Client Duties under CDM 2015
Thursday, April 06th, 2017
A client is an organisation or individual for whom a construction project is carried out.
Summary of role/main duties
Make suitable arrangements for managing a project. This includes making sure that:
- other duty holders are appointed
- sufficient time and resources are allocated
Clients must also make sure that:
- relevant information is prepared and provided to other duty holders
- the principal designer and principal contractor carry out their duties
- welfare facilities are provided
- The Health and Safety Executive are informed if the project is ‘notifiable’
A project is ‘notifiable’ if the construction work on a construction site is scheduled to:
- last longer than 30 working days and have more than 20 workers working simultaneously at any point in the project; or
- exceed 500 person days
Where a project is notifiable, the client must give notice in writing to the Health & Safety Executive as soon as is practicable before the construction phase begins.
What’s the difference between a client and a domestic client?
A domestic client is someone who has construction work done on their own home, or the home of a family member, which is not done in connection with a business. Local authorities, housing associations, charities, landlords and other businesses may own domestic properties but they are not a domestic client for the purposes of CDM 2015. If the work is in connection with a business attached to domestic premises, such as a shop, the client is NOT a domestic client.
