On this page
- Who prepares the Construction Phase Plan?
- What does the law require a Construction Phase Plan to include?
- What should a Construction Phase Plan contain in practice?
- How detailed should the Construction Phase Plan be?
- How does the Construction Phase Plan relate to RAMS?
- How do you keep a Construction Phase Plan live?
- What are the most common Construction Phase Plan failings?
- Does every notifiable project need a more detailed plan?
- Need support with your Construction Phase Plan?
A Construction Phase Plan, or CPP, is the document that sets out how health and safety will be managed during the construction phase of a project. Under CDM 2015 every construction project needs one before work starts. It must describe the health and safety arrangements and site rules. It must also include specific measures for any high risk work listed in Schedule 3 of the regulations.
A good Construction Phase Plan is practical, specific to the project and used on site. A poor one is a generic document written to satisfy a client before mobilisation and never opened again. This guide explains who prepares the plan, what it should contain and how to keep it live.
Who prepares the Construction Phase Plan?
Under CDM 2015:
- On projects with more than one contractor, the Principal Contractor must draw up the Construction Phase Plan during the preconstruction phase and before setting up the site.
- On single contractor projects, the contractor must draw up the plan.
- The client must make sure a plan has been drawn up before the construction phase begins.
- The Principal Designer must assist the Principal Contractor by providing relevant preconstruction information.
HSE does not approve Construction Phase Plans. Responsibility for the quality of the plan rests with the dutyholders.
For the wider context of the Principal Contractor's role, see our guide to Principal Contractor duties under CDM 2015.
What does the law require a Construction Phase Plan to include?
The legal requirement itself is short. The plan must set out the health and safety arrangements and site rules for the project, taking account of any industrial activities taking place on the site. Where it applies, it must include specific measures for work that falls within Schedule 3.
What is Schedule 3 work?
Schedule 3 of CDM 2015 lists work involving particular risks to health and safety:
- Work that puts workers at risk of burial under earthfalls, engulfment in swampland or falling from a height, where the risk is particularly aggravated by the nature of the work, the processes used or the environment
- Work that puts workers at risk from chemical or biological substances that present particular risks or require health monitoring
- Work with ionising radiation requiring controlled or supervised areas
- Work near high voltage power lines
- Work exposing workers to the risk of drowning
- Work on wells, underground earthworks and tunnels
- Work carried out by divers with a system of air supply
- Work carried out by workers in caissons with a compressed air atmosphere
- Work involving the use of explosives
- Work involving the assembly or dismantling of heavy prefabricated components
If any of these apply, the plan must set out the specific measures that will control them.
What should a Construction Phase Plan contain in practice?
HSE's guidance, L153, lists the topics a plan should consider. This is guidance rather than law, but it is the benchmark HSE inspectors use. The topics fall into three groups.
Description of the project
- Project description, site address and key dates, including planned start and completion
- Details of the client, Principal Designer, Principal Contractor and other key members of the project team
- Extent and location of existing records and plans relevant to the site, such as surveys, services information and any existing health and safety file
Management of the work
- Management structure and responsibilities
- Health and safety aims for the project
- Site rules
- Arrangements for making sure there is cooperation between project team members and coordination of their work, such as regular meetings
- Arrangements for involving and consulting workers
- Site induction
- Welfare facilities
- Fire and emergency procedures
- Arrangements for the production and approval of RAMS
- Arrangements for exchanging design information during the construction phase and handling design changes
- Selection and control of contractors
- Site security
- On site training
- First aid
- Reporting and investigation of accidents and incidents, including near misses
Control of significant site risks
The plan should describe how the significant risks specific to the project will be controlled. Depending on the work these may include:
- Safety risks such as delivery and removal of materials, work at height, excavations, lifting operations, services, traffic management, temporary works, demolition, stability of structures and work near or over water
- Health risks such as asbestos, hazardous substances including dust, manual handling, noise and vibration
- Any Schedule 3 work and its specific measures
Not every topic will apply to every project. The plan should address those that do in enough detail to guide the work.
How detailed should the Construction Phase Plan be?
