Health and safety for the construction industry
In 2015, the Construction Design and Management Regulations (CDM) came into force, stating what is required of those in the construction industry in order to 
protect themselves and others from injury or accidents. These regulations are applicable to any construction project, regardless of size and whether the building work is for commercial, public or personal uses.
At Construction Health & Safety Ltd, we can offer consultancy on the CDM 2015 regulations and advise on appropriate actions that should be taken. There are a vast number of considerations, including the following:
- Planning work and gathering safety information on the proposed site and construction work
- The history of the site and how work will affect its surroundings
- Health risks associated with asbestos on-site, (if present)
- Notifying the site to HSE
- Site access, boundaries and access to welfare facilities (such as toilets and washing facilities)
- Use and storage of personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Adequate lighting for contractors to carry out their work safely and with good visibility
- Emergency procedures and evacuation, including rescue of an injured person, and who should be alerted in the case of an emergency
- Minimising hazards and fire risks
- Precautions and actions in the instance of a fire breaking out on-site
- First aid administration
- Reporting injuries, accidents and other instances of danger
- Site management and supervision
- Safety precautions that should be taken when working at height
- Compiling safety inspections and reports
- Scaffolding access, implementation and safety
- Safety when operating machinery
- Site traffic
- Moving goods safely
- Groundwork
- Excavation safety
Our health and safety consultancy is in line with regulations implemented by The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) – a governmental body that regulates and enforces health and safety legislation in the UK. The HSE regulations ensure that on a construction site, a health and safety policy is carried out and followed to the highest standard. Risk assessments should be carried out regularly, and staff should be provided with the correct PPE and safety equipment to do their job. Any major incidents that happen on-site must be reported to the HSE, and there should be first-aiders on site to provide medical attention if required.
Likewise, workers have responsibilities of their own in keeping themselves and others safe on-site. This includes a detailed knowledge of all health and safety training that has been given to them by their employer, using storing and caring for PPE correctly, and taking reasonable care in their duties to ensure their own safety and the safety of others. Workers must always co-operate with supervisors on-site and undertake any actions requested of them regarding health and safety, and should also report any hazards they believe to be a risk to the working environment.
At Construction Health & Safety, our team of consultants can advise on all aspects of health and safety in the construction and other associated industries. We can offer specialist safety leadership training, risk assessments, safety audits, staff training and additional training in the CDM 2015 regulations. Need help getting your head around current health and safety legislation? We can provide support and guidance to your company’s health and safety team. Let us know about your consultancy and training requirements so that we can create a bespoke programme that suits your needs.