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What is a CDM advisor and what is their role?

A CDM (construction, design and management) Advisor plays a central role in any construction project. They provide the client or principal designer with sound competent advice on construction design processes, risk mitigation, best practice health and safety application and current legislation. They assist them with their statutory requirements, ensuring that clients’ construction projects fully adhere to health and safety procedures, including the changes to the CDM Regulations 2015.

The importance of a CDM advisor

The changes to CDM 2015 regulations were created to improve health and safety in the construction industry and placed duties on every party involved with construction projects. Furthermore, this placed a greater prominence on the role of the client, whose responsibility is to control the health and safety of those who might be affected by the project, and ensure that the project is suitably managed. Duties include but are not limited to;

  • notifying the HSE where necessary;
  • appointing duty holders in writing;
  • ensuring ‘suitable management’ arrangements are in place and provision of all relevant information prior to construction.

However, the client themselves may not have the sufficient skills, experience or knowledge that is required to carry out these duties in accordance with full CDM 2015 compliance. Therefore, it is best practice to hire external professional guidance from a CDM advisor to support the principal designer or client. Additionally, CDM 2015 holds the client criminally accountable for any breaches to regulations.  A CDM advisor is thus recommended in order to avoid heavy penalties which can include unlimited fines or even imprisonment.

What is the role of Henry Riley's CDM Advisors

Our experienced and qualified CDM advisors provide clients with CDM services to help them meet their legal obligations under CDM 2015. They work in supporting the client or principal designer, helping them with their statutory duties in relation to CDM 2015, and collaborating with all parties involved in the project, including designers, construction teams and health and safety personnel at the design and pre-construction stages. Our advisors are extensively knowledgeable about design and construction processes and have the ability to offer well-informed advice at every stage of the client’s construction project. This includes the creation of innovative, risk mitigating and cost-effective solutions that never compromise quality or safety. This comprehensive approach allows our advisors to assist in eradicating foreseeable health and safety risks, or if full mitigation is not possible, take measurable steps to reduce them.

When employing a Henry Riley CDM advisor, the client can rest assured they will be fully CDM compliant. Our CDM advisors competently handle clients’ legal duties and adequately enforce measures to protect those involved with the construction project from health and safety hazards. This allows the client to concentrate on their day to day obligations elsewhere in the organisation, knowing that their liability towards the project health and safety issues are being monitored by fully qualified professionals.

The roles of Henry Riley CDM advisors include:

  • Advise you as the Client what your statutory duties are under CDM 2015 and assist you in their application.
  • Ensuring suitable arrangements are in place for managing projects and that they are reviewed and monitored throughout the lifecycle of the project.
  • Attend site to carry out Audits and Inspections ensuring that both Management and Welfare arrangements are in place and being monitored and reviewed regularly (This service we can provide on behalf of Contractors as well).
  • Assist the Project team with the development, review and coordination of all designs as they develop through the RIBA stages to ensure that potential health & safety risks are either designed out or mitigated through regular review.
  • Development of the Health & Safety Files as well as incorporating the Operation & Maintenance Manuals and working with Design teams and Contractors to populate these.
  • Provide a proactive service to you, the Client.

Please get in touch with Henry Riley if your construction project requires expert independent assistance through the form of a CDM Advisor. Our CDM advisors provide services for full compliance with CDM 2015 and other HSE regulations. We also provide Principal Designer services alongside CDM Advisor services.

Useful links:

  1. The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 - http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/cdm/2015/index.htm
  1. What do I need to do? - http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/cdm/2015/responsibilities.htm
  1. Summary of duties under CDM link - http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/cdm/2015/summary.htm

4. Frequently asked questions - http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/cdm/faq/index.htm