Services to Principal Designers

Why do you may need assistance?

The Principal Designer (PD) has an important role in co-ordinating health and safety. They are appointed by the Client to undertake this co-ordination role, formerly undertaken by the CDMC. Please note that although the PD has to be a designer the specific role of PD does not involve design. Any design they undertake is covered by their separate appointment as a designer. The PD role is to co-ordinate health and safety during the pre-construction phase.

The new regulations make it easier for HSE inspectors to fine and prosecute all duty holders for non-compliance even if it has not led to an accident or incident. If a contractor or designer is found to have breached their regulations then the HSE may have grounds to investigate the PD for allowing this to happen and subsequent fines, notices or prosecutions may follow. It is therefore imperative that PD’s have measures in place to ensure compliance.

To assist Principal Designers we provide the following services

Schedule of Services

The services which are summarised below are derived from the duties laid on the Principal Designer by the Regulations and other related requirements of the Regulations. Reference should be made to the Regulations for the precise scope of each service and this schedule must be read within the context of the Regulations as a whole.

Part 1

1. Cooperate with any other person working on or in relation to a project at the same or an adjoining construction site to the extent necessary to enable any person with a duty or function to fulfil that duty or function [Reg 8(4)]
2. Report to the Principal Designer anything the Advisor is aware of in relation to the project which is likely to endanger their own health or safety or that of others [Reg 8(5)]
3. Provide any information or instructions as soon as is practicable and in a comprehensive form. [Reg 8(6)]
4. Plan, manage and monitor the pre-construction phase and co-ordinate matters relating to health and safety during the pre-construction phase to ensure that , so far as is reasonably practicable, the project is carried out without risk to health or safety. [Reg 11(1)]
5. When
   a) Design, technical and organisational aspects are being decided in order to plan the various items or stages of work which are to take place simultaneously or in succession; and
   b) Estimating the period of time required to complete such work or work stages,
   Take into account the general principles of prevention and, where relevant, the content of any construction phase plan and any health and safety file. [Reg 11(2)]
6. Identify and eliminate or control, so far as is reasonably practicable, foreseeable risks to the health and safety of any person
   a) Carrying out or liable to be affected by construction work
   b) Maintaining or cleaning a structure; or
   c) Using a structure designed as a workplace. [Reg 11(3)]
7. Ensure all designers comply with their duties in Regulations 9. [Reg 11(4)]
8. Cooperate with and ensure that all persons working in relation to the pre-construction phase cooperate with the Client, the Principal Designer and each other. [Reg 11(5)]
9. a) Assist the Principal Designer in assisting the Client in provision of the Pre-Construction Information (and where applicable assist with preparation of the Client Brief) required by Regulation 4(4); and
   b) So far as is within the Advisers control, provide pre-construction information promptly and in a convenient form, to every designer and contractor appointed, or being considered for an appointment, to the project. [Reg 11(6)]
10. Liaise with the principal contractor for the duration of the Principal Designers appointment and share with the principal contractor information relevant to the planning, management and monitoring of the construction phase and the co-ordination of health and safety matters during the construction phase. [Reg 11(7)]
11. Assist the principal contractor in preparing the construction phase plan by providing to the principal contractor all information the Adviser or the Principal Designer holds that is relevant to the construction phase plan including pre-construction information obtained from the client and any information obtained from designers under regulation 9(3)(b). [Reg 12(3)]
12. During the pre-construction phase prepare a health and safety file appropriate to the characteristics of the project which must contain information relating to the project which is likely to be needed during any subsequent project to ensure the health and safety of any person. [Reg 12(5)]
13. Ensure that the health and safety file is appropriately reviewed, updated and revised from time to time, up to the date the Adviser’s appointment has ended to take account of the work and any changes that have occurred. [Reg 12(6)]
14. If the Principal Designers appointment concludes before the end of the project, pass the draft health and safety file to the Principal Designer. [Reg 12(8)]
15. Deliver 1 disc copy of the Health and Safety File at the end of the project to the Principal Designer to be passed to the Client. [Reg 12(10)]

Part 2 (Additional Related Services)

1. Provide advice to the Principal Designer on health and safety skills, knowledge, experience organisational capacity and resources of up to ?? proposed designers prior to arrangements being made for design work to begin
2. a) Provide advice to the Principal Designer on the health and safety skills, knowledge, experience, organisational capacity and resource of up to ?? proposed contractors before an approved list of tenderers is agreed
   b) Provide advice to the Principal Designer on the health and safety skills, knowledge, experience, organisational capacity and resources of the lowest or preferred tendering/negotiating prospective principal contractor before arrangements are made for the work to be carried out or managed.
3. Ensuring that the construction phase does not start until the principal contractor has prepared an adequate construction phase plan and that appropriate welfare will be provided during the construction phase
4. Prepare ? hard copies of the health and safety file.
5. Prepare ? copies of abstracts of the health and safety file for delivery to tenants by the Client. (The contents of these abstracts to be determined in consultation with the Clients Legal advisers)
6. Keep a record copy of the Health and Safety File
7. Update the health and safety file to incorporate information from previous non-notifiable works to premises or structures
   On schemes where we provide whole project compliance services for both Client and PD savings can be made where there are overlaps in services provided such as compiling and distributing Pre Construction Information and in attending meetings. Please contact us for further details.

*Skills, Knowledge, Training and Experience (formerly competence)