1. Construction (Design and Management) Regulations (NI) 2007 A Client’s Perspective Pat Hannaway CMIOSH MCIWEM MIWO I.Eng

2. Between 2007 and 2010, N.I. Water (Engineering and Procurement Directorate) will invest in the following areas of new construction. Improving our water £284M in water treatment, storage and distribution Improving our sewerage £492M in sewer replacement and wastewater treatment That’s almost one million pounds per working day!

3. Summary of our CDM duties Ensure suitable arrangements for management of health and safety are in place throughout the project: People affected by the construction work Suitable welfare arrangements during construction Structures to comply with Workplace (Health, safety and welfare) Regulations. Provide the right information to the right people at the right time (Existing H&S files, services, ground condition, time to plan the work, etc).

4. What has changed for us – Competency checks Comprehensive competency checks on all duty holders. Standardised across organisation. Requires more scrutiny, and more time consuming, resulting in added costs and slight delays.

5. What has changed for us – Information exchange Clearer guidance on pre-contract information to tenderers. But increased time spent on gathering all of the information. Clearer guidance on pre-construction phase information from contractors. Makes assessment of risk management clearer and more uniform. Input from co-ordinator welcomed.

6. What has changed for us – Role of “Co-ordinator” CDM Co-ordinator Advising on others competencies – new duty. Present throughout project – new: resulting in increased professional fees Providing advice / recommendation on construction phase plan – partially new Facilitate communications & co-operation between all parties - new but potentially confusing: overlaps with Project Manager duties

7. What has changed for us – Role of “Designers” Design work. Consultants no longer able to rely on “Self Certification” for competencies (HSE Web guidelines removed). Increased time and resources spent by Client checking their competencies, resources and management systems.

8. What has changed for us – Role of “Agent” No longer able to delegate duties to an agent We rarely appointed “agents” Did not see agents as a means of avoiding legal duties Financial control by “agents” had drawbacks: difficult to budget / exercise control. Overall impact is minimal

9. What has changed for us – Time and Resources Allow sufficient time and resources Minor / medium sized projects: this is easily achievable and has been in place previously. Very large project may present difficulties with regard to adequate time allocation. Predicting time required for multiple stages over a number of years may present potential operational and / or contractual difficulties.

10. What has changed for us – Construction phase plan Previous ambiguity regarding suitability of initial construction phase plan now clarified. Client (with help of co-ordinator) to ensure that it is project-specific and suitable (ACOP para’ 76). Minor increases in Client time & co-ordinator’s fees anticipated.

11. What has changed for us – Principal Contractor. P.C. to make suitable welfare arrangements from start and throughout construction phase. A very welcome, long overdue move. Majority of our contractors already do this. We anticipate a minor increase in contract costs on smaller (notifiable) schemes (e.g. multiple locations & short duration). Allowing PC time to plan the work: now specified in the contract.

12. Overall impact. We welcome the CDM Regulations as a tool to improve construction health and safety. They integrate with our vision of “Zero Accidents” Very few changes have been necessary to our procedures arising from the new Regulations. Minor increased costs are anticipated, but we think that CDM 2007 will result in a reduction in accidents and Civil Liability claims against us.