Principal Designer

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The OM Group prioritises safety on each project by ensuring that the project team designs for safety, rather than ‘bolting on’ compliance solutions to fulfil standards afterwards.

The Principal Designer is a specified duty-holder under the CDM Regulations 2015 and is responsible for planning, managing and co-ordinating safety during the pre-construction stage of each project.

We understand that accidents and illness are caused by a variety of interconnected factors, which can be particularly challenging in design and construction. As a result, our approach to the role of the Principal Designer is holistic, as well as bespoke to the requirements of each client.

This includes ensuring that all statutory duties placed on our clients are recognised and explained in relation to each unique project circumstance; that all duty-holders under the Regulations are aware of their duties and that the relevant processes are in place to ensure that these responsibilities are met.

As Principal Designers, we carry out the following duties:

Assist in the provision of the initial safety information for the project
Plan manage and monitor the co-ordination of health and safety information during the pre-construction phase and ensure that all parties are communicating and co-ordinating their work where required
Help clients and the appointed project teams to identify, obtain and collate pre-construction information
Assist in the provision of the pre-construction information to designers, the Principal Contractor and other relevant consultants
Co-ordinate significant health and safety issues with the design team and the construction team to ensure a resolution that is practical and compliant, without compromising safety
Attend design team meetings
Liaise with the Principal Contractor for the duration of our appointment
Compile the statutory health and safety file for formal handover at the completion of the project

During our appointment, we ensure that we are communicating our progress and raising awareness of potential health and safety issues throughout the duration of the pre-construction and construction stages.

CDM Compliance Visits

The OM Group provides a wide range of health and safety services on-site, including CDM Compliance visits on behalf of the project Client. Our experienced consultants can assure health and safety compliance and encourage continual improvement, ensuring the relevant duty-holders are discharging their duties on site safely. Our specialised team provides compliance services across the whole construction sector, including for public and private sector clients.

Legislative Compliance

The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, amongst other legislative frameworks, place specific responsibilities on various duty holders within the construction industry. Whilst the liability cannot be passed onto any third party, The OM Group develop bespoke solutions to help duty holders discharge their responsibilities practically and safely.

We offer a range of inspections, compliance checks and audits to assist in achieving best practice standards on and off-site.

Dedicated Consultants

At The OM Group, we are committed to developing strong and positive working relationships with our clients. Our ethos is to make health, safety and CDM compliance an embedded process within each project. To help our clients meet this, we provide a dedicated consultant to each client, who is supported by our experienced project team back at HQ.

CDM Client Advisor

There are various responsibilities that the CDM Regulations place on project Clients and these obligations cannot be transferred to any other party. The OM Group provides bespoke solutions to assist Clients with their responsibilities or to discharge them on their behalf – these are usually in addition to the scope of the Principal Designer. We also provide a variety of monitoring audits and ensure that those defined as Clients remain compliant with health, safety and CDM legislation.