Managing health and safety in construction

Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007

The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 (CDM2007) are in force from 6 April 2007. This Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) provides practical guidance on complying with the duties set out in the Regulations. It replaces HSG224, the ACOP to the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994.

The key aim of CDM2007 is to integrate health and safety into the management of the project and to encourage everyone involved to work together to:

• improve the planning and management of projects from the very start;
• identify risks early on;
• target effort where it can do the most good in terms of health and safety; and
• discourage unnecessary bureaucracy.

These Regulations are intended to focus attention on planning and management throughout construction projects, from design concept onwards. The aim is for health and safety considerations to be treated as an essential, but normal part of a project’s development – not an afterthought or bolt-on extra.