The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 — commonly known as CDM 2015 — are the cornerstone of construction health and safety law in the United Kingdom. Yet many clients commissioning construction work remain unclear about their legal duties under these regulations. This guide explains what CDM 2015 means for you.
What Is CDM 2015?
CDM 2015 replaced the earlier CDM 2007 regulations and applies to all construction projects in England, Wales, and Scotland, regardless of size or duration. The regulations establish a framework of duties for everyone involved in construction work, from the client who commissions the project through to the contractors who carry out the physical work on site.
The fundamental principle of CDM 2015 is that health and safety must be considered from the very earliest stages of a project — not treated as an afterthought once construction begins. By embedding safety into design and planning, the regulations aim to prevent incidents before they occur.
Client Duties Under CDM 2015
Under CDM 2015, the client has specific legal duties that cannot be delegated. These include making suitable arrangements for managing the project with regard to health and safety, ensuring that sufficient time and resources are allocated, appointing a principal designer and a principal contractor (for projects involving more than one contractor), ensuring that a construction phase plan is in place before work begins, and ensuring that the principal designer prepares a health and safety file for the completed structure.
Domestic clients (those commissioning work on their own home) are treated differently, with their duties typically passing to the contractor or principal contractor. However, for commercial clients — including warehouse operators, logistics companies, and property developers — these duties apply in full.
The Role of the Principal Designer
The principal designer is responsible for planning, managing, monitoring, and coordinating health and safety during the pre-construction phase. This is not simply a paperwork exercise — the principal designer must actively identify and eliminate hazards through design, reducing risk at source rather than relying on control measures during construction.
For logistics infrastructure projects, common design-stage decisions that affect safety include the specification of pre-fabricated components to reduce on-site work at height, the selection of cladding systems that can be installed from safe working platforms, and the design of service routes that avoid confined space entry during future maintenance.
The Role of the Principal Contractor
The principal contractor manages health and safety during the construction phase. Their responsibilities include preparing and maintaining the construction phase plan, coordinating the activities of all contractors on site, ensuring that every worker has received appropriate site induction and holds relevant competence cards (such as CSCS), and managing access to the site to prevent unauthorised entry.
At FcMig, we frequently act as principal contractor on our projects, drawing on our ISO 45001-certified safety management system and our track record of zero RIDDOR reportable incidents.
How FcMig Supports Client Compliance
We understand that CDM 2015 compliance can feel daunting, particularly for clients who commission construction work infrequently. Our team guides clients through their duties from the outset, ensuring that the right appointments are made, that the construction phase plan is robust, and that health and safety considerations are woven into every stage of the project.
Our engineering consulting service includes CDM advisory, helping clients understand their obligations and discharge them effectively. Whether you are planning a new-build warehouse, a facility refurbishment, or a maintenance programme, we ensure that your project is compliant, safe, and well-managed from day one.
Ready to Discuss Your Project?
Contact FcMig to discuss your supply chain infrastructure requirements.