When providing costruction supplies to the industry we try very hard to keep up with the latest changes to the health and safety legislation affecting our clients. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have recently confirmed that proposals for changes to construction site safety regulations come into effect in April 2015.


The changes will replace the role of CDM Coordinator (Design and Management) and include amending existing Approved Codes of Practice (ACoP) which changes the emphasis on requirements for individual competence to a requirement for workers to be given “appropriate information, instruction, training and supervision to allow them to work safely.”


The HSE has said that around 81% of the respondents from the construction industry who did not identify as CDM Coordinators supported the changes, with the changes receiving: “good, if not unanimous, degree of support for most proposals.”


The new regulations replace the 2007 Construction Design and Management (CDM) Regulations, and have been cut down and improved to benefit worker protection and deliver administrative savings for firms. The UE’s Temporary or Mobile Construction Sites (TMCS) Directive will also be included in the new regulations, setting out minimum standards for health and safety requirements and welfare provisions on construction sites.


65% of the responses came from either CMD Coordinators or from people not directly related to the construction industry whose views may not be representative, however the respondents were overall favourable to the new regulations and requirements.


Smaller builders may struggle with the requirements for all projects to have a health and safety plan to be drawn up at construction phase and we are yet to see how the HSE will apply their “proportionate” approach managing risk in the construction industry.


It’s likely that some further provisions will be written to improve the flexibility of the regulations, building on feedback received. One of the most significant changes to the regulations will see domestic clients having duties under the regulations.