Principal Designer

Cassidy + Ashton has an excellent understanding of the construction industry and the skills and knowledge to carry out the Principal Designer (PD) role for a construction or development project.

As Principal Designer, Cassidy + Ashton will carry out the following:

• Plan, manage, monitor and coordinate the health and safety of the pre-construction information of a project
• Assess the client’s pre-construction information, providing advice and assistance to successfully compile the necessary details
• Identify and eliminate risk associated with design elements
• Reduce and control any foreseeable risk
• Ensure coordination and cooperation with the project team and other design consultants
• Liaise with the Principal Contractor (PC) for the duration of the project
  As Principal Designer we will provide the necessary pre-construction information covering the planning, management, monitoring and co-ordination of the construction phase, ensuring that the PC has the information required to prepare a construction phase plan.
• Work with domestic clients
  Working with domestic clients is not different to working for a Commercial Client. The one exception is that domestic clients can relinquish their client duties with written agreement between the client and Cassidy + Ashton, the PD. We will then fulfill all client duties.
• Compile, review, update and revise a projects health and safety file as a project progresses. Upon completion we will pass the file to the client to retain.

Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015

With effect from the 6th April 2015, the old CDM Regulations 2007 (CDM 2007) were replaced with the new CDM Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015).

The purpose of CDM 2015 is to improve the health and safety of the workplace by placing legal duties on all those involved in construction projects who can influence and contribute to these areas.

Who is involved in the project?

• Client – the organisation or individual having a construction project carried out in connection with a business.
• Domestic client – a client having building work carried out which is not connected to running a business, typically on the property where the client or a family member lives.
• Designer – someone who as part of a building project, prepares or modifies designs for a building, product or system relating to construction work.
• Principal designer – usually appointed by the client of a project with more than one contractor. It can be an organisation or an individual with sufficient knowledge, experience and ability to carry out the role.
• Contractor – the individual or organisation carrying out the actual construction work.
• Principal contractor – appointed by the client to plan, manage, monitor and coordinate health and safety during the construction phase of a project when more than one contractor is involved.
• Worker – an individual working for, or under, the control of contractors on a construction site.

For more information on the CDM 2015 regulations from the HSE and CITB, please click on the following links:

Industry Guide for Clients

Industry Guide for Principal Designers

Industry Guide for Designers

Industry Guide for Principal Contractors

Industry Guide for Contractors

Industry Guide for Workers