The plan should be proportionate. HSE is clear that on small projects a simple plan is usually enough, provided it shows that health and safety has been properly considered before work starts. HSE publishes a simple template to help smaller contractors.
On larger projects the plan will be more detailed and will often refer to supporting documents such as the logistics plan, traffic management plan, temporary works procedure, emergency plan and permit systems. Referencing these documents is fine, provided they exist, are current and are available on site.
What matters most is that the plan describes this project. Site rules should reflect this site. Emergency arrangements should reflect the actual access routes, nearest hospital and rescue needs. Risk controls should reflect the actual activities on the programme.
How does the Construction Phase Plan relate to RAMS?
The Construction Phase Plan sets the framework for the whole site. Contractor RAMS describe how individual activities will be carried out within that framework.
The plan should explain how RAMS are produced, reviewed and approved. In turn, each contractor's RAMS should reflect the site rules, logistics and emergency arrangements in the plan. See our guides to RAMS in construction and RAMS review.
How do you keep a Construction Phase Plan live?
CDM 2015 requires the Principal Contractor to review, update and revise the plan as necessary throughout the construction phase. The most effective plans are built into the way the site is run:
- Reviewed at planned stages, such as the start of each new phase of work
- Updated when contractors, sequence, logistics, design or risks change
- Used as the benchmark for site inspections and audits
- Referenced in site inductions and RAMS reviews
- Controlled with a clear revision record
- Available on site to everyone who needs it
A plan that has not changed since the day the site opened is rarely an accurate description of a project several months in.
What are the most common Construction Phase Plan failings?
- Generic plans with another project's details still in them
- Plans prepared for client approval but not used on site
- Significant risks listed without project specific controls
- Schedule 3 work not identified or addressed
- Emergency arrangements that do not match the site
- No update when the programme, scope or contractors change
- Arrangements described in the plan that do not happen in practice
The last point is the most serious. A plan that describes arrangements the site does not follow can be worse than no plan, because it shows the risks were understood but not controlled.
Does every notifiable project need a more detailed plan?
Notification and the Construction Phase Plan are separate requirements. Every project needs a plan, notifiable or not. Larger notifiable projects will usually need a more detailed plan because they involve more contractors and more complex risks. See F10 notification under CDM 2015.
Need support with your Construction Phase Plan?
Matthews & Roberts prepares and reviews Construction Phase Plans for Principal Contractors and contractors. We also support the site team in keeping the plan live throughout the construction phase.
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Frequently asked questions
Who is responsible for the Construction Phase Plan?
On a project with more than one contractor, the Principal Contractor is responsible for drawing up, reviewing and updating the Construction Phase Plan. On a single contractor project, the contractor is responsible. The client must make sure a plan has been drawn up before the construction phase begins. The Principal Designer should provide preconstruction information that helps the plan reflect the real risks of the project.
Is a Construction Phase Plan required on small projects?
Yes. CDM 2015 requires a Construction Phase Plan for every construction project, including small and domestic projects. HSE is clear that the plan should be proportionate to the project and its risks. On a small job a short, simple plan is usually enough, provided it shows that health and safety has been thought through before work starts and it reflects the actual site.
Does HSE approve the Construction Phase Plan?
No. HSE does not approve or sign off Construction Phase Plans. The Principal Contractor or contractor is responsible for preparing a suitable plan. The client is responsible for making sure one exists before work starts. An HSE inspector may ask to see the plan during a visit and will judge it on whether it reflects what is happening on site.
Can I use a Construction Phase Plan template?
A template can provide a structure. HSE also publishes a simple template for smaller projects. However a plan copied from another project without real thought will not meet the requirement for project specific arrangements and site rules. The content must describe this site, these risks and these arrangements, even if the layout is standard.
How often should the Construction Phase Plan be updated?
The plan must be reviewed, updated and revised as necessary throughout the construction phase. There is no fixed interval in law. Updates should be made whenever the work, sequence, site layout, contractors, design or risks change significantly. They should also be made at planned stages such as the start of a new phase. A revision record helps show that the plan is being maintained.
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