Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
specific task to be undertaken and the risks which the work will entail; have sufficient
experience and ability to carry out their duties in relation to the project; and recog-
nize their limitations and take appropriate action in order to prevent harm to those
carrying out construction work, or those affected by the work.
Satisfying oneself as to competence means making reasonable enquiries to check
that the organization or individual is competent to do the relevant work and can allo-
cate adequate resources to it.
For notifiable projects (see Section 20.4.10), a key duty of the CDM co-ordinator is
to advise clients about competence of designers and contractors, including the prin-
cipal contractor.
20.4.3 Co-operation, co-ordination and the general principles of prevention
Regulation 5 requires that every person concerned in a project, who has a duty placed
upon them by the 2007 Regulations, shall seek the co-operation of any other person
concernedinanyprojectinvolvingconstructionworkatthesameoranadjoiningsite
andco-operatewithanypersonconcernedinanyprojectinvolvingconstructionwork
at the same or an adjoining site. Every person concerned in the project who is working
under the control of another person shall report to that person anything which he is
aware is likely to endanger the health or safety of himself or others.
By virtue of regulation 6, all persons concerned in a project on whom a duty is
placed by the 2007 Regulations, shall co-ordinate their activities with one another in
a manner which ensures, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of
persons carrying out the construction work and affected by the construction work.
Regulation 7(1) requires every person who has a duty placed upon them by the
2007 Regulations in relation to the design, planning and preparation of a project to
take account of the general principlesof preventionin the performanceof those duties
during all stages of the project. In similar, although slightly different terms, regulation
7(2) requires every person who has a duty placed upon them by the Regulations in
relation to the construction phase of a project to ensure, so far as is reasonably prac-
ticable, that the general principles of prevention are applied in the carrying out of the
construction work.
The general principles of prevention are to be found in Schedule 1 to the Manage-
ment of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. They are as follows:
•
avoiding risks;
•
evaluating the risks which cannot be avoided;
•
combating the risks at source;
•
adaptingtheworktotheindividual,especiallyasregardsthedesignofworkplaces,
the choice of work equipment and the choice of working and production methods,
with a view, in particular, to alleviating monotonous work and work at a predeter-
mined work-rate and to reducing their effect on health;
•
adapting to technical progress;
•
replacing the dangerous by the non-dangerous or the less dangerous;
