G 30.001 What designers should know
Rev 03 [Jan 09]
What Designers Should Know
1. The fact that the early stages in a project are important for setting the safety scene was recognised by the EU when the Temporary or Mobile Construction Sites Directive (92/57/EEC) was drawn up. The parts of the Directive dealing with the planning etc for a project were implemented by the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994 [CDM1994]. The construction phase element was included in the Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1996 [CHSW1996].
Both sets of regulations [CDM1994 and CHSW1996] have been replaced by the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 [CDM 2007] which apply to all construction work, regardless of duration.
CDM2007 places specific duties on designers which may be summarised as follows (but see the Regulations themselves for the exact text):
- a) Commence work only when the client is aware of his duties
- b) Remove completely all risks, if it was possible to do so, particularly by a focus on hazard elimination;
- c) When elimination of hazards is not possible, reduce risks;
- d) Consider those carrying out construction work, affected by construction work, cleaning windows roofs or other transparent surfaces, using structures as a workplace;
- e) Particularly take account of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992; and
- f) Provide sufficient information to other members of the team with duties under the Regulations to allow them to discharge their own duties.
Designers are reminded that they also have general duties as part of the construction team and will need to understand and respond to the very important general duties placed on all duty holders.
2. The Regulations require designers to play a major part in minimising the hazards associated with construction at as early a stage as possible.
3. However, in order to reduce hazards, designers need to be aware of what hazards exist on construction sites, what problems are faced by those required to maintain, repair and refurbish structures and what the real issues are that face those using structures as workplaces. This guidance note is to help designers to understand their duties and to be aware of the hazards that they are required to deal with.
A definition of design
4. In accordance with the definition in the CDM Regulations at Regulation 2: “design includes drawings, design details, specification and bill of quantities [including specification of articles or substances] relating to a structure, and calculations prepared for the purposes of a design”.
5. The prerequisites for a good designer include:
- a) Good education and training in the chosen discipline;
- b) A good awareness of practical processes;
- c) A good knowledge of the properties of the materials they are specifying;
- d) Keeping up to date; and
- e) An ability to communicate.
The design process
6. Prior to 1994, the factors governing a designer’s duties included:
- a) A requirement for the product to be fit for purpose;
- b) Designing to satisfy the Client’s budget;
- c) Communicating the following information, at least, to the Contractor:
- i) Type of construction,
- ii) Materials to be used,
- iii) Quantities of materials required,
- iv) A quality specification,
- v) Special requirements,
- vi) Testing requirements; and
- d) Cooperating with the contractor/ manufacturer.
7. The implementation of the CDM Regulations in 1994 and the additional changes in 2007 have meant that designers now have to extend their knowledge in the areas of 5 b) and 5 c) above; they have to understand in much more detail how construction processes are achieved and what are the inherent hazards associated with a material. Without this knowledge, it would be impossible to satisfy the requirements of the CDM Regulations. For example, it is not enough for designers to assume that an element can be built at height by using a scaffold; to be able to design for safety. They need also to know what is required for the provision of a safe scaffold. In other words, they have to extend their knowledge in the area of construction processes.
Additional awareness requirements
8. In order to make provision for the safe construction, operation, maintenance, use and demolition of buildings and structures, designers will need to develop their awareness of the following:
- a) Common hazards;
- b) The construction and demolition processes;
- c) Requirements for provision of safe temporary works equipment;
- d) Potential for harm of materials they specify;
- e) Processes, which can release potentially harmful agents;
- f) Potential for harm in the activities carried out by others;
- g) What particular “In use” hazards are likely to require special consideration;
- h) What service requirements will be needed and what special hazards and risks these will present, particularly in terms of access; and
- i) How maintenance staff will be able to work in safety and without compromising their health.
9. Without such awareness, it is doubtful whether designers could satisfy the requirements of the CDM Regulations.
10. Also, the tendency in the construction industry to ‘do what we’ve always done’ could affect designers’ ability to discharge their duties under CDM properly. Designers will have to question current practice. To apply CDM properly requires innovation and the development of new ways of doing things.
11. It would be advantageous for designers to familiarise themselves with a range of other Regulations and publications. A list is maintained in the Information series INF at the end of these Guidance notes. It is not exclusive but does contain some of the most frequently used regulations that will frequently need to be considered on projects.
12. Designers should be aware that a relatively inert material could be rendered harmful by applying a process to it, eg, cutting joints in concrete, which creates dust. Therefore, be aware of the potential for causing this kind of hazard, by processes that you specify. Be careful to note that remaining silent on such matters is usually insufficient to discharge your duty. If the structure that you design needs hazardous processes to build them then you should be considering other methods of construction wherever you can do so.
Hazards in construction
13. In order to eliminate hazards, a designer must be able to identify that a hazard exists. Hazards that may be encountered on construction sites may be categorised into three main types. They may be:
- a) Hazards harmful to health;
- b) Hazards likely to cause personal injury; and
- c) Hazards likely to lead to catastrophic events.
14. Information about these hazards is given below, in 15 to 17. The notation alongside each hazard suggests a hazard control measure, as explained in table 1:
Table 1: Notation
| Notation |
Suggested control measure(As far as it is possible to do so) |
|
Notation |
Suggested control measure(As far as it is possible to do so) |
 |
Try to avoid by specifying materials or processes, which lead to these hazards occurring. |
|
© |
Try to avoid by following the advice or methods described in referenced information sheets. |
| § |
Try to design to avoid processes, which lead to these hazards being realised. |
|
¨ |
Make easier to manage by passing on adequate information about their existence, to help a contractor to manage the hazard. |
Hazards harmful to health
1. These hazards can be realised in a number of circumstances, including:
-
a) When workers are exposed to or can come into contact with a harmful substance, eg,
-
-
ii) corrosive, eg, acids and alkilis [H 10.001],
-
iii) irritants, eg, solvent fumes
-
iv) dust associated with a process § [H 10.001],
-
v) toxins in toxic materials
-
-
vii) infectious diseases ¨, and
-
viii) radiation from radioactive materials ¨;
-
b) When workers are required to work in areas where they could be exposed to:
-
c) When workers have to work in strenuous conditions [I 001, H 20.001 & T 20.015];
Hazardous situations likely to cause personal injury
2. Hazards can be realised when people have to work in situations likely to expose them to the risk of personal injury, including:
-
a) Working close to:
-
i) moving plant and machinery,
-
ii) areas into which objects can fall,
-
iii) moving site vehicles and plant [T 20.012], and
-
iv) live electrical circuits, eg, overhead and buried power lines § ¨[T 20.012],
-
v) fragile materials;
-
b) Working in the following situations:
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i) at height © [T 20.008],
-
ii) on fragile materials [T 20.009],
-
iii) in/over water,
-
iv) on congested sites © [T 20.012],
-
v) in confined spaces ¨,
-
vi) in excavations © [T 10.002];
-
c) In addition, other hazards, which are likely to lead to personal injury include:
-
i) handling heavy/unwieldy loads [I 001, T 20.015 & T 20.005]],
-
ii) working on uneven or slippery surfaces,
-
iii) working in unergonomic positions §,
-
iv) instability/unplanned collapse ¨ [T 20.001 & I 002].
Hazards likely to lead to catastrophic events
3. These are hazards, which, if realised, will have consequences beyond the site boundaries and include:
|
Designers Should Know