New regulations affecting domestic building projects

Of the 43 people who died on construction sites last year, three-quarters were working on smaller projects. From 6th April 2015 for health and safety purposes, domestic projects are treated in the same way as the construction of shopping centres or office blocks. The Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2015 require builders working in the domestic sector to create a construction phase safety plan for all building projects. Any domestic projects finishing after 6 April 2015 where there has been more than one contractor, must have a health and safety file presented at the end which should include “as built” drawings or specifications of components that have been installed. Solicitors may request this when property is bought and sold. For home owners, CDM duties are passed to the contractor where there is only one, or to the principal contractor for more than one. The principal contractor is responsible for operational site safety and passing information to the principal designer for the health and safety file. Where there is more than one contractor, a principal designer must also be appointed and they coordinate all matters relating to health and safety. If the principal designer changes or is not engaged to the end, the responsibility for the file moves on and may rest finally with the principal contractor.
Health & Safety Executive Guide – http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/l153.pdf