Question, can one site be split so that two F10 documents are in operation if they are for different scopes of work, would this then mean that there are two principle contrcators working on the one site but under a different scope of works?

Latchy

Point one - ignore everything that you might read about this Q on the HSE website!!

Interpretation Act 1978 - when interpreting legislation, anything that isn't specifically defined in the legislation, in this case CDM, you go to the 1978 as the first place to see whether you can work out what the law says.

The Act says that unless the contrary intention is clear, then anything in the singular can include the plural.

So every time CDM says a word such as "project", "structure", "principal contractor" there might be more than one.

So the "client" (assuming there is only one "client"!!) or clients can decide to split their PROJECT into more than one project.

Even if the client doesn't split the PROJECT they could appoint more than one principal contractor. We had one project where we had 5 principal contractors (and 5 @ F10s) all on site at the same time, but separated by geography (miles of geography!).

What is important is that any interfaces are carefully managed (and with the arrangements preferably defined in the contracts), so that if more than one principal contractor is in the same location at the same time everyone is clear as to whose rules take precedence. This is not only an implicit requirement in CDM but also covered by the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.

Having multiple F10s messes up the HSE database completely. But that's HSE's problem of setting up an online notification system that is not fit for purpose. As soon as you submit an amendment, it effectively deletes the previous information. HSE say that you can get round this by using the text field, but you could end up with a LOT of text!! [that adds NIL value to the client]. If you then post the current version of the online F10 on each site, then those entitled to the right information about where THEY are working might not get that right information.