The business is about to sign a long lease for new premises that will bring together a number of regional offices. On the signing of the lease the building will be refurbished over a 16 week programme starting in the New Year with staff moving during May and June. Architects have been appointed and they are currently in the design stage, project managers will be appointed as yet the decison has not been made on who that will be My question is what are our responsibilities under the Construction Design Management Regulations.

John, Follow this link to some helpful guidance notes. http://www.cskills.org/u...ients4web_tcm17-4640.pdf Regards Ben

I take it you are the client. Appoint a CDM-Coordinator as per CDM Regs. You will already have a designer who, as mentioned above should have informed you of your duties under CDM. If not question him/her about why not? You have a duty to competence check your contractors - the CDM-C will advise on the suitability of the PC and their Construction Phase Plan (CPP) after submitting the Pre Construction information to the PC. If you are as close to starting the project as it appears all that should be well completed, in my opinion. It seems to me that your business is large enough to employ a health and safety manager/adviser? You should be getting your moneys worth out of him/her. Have a look at the revised fire safety in construction HSG168 there are some interesting responsibilities there for the designer, the fire risk assessment should be done prior to project starting and the fra should be included in the CPP. Happy to help.

Have you got a full demo/refurbishment survey from the Landlord ?- if not try and get one but in any case it will be needed before work commences. Once the lease is signed you become the Asbestos Duty Holder forthwith and take on ALL responsibilities for asbestos. If your designers have not yet asked for this then their design needs to be fully re-assessed before tender. Your cdmc would/should have raised this issue - presuming of course the building is pre 2000 vintage. Bob

John S, We're guessing the scenario a bit here. Has the Landlord commissioned the refurbishment ahead of your occupancy (if so he is the CDM Client), or, has your organisation commissioned the refurbishment in preparation for your occupancy?? The CDM process has many gateways built in to avoid it being overlooked. The construction work on this project lasts long enough (>30 days) to be Notifiable, so all Parts of the CDM Regs apply. If the work is about to start on site, there could be several breaches already: Client: •Must ensure there are adequate arrangements in place for managing H&S throughout the project - both design and construction phases •Must appoint a competent and adequately resourced CDMC as soon as practicable after initial design work has commenced, i.e. at start of sketch plans •Must provide Pre-Construction Information so designers and contractors can take it into account •Must appoint a competent and adequately resourced Principal Contractor (PC) to manage H&S during the construction phase •Must be satisfied that a suitable Construction Phase Plan has been prepared by the PC before allowing construction to start Designers: •Must ensure that the Client is aware of his CDM duties •Must not go beyond initial design until a CDMC is appointed Principal Contractor: •Must not start work until a suitable Construction Phase Plan is in place and he knows who the CDM-C is Contractors: •Must not start work until they receive relevant parts of the Construction Phase Plan and they know who the PC and CDMC are If your organisation is the CDM Client then the programme you suggest means that construction work is starting on this project before a CDMC is appointed. If this happens, then every dutyholder will be in breach. The CDM Client should not to allow construction works to commence until the CDM situation is rectified. Simon

John S where are you? Your post is one which concerns many Bob