CDM SERVICES

'Getting it right from the start'

Positive Steps will attend pre-tender meetings with the Client and other relevant potential duty holders to promote safety intentions and competencies.

'Ensuring all persons are aware of their duties during the project'

Positive Steps will liaise with the CDM Co-ordinator and relevant duty holders on instruction in order to address any health and safety issues likely to be involved in the management of the construction phase in order to ensure that the Principal Contractor is provided with the necessary information.

'An essential document'

For notifiable projects a suitably developed Construction Phase Health and Safety Plan is required to be prepared by a competent person before any construction work begins.

Positive Steps can prepare a bespoke Construction Phase Plan by working with the relevant duty holders, the CDM Co-ordinator and all contractors by identifying significant hazards and assessing the risks they pose. By using this information and applying the general principals of risk prevention and control, the Plan will facilitate the methods to manage and co-ordinate the construction phase in a safe and practical manner.

'Assisting duty holders in understanding the CDM requirements'

Dependant on the risks involved in a particular project a good understanding of CDM is essential for the relevant duty holders.

Positive Steps provide CDM awareness training sessions to ensure duty holders are:

• Aware of the key requirements and scope of the CDM Regulations 2007 and the Approved Code of Practice.
• Aware how their own competency may be assessed to meet the regulations.
• Aware of the Key Duty Holders responsibilities.
• Aware of co-operation and co-ordination issues.
• Aware of the Construction Phase Plan.

'Providing site management training to relevant personnel'

The Construction Phase Plan is a practical aid to the management of health and safety on site; however it needs to be understood and followed:

Positive Steps will communicate the Construction Phase Plan out to the designated responsible persons and ensure all aspects are understood. In addition, training is how the site is to be managed will also trained out. This will include but is not limited to security, visitors, pedestrian segregation, inductions, control of contractors, site audits etc.

'Issuing clients with health and safety site inductions'

It is a requirement of the Construction, Design, Management Regulations 2007 that all workers on site have been provided with suitable health and safety inductions to include:

• Site safety rules.
• Emergency procedures.
• Restricted areas.
• Relevant safety information.

Positive Steps can conduct these inductions on high risk sites or train out how they are to be communicated to the designated responsible persons on low risk sites.

'Ensuring competent contractors are used on site'

Principal Contractors must satisfy themselves that the contractors they engage are competent and adequately resourced.

Positive Steps will vet each contractor, ensuring their risk assessments and method statements are suitable and sufficient. Whilst it is understood that the contractors will be competent and the safety documentation will not generally be checked for technical content the Health and Safety legal requirements will be assured.

In addition the Construction Phase Plan will be developed in discussion with and communicated to contractors affected by the Plan.

'Auditing health and safety on site during the CDM project'

Positive Steps will ensure that the Construction Phase Plan is implemented and keep up to date as the project progresses and reviewed prior to any significant changes. This can be achieved by Health and Safety Audits, Health and Safety Meetings and regular contact.

'Ensuring that all workers are competent for the work undertaken'

The CDM Regulations place duties on contractors and Principal Contractors to ensure that workers are competent and to provide training where necessary.

Toolbox talks are a method used to satisfy this requirement. Positive Steps can deliver such talks on high risk sites or facilitate the resources to the designated person responsible.

'Advice provided as required'

Positive Steps can provide advice to the Duty Holders as required. Please contact the office for more information on our CDM services.