In previous articles we have considered the duty of the Contractor under CDM15 and the role of the Contractor; the duty to manage the work safely, how a Contractor may check the competency of workers on the project team, safety with tools, equipment and materials and any information and instruction that is passed to the contractor from the Pre-Construction Phase or during the Construction Phase of the project.  It must be remembered that the flow of information will be two way and the Contractor must keep the Construction Phase Plan up to date and expect that the Principal Contractor manage the Plan similarly.   

Here we are going to delve deeper into the requirements for consultation and co-operation with other duty holders. 

How Contractors can consult with Employees 

There must be collaboration between Contractors as employer and the workers that are on task to get individuals to work safely.  Involving workers in the decision making process with regards health and safety tends to lead to practical solutions, practical solutions that increase the potential commitment and buy in from workers to any Health and Safety topics.  Practical solutions are more easily fostered by the workforce, practical solutions generally come from speaking to workers about their experience and knowledge about a task or job.  When experienced workers are consulted on matters of health and safety, it will be easier to spot workplace hazards and to implement realistic controls that will not be seen as a burden or barrier to completing a task to programme.  Consultation is a proven means of managing Health and Safety on construction projects.  Consultation is not only about employers giving information to workers that is part of the Construction Phase Plan, but also requires the Contractor as an employer to listen to workers and consider their experience in the field and previous issues that they have come up against in similar situations.  Consultation with the work force should cover the hazards associated from their own work and the work of others working on the project as well as those environmental risks that modern construction techniques may harbour, the way these risks are managed and how information and training to protect workers from relevant risks should be discussed at length. 

Preparing the Construction Phase Plan  

Preparing the Construction Phase Plan is the responsibility of the Principal Contractor where more than one Contractor is present on site.  In situations where there is only one Contractor, the Construction Phase Plan cannot be left up to another contractor as there is essentially no one to pass this duty to.   

A Construction Phase Plan describes how health and safety will be managed during construction and will contain information that is relevant to all Contractors working on the project.  The Construction Phase Plan should be available to anyone who wants to see it and therefore the information contained in it should be clear and easily understood with all superfluous information removed.  Issues such as logistics, working at height, hazardous substances, demolition and groundworks should all be considered and included in the Construction Phase Plan if the works include it.  Before any site is set up or work begins in the Construction Phase, the Plan should be developed. While it is the duty of the [Principal] Contractor to develop the Construction Phase Plan, it is the responsibility of the Client to ensure that the Construction Phase Plan is in place before the work begins. 

Providing Welfare Facilities 

Welfare includes the provision of toilets, both lit and ventilated and suitable for both sexes.  With more and more female staff working on Construction sites, male and female toilets are thankfully becoming more common, but are open to abuse if not managed correctly.  Washing facilities with hot and cold water, soap or skin detergent with a means of drying hands should be close to the toilet facility.  Separately, but just as important are rest facilities, a room with tables and chairs with drinking water and cups is a bare minimum.  Where workers will need to change clothes or dry their workwear, a separate changing/drying room with lockers should be provided.  It should be noted that while the lockers should be provided by the [Principal] Contractor, it is commonly the responsibility of the Contractor to supply their own key and lock. 

The supply of Welfare Facilities is part of CDM15.  Where one Contractor is charged with a Construction Project, the Welfare Facilities should be suitable and sufficient for the size of the project and should be available from when construction starts until the end of the project.  Were more than one contractor is working on a project, it is the Principal Contractor who is ultimately responsible for ensuring that welfare facilities are provided.  It is the Clients responsibility to ensure that suitable arrangements are provided for workers welfare by the Principal Contractor.   

Providing a Site Induction 

Suitable site inductions should be provided by the [Principal] Contractor, this may be in groups or given to individuals as they start work.  Where there is only one Contractor on site, Site Inductions are still a necessary part of the Construction Phase and should cover all the health and safety risks associated with the site.  While each Site Induction will differ from project to project, typical topics that should be covered may be: