car dealership, an office in Croydon, housing association or a facilities management company - if you are having "construction works" done at your office (or even your private home) by a conractor, CDM applies.

Facilities manager contracted to do some painting of the internal doors? CDM applies

Electrician changing your light fittings in the office? CDM applies

Putting fencing around your car forecourt? CDM applies

CDM only applies if it's more than 30 days

Total myth. This myth comes from the old Regulation and is still doing the rounds. CDM applies to ALL construction projects (even the small ones that may take half an hour to complete).

This myth is here because certain projects require the HSE to be notified they are being undertaken. The Regulations say that

If the project will last more than 30 days andhave more than 20 workers on site at any one time, or; involve more than 500 person days, the HSE must be notified
So although you may be doing a quick hour of painting some doors, CDM still applies, but you do not have to tell the HSE about it.

CDM Principal Designers must be qualified architects

Total myth. Some Principal Designers are in fact architects. However, the vast majority of Principal Designers are not. Many of them are former CDM Co-ordinators, project managers or engineers. Just make sure that any Principal Designer you hire is either (a) able to demonstrate their competence in doing this role for the type of job you're paying for, or; (b) they have a Principal Design Advisor who is going to help them.

CDM is just loads of form filling

Total myth. There are only a few sets of documents that will need to be completed for CDM. Many projects that are small in nature won't even need all of the forms below:

F10 - used to notify the HSE of a construction project (see when to tell HSE above)
Pre-construction information (good to provide this for all projects)
Construction phase health and safety plan (can be done on a single page for small jobs or hundreds of pages for complex multi-million pound projects)
Health and Safety File is provided by the Principal Contractor at the end of a project that has been notified to the HSE
CDM is more concerned with 3 C's: communication, co-operation and co-ordinationof construction works on site and most importantly....proper planning of how a job will be done safely.

CDM consultant turned to Nessy who was really unimpressed by how boring the myths he shared truly are, so CDM consultant applied his 3 C's....




Needless to say, the CDM consultant and Nessy had a great time and nobody believed that Nessy was in fact who they claimed to be, or that a CDM consultant could look as awesome as the viking in the picture.

If you want to understand CDM a bit better because you now realise it may apply to things going on in your workplace, get in touch. I won't bite (unlike Nessy) and I won't start a meter!!

Alternatively, if you fancy some late night reading, you can find a copy of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations here for free: http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l153.htm

A residential housing project I worked on in 2016 added an extra 2nos. 2 bedroom houses and increased green space in the close....an additional value of £160k was added to the overall project.

I deliver training, provide advice and guidance support as well as provide client advisory and principal design advisory roles to all kinds of projects across the North of England and North Wales (but sadly not by Loch Ness).

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