30 October 2024
Principal designers have an important role in influencing how risks to health and safety are managed throughout a project.
Design decisions made during the pre-construction phase have a significant influence in ensuring the project is delivered in a way that secures the health and safety of everyone affected by the work.
A principal designer is:
An individual or organisation with appropriate competence who is appointed by a client to take the lead in planning, managing, monitoring, and coordinating health and safety during the pre-construction phase of a project that involves, or is likely to involve, multiple contractors and of significant scale.
A designer — as defined in the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 — has control over the pre-construction phase and possesses the necessary skills, knowledge, and experience, as well as the organisational capability to carry out all of the role’s functions including completing designer risk assessments.
When a project involves more than one contractor.
A principal designer must be appointed in writing by the client where a project involves, or is likely to involve, more than one contractor.
Principal designers must:
PLAN, MANAGE, MONITOR, COORDINATE
Health and safety during the pre-construction phase. In doing so, they must take into account essential information that may affect design work performed both before and after the building phase has started.
• Help and advise the client in gathering pre-construction information, and offer the information that designers and contractors require to carry out their duties.
• Work with any other designers on the project to remove foreseeable health and safety risks to anybody affected by the work and, if this is not possible, take actions to mitigate or control those risks.
• Ensure that everyone involved in the pre-construction phase communicates and cooperates, coordinating their work wherever required.
• Liaise with the principal contractor, keeping them informed of any risks that need to be controlled during the construction phase.
At Alan Wood & Partners we have a number of highly experienced staff competent of acting as principal designer, both under the CDM Regulations 2015 and the BSA 2022.
We pride ourselves on providing an agile, efficient and non-bureaucratic service with a focused and proactive approach, working closely with our client and the principal contractor to achieve the best outcome for all.
To learn more about our principal designer services, please visit:
https://www.alanwood.co.uk/category/building-and-surveying/principal-designer
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