Planning Domestic Scaffolding Work – CDM 2015

If you are you planning domestic scaffolding work, read on, as the much-trumpeted and long awaited update to the CDM Regulations have now arrived in the form of the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2015. The new Regulations came into effect on 6th April 2015 and will apply to all new construction work undertaken from that date.

The Regulations are aimed at ensuring: –

• work is sensibly planned, so the risks involved are managed from start to finish
• the right people are assigned to the right job at the right time
• that work is coordinated and all parties cooperate
• the right information about the risks and how they are being managed is provided
• that this information is communicated effectively to those who need to know
• workers are consulted and engaged in relation to the risks involved and how they will be managed

We have been asked by several clients how the new legislation will impact their work for domestic clients, so this article is intended at outlining what a scaffold contractor’s duties are in these situations. The law makes no consideration of individual trades and apply in equal measure to all building activity, whether scaffolding, window fitting, Roofwork or gutter replacement etc.

The flowchart below is aimed at assisting domestic clients in establishing how CDM will apply.

For all construction work, (including domestic work) contractors have a responsibility to: –

• plan, manage and monitor their own work and that of their workers
• check the competence of all their appointees and workers
• train their own employees
• provide information to their workers
• ensure that there are adequate welfare facilities for their workers (for domestic work, this can be via an arrangement with the householder)

For domestic work where the scaffold contractor is the only contractor on site, Regulation 7 of CDM applies and this states that the Contractor then assumes the role of the Principal Contractor and, in some instances, the Client. These duties extend to producing a Construction Phase Plan, which is a document that should outline how health and safety will be managed during the work. The Plan should be proportionate to the work being carried out and need not be overly detailed or cluttered with generic documentation. The plan should contain the detail that one would normally find in a method statement and include: –

• a description of the project, such as key dates and details of key members of the project team
• site rules
• arrangements for involving workers
• induction arrangements
• welfare facilities
• emergency procedures, such as fire and first aid
• the control of any of the specific site risks relevant to the work involved

A handy Apple and Android App has been produced which assists in the production of a Construction Phase Plan. It is free and can be downloaded here.

You should also note that if work is scheduled to last longer than 30 working days and have more than 20 workers working simultaneously at any point in the project or exceeds 500 person days, then the project is notifiable and the HSE must be informed in advance of the work starting.

CITB has published a whole raft of guidance that will assist in fulfilling the duties defined by CDM and is available for FREE download here.

HSE has a web page dedicated to CDM and that also contains lots of useful information.

Simian clients are free to contact their Account Manager for further advice.