Principal Contractors -
roles and duties

As the principal contractor it is your duty to properly plan, manage and co-ordinate work during the construction phase in order to ensure that the risks are properly controlled.

You must also comply with the duties placed on all contractors under the Regulations.

As you are usually the main or managing contractor this allows the management of health and safety to be incorporated into the wider management of project delivery. As Principal Contractor on the project you are directly responsible for all health and safety on the site.

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Principal Contractors must:

  1. satisfy themselves that clients are aware of their duties, that a CDM coordinator has been appointed and HS notified before they start work
  2. make sure that they are competent to address the health and safety issues likely to be involved in the management id the construction phase
  3. ensure that the construction phase is properly planned, managed and monitored, with adequately resourced, competent site management appropriate to the risk and activity.
  4. Ensure that every contractor that will work on the project is informed of the minimum amount of time which they will be allowed for planning and preparation before they begin work on site.
  5. Ensure that all contractors are provided with the information about the project that they need to enable them to carry out their work safely and without risk to health. Requests from construction for information should be met promptly.
  6. Ensure safe working and coordination and cooperation between contractors.
  7. Ensure that a suitable construction phase plan (‘the plan’) is:
    1. prepared before construction work begins
    2. developed in discussion with, and communicated to, contractors affected by it
    3. implemented, and
    4. kept up to date as the project progresses
  8. Satisfy themselves that the designers and contractors that they engage are competent and adequately resource.
  9. Ensure suitable welfare facilities are provided from the start of the construction phase.
  10. Take reasonable steps to prevent unauthorised access to the site
  11. Prepare and enforce any necessary site rules
  12. Provide (copies of or access to) relevant parts of the pan and other information to contractors, including the self-employed, in time for them to plan their work
  13. Liaise with the CDM Coordinator on design carried out during the construction phase, including design by specialist contractors, and its implications for the plan
  14. Provide the CDM coordinator promptly with any information relevant to the health and safety file
  15. Ensure that all the workers have been provided with suitable heath and safety induction, information and training
  16. Ensure that the workforce is consulted about health and safety matters
  17. Display the project notification.

(The above are extracts taken from the Approved Code of Practice for the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2007 as produced by the HSC)