Construction regulations FAQs

The CDM Regulations 2015 are the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, which set out the legal framework for managing health, safety, and welfare on construction projects in the UK.

They place clear duties on:

• Clients
• Designers
• Principal designers
• Principal contractors
• Contractors

The regulations apply to all construction work, including domestic projects, and aim to reduce risk by improving planning, coordination, and communication throughout a project.

For more information, please read our article, What are the CDM Regulations?

The main aim of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 is to reduce the risk of death, injury, and ill health on construction projects by ensuring that health and safety is properly planned, managed, and coordinated at every stage of a project — from design through to completion.

The CDM Regulations apply to all construction work in the UK, from the very start of a project (planning and design) through to completion and handover.

The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 apply to:

• All construction projects, regardless of size or duration
• Commercial and domestic projects
• All stages of work, including design, preparation, building, alteration, maintenance, and demolition

Additional duties apply where projects are notifiable (for example, if they last more than 30 working days with 20 workers on site at the same time, or exceed 500 person-days)

Yes, the CDM Regulations are statutory.

The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 are legal requirements, not guidance. This means they must be complied with by law, and failure to do so can result in enforcement action, fines, or prosecution by the regulator.

Yes. The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 apply to all construction projects in the UK, regardless of size, duration, or whether the work is commercial or domestic.

The level of duty varies depending on the project, but every project must comply with CDM in some form.

Yes. The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 do apply to domestic properties.

For domestic projects, most client duties are automatically passed to the contractor or principal contractor, and to the principal designer where one is appointed. This ensures health and safety is still properly managed, even for household building work.

Part 4 of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 identifies the health and safety requirements for construction sites.

It sets out the minimum standards that must be in place on site, including:

• Safe access and movement
• Fire safety and emergency procedures
• Welfare facilities (toilets, washing, rest areas)
• Stability of structures
• Protection from falling, falling objects, and dangerous substances

In short, Part 4 defines how construction sites must be set up and run safely.

Under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, a construction project is notifiable to the HSE if it:

• Lasts more than 30 working days and has more than 20 workers on site at the same time, or
• Exceeds 500 person-days of construction work in total

Notifiable projects require the client to ensure the HSE is notified and that a principal designer and principal contractor are formally appointed.

Responsibility for the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 is shared between all key duty holders on a construction project. These are:

• The client – has overall responsibility for ensuring health and safety is properly managed.
• The principal designer – manages health and safety during the design phase.
• The principal contractor – manages health and safety during the construction phase.
• Designers – must eliminate or reduce risks through design.
• Contractors – must plan and carry out work safely.
• Workers – must follow site rules and work safely.

Each party is legally responsible for their own duties under CDM.

A CDM risk assessment is a structured assessment used to identify, evaluate, and control health and safety risks on a construction project in line with the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015.

It focuses on:

• Hazards specific to construction activities
• Risks arising from design, sequencing, and methods of work
• Measures to eliminate, reduce, or control risks before and during construction

It supports safer planning, coordination between duty holders, and compliance with legal duties under CDM.

In the UK, construction companies are regulated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

The HSE is responsible for:

• Enforcing health and safety law on construction sites
• Inspecting sites and investigating accidents
• Taking enforcement action, including prosecutions where needed

Local authorities may also regulate smaller construction projects and certain types of premises, but the HSE is the main national regulator for the construction industry.

Failing to appoint a Principal Designer when required under the CDM Regulations 2015 is a breach of the law and may result in enforcement action by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). This can include fines, project delays, or even prosecution.

Without a Principal Designer, there is a higher risk of poor planning, unmanaged hazards, and non-compliance, which can jeopardise the safety of workers and others involved in the project.

The responsibility for appointing a Principal Designer lies with the client.

Regulation 7 of the CDM Regulations 2015 ensures that anyone appointed as a duty holder, such as a designer, contractor, or Principal Designer/Principal Contractor, has the necessary skills, knowledge, and experience to carry out their role safely and effectively.

For organisations, it also requires the appropriate organisational capability to manage health and safety risks.

This regulation is designed to prevent the appointment of incompetent parties, thereby reducing risks and ensuring project safety and compliance.

The general duties under the CDM Regulations 2015 require all duty holders (clients, designers, contractors, Principal Designers, and Principal Contractors) to ensure health and safety throughout a construction project. This includes identifying and managing risks, ensuring proper planning and communication, and providing adequate resources for safety.

Duty holders must also ensure that those they appoint are competent and that workers are trained and informed about health and safety risks and procedures.