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Personal Injury Law Review Summer 2007

New construction regulations

Construction is one of the most dangerous industries for workers. The government has finally taken heed and introduced new regulations - the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 (CDM 2007) – which came into force in April 2007.

Since the introduction of the original regulations in 1994, unions and others had raised concerns about their complexity, saying that it was undermining the health and safety objectives behind them. This view was supported by an industry-wide consultation in 2002 which resulted in the decision to have another look at them.

The new CDM 2007 Regulations revise and bring together the CDM Regulations 1994 and the Construction (Health Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1996 into a single regulatory package.

They aim to:

• simplify the regulations to improve clarity and make it easier for everyone to know what is expected of them
• maximise their flexibility to fit with the vast range of contractual arrangements
• focus on planning and management, rather than “the plan” and other paperwork
• encourage co-ordination and co-operation, particularly between designers and contractors
• simplify the assessment of the competence of organisations.

For more information, go to: www.hse.gov.uk/construction/cdm.htm