Member Article

Haden Freeman Warns Construction Firms to ‘Act Now’

Updated “CDM” Regulations will impact on any company involved in construction projects

Failure to comply could result in increased liability or legal action

Redcar-based Process Engineering specialist, Haden Freeman Ltd, is warning construction professionals in the region to act now to ensure they are compliant with far reaching new legislation – or face serious consequences.

The updated new Construction (Design & Management) regulations, which come into force this month, are designed to reduce accidents on construction sites and impact on any business involved in the sector, from architects to builders, consultants and facilities managers.

While the CDM regulations were originally introduced in 2007, businesses are now required – by law – to appoint a “Principal Designer” with specific skills who will be responsible for all aspects of the design stage of a construction project.

Crucially, the regulations now include many smaller operations and maintenance-type projects within its scope for the first time, meaning far more organisations will be impacted. While the new legislation is aimed at simplifying health and safety requirements, the onus now placed on the construction company themselves to understand the subtle shift in liability and to change their policies and practices accordingly.

Haden Freeman’s Business Development Manager, Joe Gunton-Jones, said:

“Any business involved in construction will be affected by these changes, having to introduce a suitably qualified and competent Principal Designer right at the start of any project. This is no easy task as it requires specific skills and training. However, companies shouldn’t be tempted to cut corners - ignorance is no defence and anyone found to have fallen short of the requirements could be expose themselves to increased liability or risk of legal action.

In response to the regulations, many companies are choosing to work with a third-party specialist company, instead of appointing a Principle Designer – which is often a quicker and more cost-effective process.

Joe Gunton-Jones continues:

“We are now being contacted by many clients to fulfil this role as we have a sound track record of working on CDM notifiable projects in Principle Contractor, Designer and CDM Co-ordinator roles. Some are for in-house projects where we will be working with the client’s in-house team whilst others involve taking the role and working with other design and construction teams. At the end of the day, as long as there is a suitably qualified and competent Principal Designer, the legal requirement will be satisfied.”

Haden Freeman Ltd is a major process engineering consultancy and multi-disciplinary resource for the chemical industry. Established in Manchester since 1984, the company now has offices in Southampton, Qatar and Redcar, which enables them to provide a local service to clients in these areas with a number of their engineers based at client sites, supported from headquarters by a fully integrated digital infrastructure. For further details, please contact Joe Gunton-Jones, Business Development Manager by email, jgunton-jones@hadenfreeman.com.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Emily Moult .