Principal Designer & CDM Support

For a domestic project, the client duties normally pass to the contractor on a single-contractor project or to the principal contractor where more than one contractor is involved. On a project with more than one contractor, the domestic client may instead agree in writing for the Principal Designer to carry out the client duties. See the HSE guidance for domestic clients.

Good project arrangements still include appointing suitably capable people, allowing adequate time, sharing relevant information, maintaining clear communication and ensuring that the required construction-phase plan, welfare arrangements and health and safety file are addressed by the appropriate dutyholders.

A Principal Designer has an important role in influencing how the risks to health and safety should be managed and incorporated into the wider management of a project. Design decisions taken during the pre-construction phase can have a significant effect on whether a project is delivered in a way that secures health and safety. The Principal Designer’s role involves close cooperation with the client and the Principal Contractor and coordinating the work of others in the project team to ensure that any significant and foreseeable risks are managed throughout the design process.