Construction projects of all sizes need a Construction Phase Plan (CPP) — this document is crucial for planning and managing projects safely. As the construction industry’s leading supplier of risk management services, CHAS can help you create and submit CPPs.
The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations, more commonly known as CDM 2015, require everyone involved in construction projects to carry out duties to reduce health and safety risks throughout the lifespan of a construction project. Clients, principal contractors, designers and contractors are all “duty holders” under these regulations, and every duty holder is legally required to do their bit to ensure excellent health and safety standards are planned and implemented during each stage of the project.
For principal contractors, one of the main responsibilities outlined by the CDM 2015 Regulations is the Construction Phase Plan, also referred to as the Construction Phase Health and Safety Plan or CPP for short.
This document is designed to help principal contractors and the other parties involved in projects to plan, manage and work safely. It’s also a legal requirement for your project to have a complete and thorough plan. So if you haven’t created a Construction Phase Plan before, or you’re not sure whether your project needs one, this is where you’ll find everything you need to know so you can comply with the CDM 2015. You can also get expert advice and assistance from CHAS when you become a CHAS contractor.
A Construction Phase Plan is a key document that details the health and safety risks associated with the construction phase of the project and the control measures that will be implemented to minimise risks or where possible, eliminate them.
Once drawn up, the document should help communicate significant risks, site rules and health and safety arrangements to other people involved in the construction phase.
All construction projects, no matter the size or duration, are legally required to have a Construction Phase Health and Safety Plan. So if your project is classed as construction work — meaning it involves the building, demolition, renovation, maintenance or repair of a structure — you’ll need a CPP before the construction phase commences. A CPP is also required for domestic projects.
It’s worth noting t the Construction Phase Plan should be proportionate to the size, scope and complexity of the project. Larger projects will require a more in-depth document with more health and safety arrangements detailed.
The CPP must also be drawn up during the preconstruction phase before the construction site is set up. This is so risks and control measures can be communicated with project teams before any work begins and before any workers are exposed to unnecessary risks.
The Construction Phase Plan is the responsibility of the project’s principal contractor. This is an individual or organisation appointed to manage and control the construction stage of the project and oversee the work of other contractors and workers. In projects with only one contractor, the responsibility falls to the sole contractor.
While the principal contractor is primarily responsible for CPP compliance, the client and designers must also ensure that they provide all relevant information in support of the plan.
Every CPP should be unique because the plan will contain details about health and safety risks and arrangements that are specific to the project. However, all CPPs must outline the project details and the arrangements for securing health and safety on-site. It should take into account, where necessary, all industrial, commercial, domestic or transport-related activities taking place on the construction site.
More About The Construction Phase Plan
Project Details and Management Arrangements
The first section of the CPP should contain information about the project and those involved. Names and contact details of important project team members should be listed, as well as an overview of the project and any key dates such as deadlines for specific tasks, phases and the completion of the project.
The plan should also outline any management arrangements. For example, plans for keeping site management and personnel updated should be included, in addition to arrangements for ensuring cooperation between project team members, such as regular site meetings to discuss the coordination of work.
You will also need to describe the specific arrangements for managing work on-site, including:
Health and Safety Arrangements and Control Measures
The bulk of the Construction Phase Plan will focus on health and safety risks, arrangements and control measures to keep workers, site visitors and members of the public safe from harm.
First, the plan should identify health and safety risks associated with on-site activities and take into consideration any scenarios that could increase the severity or probability of risks being realised. Control measures and health and safety precautions should then be detailed.
Arrangements for controlling health and safety risks can include hazardous substance control, the issue of personal protective equipment (PPE), removal of the hazard or elimination of the risk, the use of machinery to remove or reduce risks, or the installation of physical barriers to restrict access or reduce the risk of a fall. These are just some of the control measures you may decide to implement during your project, but the exact precautions you take will depend on your project and the activities carried out.
Precautions and control measures should be implemented for any risk. However, Schedule 3 of the CDM 2015 requires you to include specific arrangements regarding activities that fall within one or more of the following ten types of work:
- Work that puts workers at risk of burial under earthfalls, engulfment in swampland or falling from a height where the risk is particularly aggravated by the nature of the work, processes used or the environment of the place of work or site.
- Work that puts workers at risk from chemical or biological substances constituting a particular danger to the safety or health of workers or involving a legal requirement for health monitoring.
- Work with ionising radiation requiring the designation of controlled or supervised areas under regulation 16 of the Ionising Radiations Regulations 1999.
- Work near high-voltage power lines.
- Work exposing workers to the risk of drowning.
- Work on wells, underground earthworks and tunnels.
- Work carried out by divers having a system of air supply.
- Work carried out by workers in caissons with a compressed air atmosphere.
- Work involving the use of explosives.
- Work involving the assembly or dismantling of heavy prefabricated components
While there might be a lot of risks and control measures to consider in your Construction Phase Plan, the document must be drawn up specifically for your project. It shouldn’t be a collection of risk assessments, method statements and health and safety policies — these should be separate documents, although they can be referenced in the CPP and can demonstrate elements of the safety management systems in place.
Become a CHAS Contractor and Get Expert CPP Assistance
Creating a Construction Phase Plan is hugely important not just for achieving compliance with the CDM regulations, but also for helping all members of the project team understand health and safety risks and work together to create a safe work site. So you need to make sure you produce a plan that’s thorough, informative, relevant and useful to all contractors.
CHAS can offer assistance with creating and submitting your Construction Phase Plans to help you achieve compliance and effectively manage project risks. You can get in touch with our friendly advisors to learn more about signing up as a CHAS contractor, and access to a health and safety support line.
As a CHAS contractor, you can unlock risk management materials such as electronic risk assessment and method statement templates, e-learning modules and business shield support. You’ll also have access to our industry-leading accreditation schemes, which can help you win more contracts and demonstrate your commitment to excellent risk management standards to over 2500 clients.
Ready to meet excellent health and safety standards, achieve compliance and produce high-quality Construction Phase Plans?
Become a CHAS contractor today and get the support and resources you need.