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Clients to seek ‘workarounds’ to manage risks under CDM 2015, experts say

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  1. I find it funny how the “big” architectural practices are relishing the challenge. The only ones relishing it are the ones who already provide CDM-C services as they believe there will be no competition in terms of the fee they can charge for the role.

    I work for a lot of “big” practices who are all scrambling to appoint us as a sub consultant to help discharge their duties.

    Alan, With regards to the Client he has been left for dead under the new regs with the other duties, however I am sure there is an opportunity here for existing CDM’s to pick up this and provide advice or indeed tag some of the Client duties onto any PD appointment.

  2. I believe that a part of the reason for the reason for CDM update was also to reduce the cost of project to the client, it certainly has not done that in fact it has increased it considerably as the most design houses are charging much higher fees for the PD’s role in comparison with the old CDMc.

  3. Would the solution for companies who are happy with their existing CDM-C’s not be just to change their CDM-C’s to Principal Designer

  4. I can understand the point that ‘educated’ clients are looking to reduce some of the risk by shifting it to another party in the design team, but I can’t see it working exactly as you describe in your article.

    Working for one of the top ten architectural practices in the UK [Stride Treglown] we certainly won’t be ducking the role and sub-contracting it out to existing CDM-C’s. Our organisation is looking forward to taking ownership of the role, as it clearly states the PD role must be undertaken by a designer on the project who is control of the design process. It also has a strict and simple definition of a designer. From my conversations with contacts at similar sized architectural firms, they are also welcoming the role.

  5. The Principal Designer has to be a Designer and both roles are defined in the regulations. The Principal Designer is the Designer in control of the pre-construction phase that has been appointed by the Client. A Designer is any person who in the course or furtherance of a business prepares or modifies a design or arranges for or instructs any person under their control to do so.
    They can be project managers, quantity surveys, clients and contractors as well as architects and consultant engineers. I believe this now excludes standalone CDM-C organisations.

  6. Unfortunately not all Clients are the same and whilst the larger ones will be up to date with the regulations, the smaller clients, including now domestic clients, will still not have a clue what a Principal Designer is, just as they didn’t know what a CDMC or a Planning Supervisor was. They just see it as an extra cost on the job and think the contractor should just get on with it! Consequently I can foresee many jobs where the client actually runs the project himself being done without the appointment of a Principal Designer at all, even though it will be against the law. There are many now, so it will only get worse.
    I do hope that the architectural practices are ready for the extra work involved because the whole subject seems to have been highjacked by them and no doubt a fair number of the existing CDMC’s will be out of work and drawing dole. Since 1997 I know of many architectural practices that have stopped doing the CDM work due to it being loss-making and consuming too much of their time instead of concentrating on actual design work.

    As far as I am concerned the original 1994 legislation was more than adequate and it only needed the Planning Supervisor to be given more clout when he got to the site to enforce the health and safety law there and then. It is action that saves lives not mountains of paperwork in a file.

    All in all it’s a bad day for health and safety on site.

  7. I think the article has missed the mood of the commercial developer market and the large design practices. Those Designers with the “skills, knowledge and experience” are welcoming the role.

  8. The RIBA did express concerns (during consultation) regarding their members ‘appetite’ to fulfill the PD role and suggested external help may be sought. Not sure how much of the new Regs are aimed at top 10 practices? Does the RIBA Plan of Work 2013 not call for a H&S consultant?

    Q.Who helps the client comply with their (statutory) CDM 2015 duties (outside of PCI)?

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