CDM / Health & safety

[BBE]

I'm just about to start on my barn conversion and have been told I need a CDM plan. Spoken to someone about this and he's talking about fencing off the whole site, tickets for everything, welfare facilities and a whole lot more. It's not a main contractor job I'm just looking to employ trades as needed and do some work myself. I don't want it to seem that I'm not taking H&S seriously, I want things to be done properly and safely but what they are asking for seems excessive. Can anyone give me some advice or point me in the right direction to get advice?

 

[TheTallGuy]

A good starting point is http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l153.htm

Fencing off plus warning signs is essential as are basic welfare facilities (toilet & wash basin). You also need to do basic checks on contractors i.e. you need copies of their public liability insurance certificates & verify any professional memberships (Gas Safe etc.) as if anything goes wrong and you don't have the basics in place HSE will go for you with a vengeance.

 

[MD @Minshall Buildings]

Welcome to the world of being a "principal designer/contractor"!

....if you haven't appointed another to complete these roles then by default this will fall to you if things go wrong.....sadly too few folk realise this when buying in all the elements of a build separately in order to save money without realising they then take on the PD/PC role themselves and everything that goes with it.

Good Luck.....It is not complex but does require detail /documentation and good management to comply properly.