Health and safety / CDM in construction: Knowledge hub

Key takeaways

Buildings can present a great number of possible risks both in construction and operation. There are many duties placed on those commissioning, designing, constructing and operating buildings to control those risks.

The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations (CDM regulations) 2015, in particular, are intended to ensure that health and safety issues are properly considered during a project’s development. They include general requirements that apply to all projects and additional duties that only apply to notifiable construction projects.

You can read a general introduction to health and safety here.

This hub does not cover the safety of buildings or fire safety. You can find out more about the safety of buildings and fire safety here.

CDM and why it matters

The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015) are the UK’s primary framework for managing construction safety. The require that all dutyholders; clients, designers, contractors and workers, proactively manage health and safety throughout the construction lifecycle.

CDM embeds health and safety into every stage of construction, mandating clear roles, systematic risk management, collaboration, and documentation. It covering almost all projects, and CDM ensures safer worksites. Roles like principal designer and principal contractor play central parts in coordinating pre-construction planning, risk reduction, site safety, and welfare arrangements (Designing Buildings). Core duties include competency checks, risk assessments, pre-construction information, construction phase plans, and maintaining a health and safety file (Designing Buildings).

You can read a general introduction to CDM here.

Other health and safety requirements.

Other health and safety requirements are set out in legislation such as the Building Regulations, the Health and safety at work etc Act, the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations and so on.

More specific regulations apply to activities such as working at height, lifting operations, noise and vibration, asbestos and manual handling and to equipment such as personal protective equipment (PPE).

Key articles about Health and Safety / CDM

Here are some of the key and widely read articles about health and safety and CDM on Designing Buildings:

Key legislation:

• Building regulations.
• Construction (Design and Management) Regulations.
• Control of Asbestos Regulations.
• Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH).
• Control of Vibration at Work Regulations.
• Health and Safety at Work etc Act.
• Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations.
• Manual Handling Operations Regulations.
• Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations.
• Public Health Act 1984.
• Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations.
• Work at Height Regulations.

Articles about CDM:

• CDM for self-builders and domestic clients. Practical application for single-contractor work.
• CDM principles of prevention. Risk hierarchy embedded in CDM requirements.
• CDM quality perspective. Links between CDM and ISO9001 quality systems.
• CDM 2015 client duties. Defines client responsibilities, including appointing dutyholders and providing pre-construction info.
• CDM 2015 contractor duties. Contractor obligations under CDM 2015.
• CDM 2015 designer duties. Duties designers must fulfill under the regulations.
• CDM 2015 principal contractor duties. Site-phase leadership responsibilities.
• CDM 2015 principal designer duties. Obligations of design-stage coordinators in multi-party projects.
• CDM 2015 worker duties. Worker roles in risk reporting, cooperation, and welfare.
• CDM 2015. Overview of the current regulations governing construction health and safety.
• Construction phase plan. Mandatory site safety plan for every project.
• Design risk management (DRM). Systematic integration of safety in design.
• Health and safety file. Handover document of safety info for future works.
• Notify HSE. Rules on when and how to register notifiable work.
• Pre-construction information. Data essential to safe project planning.

Articles about other aspects of health and safety:

• Asbestos. Hazardous mineral fibres; strict controls for removal and management.
• Carbon monoxide. Colourless toxic gas from combustion; ventilation and detection essential.
• Construction dust. Harmful dust from cutting and grinding; control exposure.
• Construction health risks. Workplace hazards causing illness; manage via assessment and controls.
• COVID. Pandemic reshaped building operations, ventilation, and site protocols.
• Deleterious materials. Harmful materials to avoid specifying; record exclusions.
• Demolition. Systematic dismantling requiring planning, safety measures, and waste management.
• Emergency services. On-site resources and external responders for incidents and emergencies.
• Environmental health. Managing environmental factors affecting public health and wellbeing.
• Explosives. Explosive materials requiring licensing, storage controls, and specialist handling.
• Fall arrest systems. Designed to minimise injury if a worker should fall from a significant height
• First aider. Trained person providing immediate assistance before medical help.
• Hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS). Vibration exposure causing nerve and circulation damage; manage limits.
• Hard hats. Protective helmets preventing head injuries; essential site PPE.
• Health and safety consultant. Specialist advising on compliance, risk assessments, and culture.
• Health and Safety Executive. UK regulator enforcing workplace health and safety law.
• Health and safety inspector. HSE officer inspecting workplaces and enforcing compliance.
• Health and safety policy. Written statement of responsibilities, arrangements, and safety objectives.
• Health and safety strategy. Long-term plan improving safety culture, performance, and governance.
• Health and safety. Introduction to the framework protecting people through legislation, management and practices.
• Heat stress. Overheating risk; manage hydration, rest breaks, and shade.
• Indoor air quality. Condition of indoor air influenced by ventilation and sources.
• Indoor environmental quality. Combined indoor conditions affecting health, comfort and productivity.
• Injuries on construction sites. Common incidents include falls; prevent with planning, training, controls.
• Mental health in the construction industry. High stress levels demand targeted support and culture change.
• Method statement. Document detailing safe methods, sequence, and control measures.
• Near miss. Event that nearly caused harm, revealing underlying risks.
• Occupational health. Preventing work-related illness through surveillance, assessment and controls.
• Personal protective equipment. Equipment worn to reduce exposure when other controls insufficient.
• Proximity warning systems. Alerts workers to plant or vehicle collision risks.
• Reporting accidents and injuries on construction sites. Record and submit incidents under RIDDOR via HSE systems.
• Risk assessment for construction. Identify hazards, evaluate risks, implement proportionate controls.
• Sick building syndrome. Nonspecific symptoms linked to time spent in buildings.
• Site induction. Initial briefing on site rules, hazards and emergencies.
• Slip and trip hazards. Common risks from wet surfaces and obstacles; improve housekeeping.
• Temporary works. Short-term engineered supports requiring design and independent checks.
• Toolbox talk. Short, focused on-site safety briefing or discussion.
• Wellbeing. Holistic health influenced by environment, design and work.
• Working at height. Tasks with fall risk; plan, avoid, and protect.

All articles about health and safety / CDM

There are more than 1000 articles about health and safety / CDM on Designing Buildings. A full index is available here.

You can access our other subject-specific knowledge hubs here.

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