Posted By john ridley The CDM Reg's require a competent and adequately resourced Planning Supervisor to coordinate the H&S aspects of construction work falling under the Reg's at the pre-tender stage. Whilst I am aware that this will usually involve someone such as an architect, project manager or consulting engineer etc with design and construction experience, does anyone know what would specifically constitute competence as a Planning Supervisor? Although I am not specifically talking about myself as the planning supervisor I am MIOSH (RSP) but with little construction experience, however, could I be deemed competent as a planning supervisor armed with a bus load of construction guidance and other relevant information and forming this into the Safety plan?

Posted By john ridley Thanks for the reply Bob. This is a lengthy story but in summary it is really as a result of us getting rid of the construction arm of our business who have always in the past completed the duties of the client under CDM on our behalf. In the future we will be contracting the services of a consultant to fulfill the role of PS, but for the work now in hand the business needs someone to deal with the current F10's and that looks like me as the appointed competent PS (some would say stitched up), whether or not I like it and I don't. Problem is that someone has to do this and there is no-one else.

Posted By peter gotch John, The Construction Industry Research and Information Association, CIRIA have published Reports 172 and 173 on practical implications of CDM for "Clients and Clients' Agents" and Planning Supervisors. Report 172 gives guidance to clients on acting as their own planning supervisor and poses a series of questions to enable the client to decide on whether they might be competent to perform the role. As indicated by previous response, for most projects a multi-disciplinary team will be required inclusive of construction professional input. Whilst I have the IOSH letters + extensive construction experience, I have had to point out to a major client that they should not appoint me personally as Planning Supervisor on a mult-miilion £ marine engineering project, as I could not conceivably be expected to have all the competence criteria which would be required for the job!! The compromise is that Babtie are the PS and I am named as PS Coordinator. Your employer appears to be liable to put their head on the block (with yours possibly alongside!) Good luck Peter