CDM 2015: Construction (Design and Management) Regulations
The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015) set out duties for everyone involved in a construction project — clients, principal designers, designers, principal contractors and contractors — to manage health, safety and welfare risk from the earliest planning stage through to completion. Plant and machinery are among the most significant hazards CDM addresses in practice: the regulations require that anyone carrying out construction work has the skills, knowledge, training and (where relevant) experience to do so safely, which directly covers plant operators, banksmen and lifting personnel.
Duties touching plant training & competence
- Contractors must verify that plant operators they engage or supply hold appropriate, current competence evidence (CPCS, NPORS or in-house accredited) before allowing them onto the construction phase
- Principal contractors should check and record competence evidence for all plant operators across every contractor on-site, not just their own direct employees
- Site inductions must cover site-specific plant hazards, traffic routes and emergency arrangements in addition to any category ticket the operator already holds
- Competence checks should be repeated when an operator moves to a different machine type or a site with materially different conditions
What it requires
- Clients must appoint a principal designer and principal contractor on projects with more than one contractor, and ensure suitable arrangements for managing the project (Regulations 4-6)
- Principal contractors must plan, manage and monitor the construction phase, including coordinating health and safety among contractors (Regulation 13)
- Everyone appointing a contractor must take reasonable steps to ensure that contractor and their workers have the necessary skills, knowledge, training and experience (Regulation 8)
- A construction phase plan must be in place before work starts, covering site rules, welfare and specific hazards including plant movement
- Information relevant to health and safety must be provided and shared between duty holders (Regulation 9)
Who it applies to
CDM 2015 applies to every construction project in Great Britain, however small, and creates duties for clients (including domestic clients in a limited form), principal contractors, contractors, designers and workers. Any site bringing in plant — from a single telehandler on a small housebuilding job to multiple cranes on a civils project — sits within its scope.
What inspectors & client auditors look for
- Whether the principal contractor can produce competence evidence for every plant operator on-site, including subcontractors and agency workers
- Whether the construction phase plan addresses plant-pedestrian segregation and traffic management specifically
- Whether site inductions cover plant hazards beyond a generic tick-box format
- Whether information about site-specific plant risks has actually been communicated to contractors before work starts, not just documented afterwards
Courses that map to CDM 2015
FAQs
Does CDM 2015 apply to small or domestic projects?
Yes, though duties are structured differently for domestic clients — commercial and non-domestic projects carry the full set of duties, and any project with more than one contractor needs a principal designer and principal contractor appointed.
Who checks plant operator competence under CDM?
The duty sits with whoever appoints the contractor or worker — in practice this usually means the principal contractor verifying competence evidence for every plant operator on-site, including subcontractors and agency staff.
Does an operator's CPCS or NPORS card satisfy CDM competence duties on its own?
It's strong evidence of machine competence but CDM expects the appointing party to also confirm relevant experience and that the operator has been properly inducted to the specific site conditions.
What's the difference between CDM 2015 and PUWER for plant?
CDM 2015 is project- and construction-specific, covering how duty holders manage the whole project including who's allowed to do the work; PUWER applies more broadly to work equipment across all industries, not just construction.
This page provides general guidance for site managers and duty holders and does not constitute legal advice. Always refer to the current legislation, associated Approved Codes of Practice and HSE guidance, or seek professional legal advice for your specific circumstances.
Need training that maps to CDM 2015?
Call Chris directly or request a quote — most bookings across Aberdeenshire mobilise inside a week.