May 3 2007
Leaders of all aspects of the North East building industry - from clients to contractors - are being urged to take an opportunity this month (23rd May, 2007) to learn more about the new Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 (CDM 2007) which came into force on 6 April 2007.
CDM 2007 follows extensive consultation with the construction industry and the implementation of these Regulations is expected to see a step change improvement in the health and safety performance within what remains a dangerous industry.
Leading industry figures who were involved in drafting the new Regulations will speak at an event to be held at the Newcastle Marriott Hotel, Gosforth Park, Newcastle, offering guidance and advice from an industry perspective. The event will be chaired by Paul Elwell, Chairman of the North East CDM Support Group and John Neilson, of the Association for Project Safety, and will include separate sessions on the duties of clients, CDM Co-ordinators, principal contractors, contractors and designers.
HSE Inspector Michael Brown, one of the organisers of the seminar, said:
"In spite of improvements in recent years, construction remains one of the most dangerous areas of work. In the North East in 2005/06 there were four fatal accidents, more than 160 major injuries and more than 400 accidents as a result of which people had to take more than three days off work.
"The CDM 2007 Regulations offer the whole industry, which includes both construction and demolition, an opportunity to change its approach to safety for the better, with the emphasis on greater co-ordination and co-operation between all those involved in a project. The Regulations are in force now and it is HSE's priority to ensure that they make the difference intended.
"This seminar is an excellent opportunity for all those who have a part to play in the lifetime of a construction project to learn how they are affected and what their responsibilities are. That includes clients and those who procure construction work - architects and other designers, principal and other contractors, demolition companies and workers. There is also a new post of CDM Co-ordinator, replacing and enhancing the former Planning Supervisor.
"The new Regulations incorporate the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994 and the Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1996 and are supported by an Approved Code of Practice and industry-approved Guidance. They are designed to discourage unnecessary bureaucracy, focus on effective planning and management of risk and ensuring that the right information is given to the right people at the right time.
"A strength of the Regulations is that everyone involved in a project will have clearly defined roles and be aware of the extent of their responsibilities. The Regulations are sufficiently flexible to take account of the wide range of contractual arrangements within the industry."