The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has launched a survey seeking views on the Construction Design & Management Regulations (CDM 2015)
The CIOB CDM survey seeks opinions on the regulations to identify areas for improvement in construction safety.
The CDM 2015 regulations apply to commercial and domestic construction projects to keep workers safe.
The regulations were originally implemented by the Health and Safety Executive
The original purpose of the regulations was to reduce the number of forms required for health and safety matters, therefore reducing bureaucracy and document duplication.
However, over time, feelings have emerged that the regulations require improvement, especially in the context of other new safety legislation, including the Building Safety Act 2022.
Overall, the CIOB’s survey intends to gather more specific views on how the regulations are being interpreted and enforced, the availability of formal training, and how effective it is.
Ben Powell, chair of CIOB’s Health, Safety & Wellbeing Advisory Panel, said: “We hear that for many people, including designers, contractors and clients, the current CDM regulations are a constant source of frustration with varying degrees of understanding over who is responsible for what. There are also questions around the effectiveness of the regulations when we still see so many incidents involving falls from height for example.
“Therefore, just over a decade on from the regulations being introduced, we think it’s important to gather some quantitative data on how they’re being interpreted and applied throughout projects, and where appropriate how they could evolve to reflect the construction landscape in 2026.”
The survey is open until 30 April, and can be accessed here. The results will inform recommendations to be made to the HSE and policy makers on improving the CDM regulations.
Other complications have arisen since the CDM was first implemented
One recent change that may affect the interpretation of CDM is the removal of the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) from the Health and Safety Executive, due to delays in addressing fire risks.
It was recommended that the BSR be removed in the conclusion of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.
Furthermore, URSA conducted a survey last year, finding that 22% of architectural clients are confused about what constitutes a high-risk building in the Building Safety Act, while another 24% are unsure of the new roles and duties required of them by the Act.
The research further showed that 58% of architects had experienced hold-ups on one to two projects due to Gateway 2 checks, while 22% had hold ups on two to five projects.
All this highlights confusion caused by major updates to safety standards and legislation, and the need to update others to remain in line and avoid further confusion or conflict.
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