Contractors working on domestic premises

Contractors working on domestic premises involves contractors building extensions, alterations, new heating systems, rewiring the house, repairing or reroofing premises, etc.

Although the domestic construction sector is not as scrutinised as the larger construction sector that the main contractor controls, they are just as important to the HSE as large projects.

The general public is very aware of health and safety as everyone is subject to it at work. Today, it is common for the general public to video and take images of poor health and safety practices and submit them to the HSE, which will inspect the site.

Domestic construction phase plan CDM

In this article, we will explain the domestic construction phase plan for CDM. Does your project require a CDM plan?

Domestic projects involving only you as a contractor

On these projects, the client’s duties are transferred to you, who must carry out the client’s duties as well as your own. In practice, this will involve you doing no more than they have done in the past to comply with health and safety legislation. Compliance with your own duties as a contractor will be taken as compliance with the relevant client duties to the extent necessary, given the risks involved in the project. As a result of you taking on the client duties, any designers involved in the project will work with you in their role as the ‘client’.

Domestic projects involving more than one contractor

For projects involving more than one contractor, the Principal Contractor will normally assume the client’s duties. The domestic client can choose to appoint the Principal Designer for the project. If, however, they do not make this appointment, the first Designer appointed during the pre-construction phase is the Principal Designer for the project. If so, the Principal Designer will be answerable to the Principal Contractor in their role as ‘Client’ for the project and will be responsible for liaising with them.

Buy a completed construction phase CDM plan

You can buy a completed construction phase CDM plan that is full editable, together with other site management documents, systems and tool.

Click on the link or image to buy.

Domestic Construction Phase Plan CDM

In this article we will explain the domestic construction phase plan CDM. Does your project require a CDM plan?

Domestic projects involving only you as a contractor

On these projects, the client duties are transferred to you, who must carry out the client’s duties as well as your own. In practice, this will involve you doing no more than they have done in the past to comply with health and safety legislation. Compliance with your own duties as a contractor will be taken as compliance with the relevant client duties to the extent necessary given the risks involved in the project. As a result of you taking on the client duties, any designers involved in the project will work with you in their role as the ‘client’.

Domestic projects involving more than one contractor

For projects involving more than one contractor the Principal Contractor will normally assume the Client duties. The domestic Client can choose to appoint the Principal Designer for the project. If, however, they do not make this appointment, the first Designer appointed during the preconstruction phase is the Principal Designer for the project. If so, the Principal Designer will be answerable to the Principal Contractor in their role as ‘Client’ for the project and will be responsible for liaising with them.

CDM rules

CDM applies to all construction projects, including domestic projects, regardless of size or duration. Domestic DIY projects are exempt from CDM, but significant work may require building control approval. Even if a project is not notifiable (see below), CDM still applies. 

HSE Notifiable Projects

If the project takes more than 30 days to complete and/or involves more than 20 people, the project then needs to conform to CDM regulations and is a notifiable project. You don’t need to notify HSE for non-notifiable projects, but CDM rules still apply.

Buy a construction phase CDM template

Key CDM Requirements

• Construction phase plan: A written document describing how the health, safety and welfare will be managed throughout the project.
• Competent people: Ensure that all those involved in the project, including the client, designers, and contractors, are competent. 
• Risk management: Encourage clear and effective communication and cooperation among all parties involved. 
• Communication: Encourage clear and effective communication and cooperation among all parties involved. 
• Health and Safety file: Keep a record of health and safety information for the project, to be maintained throughout the project lifecycle. 
• Domestic clients: For domestic clients, the client’s duties normally pass to the contractor if it is a single-contractor project or to the principal contractor for projects with more than one contractor. 
• Welfare facilities: Ensure adequate welfare facilities are provided, such as toilet and washing facilities, a place for preparing and consuming refreshments, and somewhere for storing and drying clothing and personal protective equipment. 
• Site inductions: Provide site inductions to keep people aware of any site danger.
• Prevent unauthorised access: Take reasonable steps to prevent unauthorised access to the construction site. 
• Worker consultation: Consult and engage workers in securing their health and safety.

Refer to the following flow diagram for further details of CDM domestic projects.

CDM 2015 Applies to Domestic Clients

Buy a completed construction phase CDM plan

You can buy a completed construction phase CDM plan that is full editable, together with other site management documents, systems and tool.

Click on the link or image to buy.

Cost of applying for constructionline

Cost of applying for Constructionline and the additional fees for enlisting the help of a consultant.

Here at Seguro we have fixed costs with no hidden fees, this helps you to budget for your Constructionline application right from the start.

