Introduction

The Principal Designer’s Handbook is aimed specifically at Designers taking on the role of Principal Designer on a small/medium sized project, and is intended to help them understand their responsibilities in relation to the CDM Regulations 2015. The Principal Designer controls the Pre-Construction Phase of a construction project, relating to health and safety.

This Handbook will not generally reiterate the content of the Guidance or Regulations (L153) or the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) guides. It is assumed that readers will have acquired, read and assimilated the contents of these documents.

Who can be the Principal Designer?

Where there is likely to be more than one Contractor at work on a project at any time, the Client for that project must appoint, in writing, a Principal Designer.

1. The Principal Designer must be:

   • ⦿ EITHER: one of the design organisations or sole practitioner Designers designing the project.
   • ⦿ OR: a separate Designer or design organisation not part of the team designing the project

   The CDM 2015 Regulations and Guidance do not specify that the Principal Designer must actually be designing any part of the project.

2. The Principal Designer must be a design organisation or sole practitioner Designer with design experience appropriate to the project.
3. The Principal Designer must have skills, knowledge and experience relevant to the design, construction, maintenance and use of the project. A Designer must not accept an appointment for the Principal Designer role unless they have the necessary skills, knowledge and experience, and the organisational capability, relevant to the project.
4. The Principal Designer must also have knowledge of and the skill to apply the principles of Design Risk Management, and have knowledge of the CDM 2015 Regulations.
5. Designers offering their services as Principal Designers will need to consider how to establish their organisation’s ability and resources to offer the Principal Designer service. Those without previous CDM experience will need to undertake training in order to demonstrate skills and knowledge sufficient to understand and deliver the Principal Designer role.
6. On a commercial project, if a Client fails to appoint a Principal Designer, the obligation to fulfil the Principal Designer duties falls on the Client by default, whether or not they have the necessary skills, knowledge and experience.
7. On a domestic project, if a Client fails to appoint a Principal Designer, the Designer in control of the Pre-Construction Phase becomes the Principal Designer by default.

Role requirements

This Handbook provides the basic support and resources you will need to fulfil the Principal Designer role. You can obtain additional support – including accredited training courses, and access to a website, CDM helpline and legal advice – by becoming a member of The Association for Project Safety (APS). While information has been presented in this Handbook to reflect current good practice, you will also be directed to a designated area on the APS website that will expand on some of the points and will provide the most up-to-date information.

To summarise, the Principal Designer role:

• Is not a replacement for the CDM Coordinator – it is a new role
• Includes duties qualified by the term ‘so far as reasonably practicable’
• Is not necessarily complex, particularly on small and straightforward projects; nor does it involve an overly onerous set of tasks for an experienced Designer with suitable health and safety and CDM knowledge and experience
• Is not about an endless round of administration, but rather proactive management and practical, design-based focus on real risk prevention in relation to Pre-Construction health and safety
• Is not a role that practising Designers should shy away from; on more complex projects, Designers may wish to appoint a specialist Health and Safety Consultant with knowledge and experience in Pre-Construction Phase to help them fulfil their duties as Principal Designer.