Following on from its “Plain English” guidance supporting the newly updated CDM 2015, the CITB has launched an app designed to help SME builders write construction phase plans.
When the new regulations come into force on 6 April 2015, for the first time all construction projects – including work for householders – will need a health and safety plan for the construction phase.
The free app uses the HSE’s own template for construction phase plans, but constructs it from builders’ answers to key questions on the type of project and the safety hazards it presents.
The app is targeted at contractors working on projects for domestic clients, and smaller, straightforward schemes in the commercial sector.
The app will first be available on Android and will be followed on iOS.
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Revd Kevin Fear, the CITB’s strategic lead for health and safety strategy, told CM: “We realised that the HSE template was useful, but if people just download it and fill it in, the problem is they don’t know what they don’t know – for example, a small domestic contractor might not even realise that concrete dust is carcinogenic, as well as being a nuisance. So two of my colleagues realised that the problem lends itself to an app that asks questions.
“The app offers types of hazards and control measures for various conditions, based around our top five safety and health issues. If we can get more awareness of those issues out onto sites, that could be a massive contribution to improving health and safety in the industry.”
The app will be promoted to SME contractors via a link up with the Federation of Building Merchants, and the CITB’s network of advisers.
Fear pointed out that around two-thirds of accidental deaths in the industry occur on small sites. “Really the focus is trying to get this on to smaller sites. The CDM 2015 guidance [compiled by CITB and members of the Construction Industry Advisory Committee (CONIAC)] distils the expertise of many of the larger, experienced companies on managing health and safety, and we hope that this app gets a measure of that expertise into the hands of the smaller contractors.”
Andy Owens, MOD infrastructure H&S adviser, said: “The CDM app installed quickly and I found it easy to use. I followed it through to the generation of the action plan, which I was able to view, save and forward to a different email address to print off. It all worked perfectly and does the job needed.”
The App can be downloaded from: www.citb.co.uk/cdmregs
