What a construction phase plan is
A construction phase plan sets out the health and safety arrangements and site rules for the construction phase of a project. Regulation 12 of CDM 2015 requires the plan. The plan must take account of any industrial activity on the site. It must also include specific measures for any work listed in Schedule 3.
Source: CDM 2015, regulation 12
Does every project need one?
Every construction project needs a construction phase plan, whatever its size. HSE says the plan does not need to be complicated. On a domestic job, the homeowner does not write the plan. The duty passes to the contractor, or to the principal contractor where there is more than one contractor.
Sources: HSE, Construction phase plan (CIS80); CDM 2015, regulation 7
Who writes the plan
Where there is more than one contractor, the principal contractor draws up the plan or arranges for someone to draw it up. On a single-contractor job, that contractor prepares the plan. The client must make sure a plan is drawn up before the construction phase begins.
Sources: CDM 2015, regulation 12; CDM 2015, regulation 15; CDM 2015, regulation 4
When the plan is due
The plan must be ready before the construction phase begins. The principal contractor drafts it during the pre-construction phase, before the site is set up. A sole contractor prepares it as soon as practicable before setting up the site.
Sources: CDM 2015, regulation 12; CDM 2015, regulation 15; HSE, Planning for construction work
What to include
HSE's guidance on CDM 2015 groups the contents of the plan into three areas. Keep each area in proportion to the size and risk of the job. HSE also says to leave out generic risk assessments, records of decisions and detailed method statements.
- Project description. Give the key dates and the key members of the project team.
- Management of the work. Set out the health and safety aims, the site rules and how contractors will cooperate, for example at site meetings. Cover how workers are involved, the site induction, welfare facilities, and fire and emergency procedures.
- Control of significant site risks. Describe the controls for each Schedule 3 risk on the job, such as falls from height or the collapse of an excavation.
Source: HSE, Managing health and safety in construction (L153)
Site rules
Site rules tell everyone on the project how to work safely on that site. HSE's examples include PPE, parking, radios and phones, smoking, restricted areas, hot works and what to do in an emergency.
Source: HSE, Managing health and safety in construction (L153)
Work with particular risks (Schedule 3)
Schedule 3 of CDM 2015 lists ten kinds of work with particular risks. Where any of this work is on the job, the plan must include specific measures for it.
| Risk | What the schedule covers |
|---|---|
| Burial, engulfment or falls from height | Risks made worse by the nature of the work, the process or the site |
| Chemical or biological substances | Substances of particular danger, or ones that need health monitoring by law |
| Ionising radiation | Work that needs controlled or supervised areas |
| High-voltage power lines | Work near them |
| Drowning | Work with a risk of drowning |
| Wells, underground earthworks and tunnels | Work on any of them |
| Diving | Diving with a system of air supply |
| Caissons | Work in a caisson with a compressed-air atmosphere |
| Explosives | Work involving explosives |
| Heavy prefabricated components | Assembling or dismantling them |
Source: CDM 2015, Schedule 3
Keep the plan up to date
The plan is a working document. The principal contractor must review, update and revise it throughout the project so that it stays fit for purpose. Review the plan when the risks change or a control stops working. Every contractor must follow the parts of the plan that apply to their work.
Sources: CDM 2015, regulation 12; CDM 2015, regulation 15; HSE, Managing health and safety in construction (L153)
The plan, the health and safety file and your RAMS
The health and safety file is a separate document. The principal designer prepares the file, and a file is only needed where there is more than one contractor. A RAMS is separate again. The construction phase plan covers the whole site. Each contractor's risk assessment and method statement covers their own work within it.
Sources: CDM 2015, regulation 12; HSE, Managing health and safety in construction (L153)
HSE's simple plan and template
HSE says a simple plan written before work starts is usually enough for a small job. HSE's leaflet CIS80 includes a blank template. The template asks for the job, key dates, welfare, who else is on site and the main dangers with their controls. HSE also says a job big enough to notify to HSE is likely too complex for that simple format.
FAQ
- Who is responsible for the construction phase plan?
- The principal contractor is responsible where there is more than one contractor. On a single-contractor job, the contractor prepares the plan. The client must make sure a plan is in place before the construction phase starts.
- Is a construction phase plan a legal requirement?
- CDM 2015 requires a construction phase plan for every construction project, including domestic work.
- Is there a free construction phase plan template?
- HSE's leaflet CIS80 includes a free blank template for small projects. The template covers the job, key dates, welfare, who else is on site and the main dangers with their controls.
- How long should a construction phase plan be?
- Keep the plan as short as the job allows. HSE says the plan should be easy to understand, as simple as possible and in proportion to the scale and risks of the project.
- Does a homeowner need a construction phase plan?
- The job still needs a plan, but the homeowner does not write it. The contractor writes the plan, or the principal contractor where there is more than one contractor.