On the 6th of April 2007 the government introduced The new Construction (Design and Management) Regulations which are designed to improve the general safety of construction sites and cut down on the number of accidents experienced during construction projects.
This new set of regulations will replace two predecessors – The CMD Regulations 1994 and The Construction (Health Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1996. Any outdated regulations were updated before the two sets were consolidated into a single new set of rules and guidelines.
Despite advances in construction and communication technology construction sites are still considered to be unnecessarily dangerous working environments, with around one third of all workplace fatalities occurring in construction and many thousands of injured occurring during construction projects each year. These injuries and deaths have a wide reaching significant impact with colleagues, family, friends and of course the unfortunate individual, not to mention the possible legal implications for the construction company involved.
The primary aim of the new regulations is to build construction health and safety into every stage of building projects from start to finish. The regulations apply to everyone involved with a construction project and stipulate that each must take account of health and safety. This starts with the Client who commissions the construction works and includes Designers, Principle Contractors, Contractors and Construction Workers.
Another aim of the new regulations is the discouragement and removal of all unnecessary red tape and bureaucracy which are since as a major contributing factor in construction injuries and fatalities. By eliminating hazards at the earliest stages of design and focussing effort where it will be most effective the new regulations should allow for more attention to be paid to important on site issues.
Whilst these benefits of the new CDM regulations clearly apply to construction companies, construction workers and other related professions, many of them also impact directly on clients who either do their own small scale construction and maintenance work or contract it out to others. If a person believes the new regulations do not affect them because they are not involved in the construction industry then they are probably wrong. For example, if the person has responsibility for any property that requires occasional maintenance work then, as the Client, they are required to comply with some very specific duties.
Within the new Construction (Design and Management) Regulations a domestic client is defined as anyone who lives, or will live in the premises where the construction work is carried out. Although a domestic client does not have construction health and safety duties under the CDM Regulations 2007 anyone employed by them on a construction project will.
Other roles also have defined duties under the new CDM regulations, for example:
If a person is in doubt about the specific implications of the new CDM Regulations on their own construction project and require guidance about their own responsibilities, it would be advisable to employ the services of professional construction health and safety consultants.
Archive for the ‘Construction’ Category
Construction Health and Safety
Wednesday, September 1st, 2010Finding a Construction Company in Sydney
Friday, August 20th, 2010To get those much needed home renovations done in a timely manner, you need to find some good construction companies in Sydney or other centres. There are many building contractors in Sydney who are willing to take on major or minor home renovations, though some Sydney home builders prefer to contract for building full homes rather than just doing renovations. In fact, when you are looking through the yellow pages or on the Internet to find the right contractors you will notice that each one specialises in a particular part of the building trade. One may only do Sydney bathroom renovations, while others will take on home extensions or other kinds of home renovations. Be sure you find several who do the kind of home renovation you want so that you can compare the costs and the time that they estimate it will take. It is also a good idea to choose a construction company that is relatively close to your home as this will save the cost of travelling that will be added to your bill. Many construction companies will give a free quote so that you are not out of pocket from comparing several. But unless you can supply comprehensive details such as a builder will require you can expect them to send someone around to look at the job and speak to you in person. A small charge for such a service seems reasonable since it is costing the company to do this and they have no guarantee that you will accept them for the work. However, if you do decide they are the ones to do your home renovations, then that fee could well be taken off the final cost. Before making your final decision on a construction company you will need to find out that their work is of a high standard. Find out if there are other works they have done in the area that you can go and inspect before making the final decision.
Philadelphia Construction Accident Lawyers Construction Co.?s: Friend or Foe
Monday, August 2nd, 2010We all have experienced it, the constant drilling pounding and sawing of materials that seem to go on at all hours. In Philadelphia, this is the constant variable in our experiment. When we change the conditions lets say, safety standards, shoddy equipment, and poor training programs will significantly alter the product. Construction in Philadelphia is inevitable, for their will always be a need for an upgrade, facelift, or renovation. Whatever you call it, construction is a business that will always be in of need. Whether is it optional or not, for example devastating occurrences such as hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes makes it a necessary for reconstruction to occur. There have been some controversial issues as to whether the construction industry has aided in the plummeting real estate market. Whether true or not, we must take it in strides and determine how to get the most bang for our buck. Philadelphia construction accident lawyers are determined to make sure that all standards are followed. If you have been wronged by a construction company contact a Philadelphia construction accident lawyer.
Construction work in Philadelphia is obviously going to be very expensive due to the time limitations, massive amounts of people, and small workspace. Therefore everything is pushed to get done as fast as possible. When this occurs safety standards are most likely over looked, equipment may be unsuitable, and training is limited. This combination of factors makes an accidents at a construction site much more likely. Whether another construction worker or innocent bystander gets injured, they may be eligible to file a claim to gain compensation. On another note if a construction worker injuries another construction worker on site, then they injured party may be able to file for workers compensation. Whatever the case may be, construction accidents are common in our society in which we must take the proper steps to protect ourselves and those around us. Contact a Philadelphia construction accident lawyer to start the path of justice.
Another instance is if a construction worker causes injury to another worker or innocent bystander that is under the influence of a controlled substance. For example if a construction worker who has been drinking alcohol causes harm to another, this would constitute for a lack of duty of care. Negligence would also be an issue for the construction worker who was drinking probably had to sign an waver at the beginning of his service indicating if such an event would happen, then they would be solely liable for damages. If a construction worker knowingly used a controlled substance that would alter their ability to work responsibly and did it anyways, then they would be completely liable.
Construction accidents can occur anywhere at anytime to anyone; therefore it is imperative that we take the proper precautions to stop this from happening. However, construction accidents do happen all the time and we must protect our rights. If you or a loved one has been injured in a construction accident, contact a Philadelphia construction accident lawyer for they have the experience and knowledge necessary to bring your case to action. A Philadelphia construction accident lawyer to discuss your options and the ability to gain the compensation and justice that you deserve, not what is offered.