Protecting Clients from
CDM Liability

CDM 2015 applies to all construction work in Great Britain (excluding certain works like archaeology and mineral extraction). The full regulations apply if your project involves more than one contractor or lasts longer than 30 working days with 20+ workers. Even single-contractor domestic projects trigger certain duties. If you're a commercial client (not a homeowner), you have direct CDM responsibilities regardless of project size.

Your six main duties are: (1) Make suitable arrangements for managing the project; (2) Appoint competent designers and contractors; (3) Appoint Principal Designer and Principal Contractor in writing before construction; (4) Ensure sufficient time and resources; (5) Provide Pre-Construction Information; (6) Ensure Construction Phase Plan and H&S File are prepared. Non-compliance exposes directors to personal liability and potential prosecution across London, Manchester, Birmingham, and throughout the UK.

You must appoint a Principal Designer in writing as soon as practicable after deciding to commission a project involving more than one contractor. The appointment must be made before construction work begins. Late or missing PD appointments are a common CDM breach that HSE takes seriously. We provide emergency PD cover across all UK regions including London, Manchester, and Birmingham when appointments are discovered to be missing or inadequate.

Yes, if they're competent to do so. Under CDM 2015, contractors can hold PD appointments, and the same organisation can be both Principal Designer and Principal Contractor. However, you must verify they have the design coordination and risk management competence the PD role requires - not just construction management experience. We can assess proposed PD competence or provide PD services directly.

Non-compliance with CDM 2015 is a criminal offence. HSE can issue Improvement Notices, Prohibition Notices, or prosecute. Directors face personal liability - the 'Client' duties cannot be delegated away. Prosecutions result in substantial fines and potential director disqualification. Beyond regulatory risk, non-compliance exposes you to civil liability if incidents occur. We help you establish compliant governance protecting both your business and directors personally.

Yes. Even small projects from £100k upwards require CDM compliance if they involve construction work. The full regulations (including PD/PC appointments) apply when you have more than one contractor or the work exceeds 30 working days with 20+ workers. Smaller single-contractor projects still trigger Client duties around competence, arrangements, time, and resources. We provide proportionate CDM advisory for projects from £100k to £100M+ across all UK locations.

Pre-Construction Information is the information about the site and existing structures that designers and contractors need to identify and manage H&S risks. The Client must provide it - though in practice the Principal Designer often helps compile it. It should include surveys, structural information, asbestos registers, services locations, and relevant H&S information from previous work. Inadequate Pre-Construction Information is a common CDM failing.

The Principal Designer prepares the H&S File during pre-construction and construction phases. At project completion, the PD hands the File to you (the Client). You must then keep it available for future construction work on the structure. The File should contain information needed to allow future work to be carried out safely - it's not a file of historic H&S records but a forward-looking document.

Yes, provided they're competent for both roles. This is common in design-and-build procurement where the contractor takes on both PD and PC responsibilities. However, you must still make both appointments formally in writing, verify competence for each role separately, and ensure they properly discharge the distinct duties of each position. We can verify dual-role competence or provide independent PD services.

You must appoint a replacement Principal Designer immediately. The PD role cannot be left vacant. We regularly provide emergency PD cover across London, Manchester, Birmingham, and UK-wide when PDs leave unexpectedly. We can mobilise within 48-72 hours, review existing design risk information, and ensure continuity. This scenario is surprisingly common and requires rapid professional response to maintain compliance.

Assess against HSE's competence criteria: technical knowledge of construction and design; understanding of CDM 2015; ability to coordinate designers; communication skills; and relevant experience on similar project types. Request CVs, CDM training certificates, example H&S Files, and references from previous clients. We can conduct independent PD competence assessments or provide PD services directly if suitable candidates aren't available.

CDM advisory focuses on strategic compliance, client duty discharge, and governance frameworks - protecting you from regulatory liability. Health & safety consultancy provides practical site-based H&S management, inspections, and operational support during construction. CDM is about legal compliance and pre-construction risk management; H&S consultancy is about operational safety delivery. Both services complement each other across the project lifecycle. See our health and safety consultancy services for construction phase H&S support.