The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations - CDM Regulations - which came into force on 31st March 1995 require clients, designers and contractors to take account of health, safety and environmental issues throughout the complete life cycle of a building or plant, including the initial site works, construction, commissioning, operation, maintenance and demolition stages. The Regulations have caused considerable concern in the construction industry and among major engineering clients as their obligations are extremely onerous. These include the preparation of a Health and Safety Plan and the maintenance of a Health and Safety File detailing design criteria and the construction process. This Manual, prepared originally for use on PowerGen's own projects, ensures that design risks to personnel and to the environment can be identified and measures taken to eliminate or mitigate these hazards. It can form the basis of the Health and Safety Plan and Health and Safety File, required by the CDM Regulations, as well as an auditable record for quality assurance purposes.