We will need some information from you to make sure we give you the right quotation:

• What level are you looking for?
• How many employees have you got?
• Do you already have an SSIP accreditation?
• Is your training up to date?

Our fees are available on the website in our shop section or by getting in touch.

The fee may seem daunting if you have a large turnover at the time you apply. We have included a sample of the costs (as of 17th March 2025) to give you a rough idea of how much you will need to pay for their assessment.

Fees start from:

Bronze £319

Silver £519

Gold £599

Platinum £2549

There is also a £99 one off joining fee

Part of the membership benefits include being able to see the opportunities board which alerts you with the latest projects that are relevant to your companies experience.

Which level do you need?

There are three main levels for Constructionline and your client is normally the one who specifies what you need. If your unsure which level we recommend Silver to start with as you can always upgrade but not downgrade in the first 12 months.

Bronze

Included in plan:

• Secure Data Storage
• Searchable Profile
• Verified Membership
• Acclaim SSIP included
• Marketplace access

Silver

Included in plan:

• Secure Data Storage
• Searchable Profile
• Verified Membership
• Acclaim SSIP included
• Corporate & Professional Standing
• Marketplace access

Gold

Included in plan:

• Secure Data Storage
• Searchable Profile
• Verified Membership
• Acclaim SSIP included
• Meets the Common Assessment standard
• NEW! Building Safety Act Assessments
• Marketplace access

There are multiple reasons to join safe contractor:

Have you been asked to get the Safecontractor accreditation by one of your clients? Do you know what it is? Safe Contractor is one of the largest expanding health and safety accreditation schemes in the UK, it currently has more than 270 clients and over 24,000 contractor members.

Fully Qualified Assessor

Safecontractor has a unique level of specialist knowledge unrivalled by competitors, built on 10 years’ experience of delivering market leading accreditation services. This is further reinforced by engaging only directly employed, experienced and qualified assessors to carry out audits.

If you are a service supplier or contractor and want to show new and existing clients your health and safety competence, then you can register with the scheme as a contractor. Being a member of the Safecontractor scheme means you will not have to carry on filling in PPQ for every job you tender for as you can use the Safecontractor accreditation to show your compliance.

• Altius
• Acclaim
• CHAS
• SMAS

Mesothelioma -Do You Know Enough About this Deadly Disease?

Managing Asbestos is a legal duty. Asbestos contains tiny fibres which are too small for the eye to see, yet they can do great damage to the lungs if breathed in. Mesothelioma is a cancer of the lining of the lung and is just one of the diseases associated with the material. The latency period for symptoms of the disease can be long – often 10 or more years – and there is currently no cure.

5 Key Points for Managing Asbestos

1. Asbestos could be present in any building either built or refurbished before the year 2000. Check building and renovation plans if you are unsure, as well as any asbestos surveys undertaken. Ceiling and floor tiles, older boilers, lagging and asbestos cement are often key areas to look at.
2. The material only poses a significant risk to health if it is accessible and in a poor or damaged condition. It is therefore important that you know what type of asbestos you have and the condition it is in.
3. Those most at risk are people who work on the fabric of the building – carpenters, plumbers, electricians and builders, for example, as well as any maintenance staff on site. There is therefore a duty to tell those who may be on your premises about any asbestos in the building before they undertake work. You should do this before they carry out a risk assessment/method statement so that all risks and control measures are factored in.
4. Some work with asbestos – either removing it or working with it – may require a licensed asbestos contractor. Check that any contractors you use have the correct licence to do the work.
5. Making others aware of the existence of asbestos is vital. As a visual prompt, label your asbestos with industry-recognised stickers so that it is clear that asbestos is in the vicinity should anyone be undertaking work in the area.

Asbestos is a killer and any amount of exposure can be dangerous – preventing exposure is therefore the key to limiting the number who develop asbestos-related diseases. Protect your staff, contractors and visitors so they never have to suffer.

The Differences Between Mesothelioma and Asbestosis

Both mesothelioma and asbestosis occur most often in people who were exposed to asbestos on the job. Second-hand asbestos exposure can also result in a diagnosis of either disease.

Asbestosis only affects the lungs and respiratory tract and cannot spread or develop elsewhere like mesothelioma cancer. The disease does not typically affect life expectancy. However, an asbestosis diagnosis can increase the risk of developing mesothelioma or another disease.

Although both caused by asbestos, mesothelioma and asbestosis develop differently from one another. Mesothelioma develops after asbestos fibers become lodged in the mesothelium lining of the chest, abdomen, or thoracic cavity rather than in various body cavities, asbestosis only develops in the air sacs of the lungs.