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Principal Designer

The Principal Designer (PD) is a key duty holder under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015).

Waterman’s Principal Designers are appointed to work with the client, designers and other project team members to identify foreseeable risks, eliminate or reduce them where possible, and ensure that remaining risks are properly communicated and managed.

Our responsibilities include:

Planning, managing, monitoring and coordinating health and safety during the pre-construction phase.

  • Coordinating design work to ensure that health and safety is considered throughout the design process.
  • Identifying and eliminating or reducing foreseeable risks arising from the design.
  • Ensuring designers comply with their duties under CDM 2015.
  • Providing and coordinating relevant health and safety information for those involved in the project.
  • Working with the Principal Contractor to ensure a smooth transition from design into construction.

 

The Principal Designer should be appointed as early as practicable, allowing health and safety considerations to influence the design and planning of the project from the outset. Under Regulation 8(1), a designer must not start work unless satisfied that the client is aware of their duties under CDM 2015.

Principal Designer Services throughout the RIBA Plan of Work

Our Principal Designer services are embedded across the RIBA Plan of Work, ensuring health and safety is considered, coordinated and managed from project inception through to construction.

In practice this means:

RIBA Stage 0: Strategic Definition

Principal Designer Activities

  • Review the project brief and strategic objectives and incorporate into PCI.
  • Identify significant health and safety considerations that may influence project viability.
  • Advise the Client on their duties under CDM 2015.
  • Consider site-specific constraints and existing hazards.

 

Output

  • Initial CDM Client Duty Advice.
  • High-level risk review.
  • Advice on duty holder appointments and/or procurement route.

RIBA Stage 1: Preparation and Briefing

Principal Designer Activities

  • Assist the Client in defining project requirements, aims and objectives relating to safety.
  • Gather existing health and safety information.
  • Identify significant project risks.
  • Establish arrangements for design risk management and review by the design team.

 

Output

  • Pre-Construction Information (PCI).
  • Initial Project Risk Register.
  • Design Risk Analysis/Assessment from the Design Team.

RIBA Stage 2: Concept Design

Principal Designer Activities

  • Attend design team meetings (observe coordination and risk management).
  • Challenge risk through design principles.
  • Coordinate health and safety input across the design team.
  • Ensure significant hazards are identified and addressed.

 

Output

  • Meeting Attendance and/or review of minutes.
  • Design Risk Review Workshops (on larger schemes).

RIBA Stage 3: Spatial Coordination

Principal Designer Activities

  • Review developing design information and drawings.
  • Monitor the effectiveness of design risk management.
  • Ensure residual risks are clearly identified and assigned an owner.
  • Manage the DRR with the design team.
  • Provide CDM Advice when required.

 

Outputs

  • Updated Design Risk Register.
  • Residual Risk Information.

RIBA Stage 4: Technical Design

Principal Designer Activities

  • Review drawings.
  • Coordinate final design risk register to include in PCI.
  • Ensure health and safety information is communicated to those involved in construction.
  • Prepare information for construction phase planning.
  • Ensure a Change Management process is in place to consider CDM.

 

Typical Outputs

  • Final Design Risk Register.
  •  Pre-Construction Information.

RIBA Stage 5: Manufacturing and Construction

Principal Designer Activities

  • Support the Client.
  • Liaise with the Principal Contractor.
  • Respond to design changes and associated risks.
  • Review temporary works arrangements and design change implications where applicable.
  • Continue coordination of design-related health and safety matters.

 

Output

  • Design Change Comments.
  • Updated Risk Register.
  • Ongoing CDM Advice.

RIBA Stage 6: Handover

Principal Designer Activities

  • Monitor coordinate of health and safety information required for handover.
  • Monitor compilation of the Health and Safety File.
  • Review completeness of information.

 

Typical Outputs

  • Health and Safety File Review.

RIBA Stage 7: Use

Principal Designer Activities

  • Support clarification of Health and Safety File information if required.
  • Provide advice relating to future maintenance, alteration and demolition considerations.

 

Outputs

  • Additional information from the design team regarding access and maintenance
  • Client Support (if commissioned).

 

In summary, key Principal Designer deliverables throughout a project include:

  • Client CDM Duty Advice
  • Design Risk Register
  • Design Risk Reviews
  • Attendance at DTMs
  • Pre-Construction Information
  • Design Coordination Records/Minutes
  • Residual Risk Information
  • Health and Safety File Comments

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