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      CDM Site Inspections

      To ensure compliance with Health & Safety and CDM regulations inspections are necessary.

      The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015) come into force in Great Britain on 6 April 2015. They set out what people involved in construction work need to do to protect themselves from harm and anyone the work affects.

      The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has produced guidance on the regulations named, Managing health and safety in construction L153. This may be downloaded from the HSE website. This publication provides guidance on the legal requirements for CDM 2015 and is available to help anyone with duties under the Regulations. It describes the law that applies to the whole construction process on all construction projects, from concept to completion and what each duty holder must or should do to comply with the law to ensure projects are carried out in a way that secures health and safety.

      Shot of two warehouse workers talking together over a clipboard while standing inside of a large warehouse

      Construction Design Management site inspection checklist:

      Below is a list of site inspection topics for you to read and what posing questions may come under these sections.

      • Access on site
        • Can everyone get to their place of work safely – and work there safely?
        • Are access routes in good condition and clearly signposted?
        • Are edges which people could fall from provided with double guard rails or other suitable edge protection?
        • Are holes protected with clearly marked and fixed covers to prevent falls?
        • Is the site tidy, and are materials stored safely?
        • Is lighting good enough?
      • Welfare
        • Are toilets readily available and are they kept clean and properly lit?
        • Are there washbasins, hot and cold (or warm) running water, soap and towels?
        • Are the washbasins large enough to wash up to the elbow and are they kept clean?
        • Is there somewhere to change, dry and store clothing?
        • Is drinking water and cups provided?
        • Is there a place where workers can sit, make hot drinks and prepare food?
        • Can everyone who needs to use them get to the welfare facilities easily and safely?
        • Are welfare facilities kept warm and well ventilated?
      • Working at height
        • Have you planned the work properly and identified suitable precautions to make sure work can be carried out safely?
        • Have you thought about whether you can avoid working at height by using different equipment or a different work method?
        • Can you use equipment that will prevent a fall from happening, such as scaffolding or a mobile elevating work platform?
        • Can you put in place measures to reduce the distance and consequences of a fall should one happen, such as nets, soft landing systems or safety decks?
        • Will the weather conditions threaten the health and safety of those carrying out the work?
        • Have you thought about all the options and are you certain that you are gaining access to height using the safest means possible?
      • Scaffolds
        • Are scaffolds erected, altered and dismantled by competent people?
        • Are all uprights provided with base plates (and, where necessary, timber sole plates)?
        • Are all uprights, ledgers, braces and struts in position?
        • Is the scaffold secured to the building or structure in enough places to prevent collapse?
        • Are there double guard rails and toe boards, or other means of preventing a fall?
        • Are additional brick guards provided to prevent materials falling from scaffolds?
        • Are the working platforms fully boarded, and are the boards arranged to avoid tipping or tripping?
        • Has the scaffold been inspected, and the findings documented?
        • Is the scaffold strong enough to carry the weight of materials?
        • stored on it and are these evenly distributed?
        • Are scaffolds being properly maintained?
        • Does a competent person inspect the scaffold or proprietary tower scaffold regularly, eg at least once a week; and always after it has been altered.
        • Are tower scaffolds being erected using either the ‘3T’ or advance guard rail method, and are they being used in accordance with suppliers’ instructions?
        • Have the wheels of tower scaffolds been locked when in use and are the platforms empty when they are moved?
      • Ladders
        • Ladders and stepladders are the last resort. Can you buy or hire some alternative equipment that would provide a safer means of access?
        • Is the work of short duration and low risk?
        • Are they in good condition?
        • Do ladders rest against a solid surface and not on fragile or insecure materials?
        • Are ladders secured at the top and bottom to prevent them slipping sideways and outwards?
        • Do ladders rise at least a metre above their landing place?
        • If not, are there other handholds available?
        • Are the ladders positioned so that users don’t have to overstretch?
        • Do you have to use the top three rungs of a stepladder? If so, your stepladder is too short.
        • Is the user competent? Those using ladders should be trained to use the equipment safely.
      • Excavations
        • Is there enough support for the excavation, or has it been sloped or battered back to a safe angle?
        • Is a safe method used for putting in the support, without people working in an unsupported trench?
        • Is there safe access into the excavation, eg a sufficiently long, secured ladder?
        • Are there barriers or other protection to stop people and vehicles falling in?
        • Are properly secured stop blocks provided to prevent tipping vehicles falling in?
        • Could the excavation affect the stability of neighbouring structures or services?
        • Are materials, spoil and plant stored away from the edge of
        • the excavation to reduce the chance of a collapse?
        • Is the excavation regularly inspected by a competent person?
      • Manual handling
        • Are there heavy materials such as roof trusses, concrete lintels, kerbstones or bagged products which could cause problems if they have to be moved by hand?
        • If so, can you:
        • choose lighter materials?
        • use trolleys, hoists, telehandlers and other plant or
        • equipment so that manual lifting of heavy objects is kept to a minimum?
        • order materials such as cement and aggregates in 25 kg bags?
        • avoid the repetitive laying of heavy building blocks or other masonry units weighing more than 20 kg?
        • Have people been instructed and trained how to use lifting aids and other handling equipment safely?
        • Have people been trained how to lift safely?
      • Traffic, vehicles and plant
        • Are vehicles and pedestrians kept apart?
        • If not, do you:
        • provide barriers to separate them as much as you can?
        • tell people (eg your workers and anyone who lives or works in the property where you are working) about the problem, and what they need to do about it?
        • display warning signs?
        • Are people kept away from slewing vehicles or, if not, can you use a zero tail­swing machine?
        • Can reversing be avoided, eg by using a one­way system or a turning area? If not, are properly trained banksmen used?
        • Are vehicles and plant properly maintained, eg do the steering, brakes, hydraulics, mirrors and any other vision aid work properly? Are tyres in good condition and at the correct pressure?
        • Have drivers received proper training and are they competent and fit to use the vehicles or plant they are operating?
        • Are loads properly secured?
        • Have you made sure that passengers are only carried on vehicles designed to carry them?
        • Have you made sure that plant and vehicles are not used on dangerous slopes?
        • If you need to work on or drive across sloping ground, have you checked that the plant and vehicles are safe to use?
      • Tools and machinery
        • Are the right tools or machinery being used for the job?
        • Are all dangerous parts guarded, eg gears, chain drives, projecting engine shafts?
        • Are guards secured and in good repair?
        • Are tools and machinery maintained in good repair and are all safety devices operating correctly?
        • Are all operators trained and competent?
      • Emergencies
        • Are there emergency procedures, eg for evacuating the site in case of fire?
        • Do people on site know what the procedures are?
        • Is there a means of raising the alarm, and does it work?
        • Is there a way to contact the emergency services from site?
        • Are there enough suitable escape routes and are these kept clear?
        • Is the first ­aid provision sufficient?
      • Fire
        • Is the quantity of flammable materials, liquids and gases kept to a minimum?
        • Are they properly stored?
        • Are flammable gas cylinders returned to a ventilated store at the end of the shift?
        • Are smoking and other ignition sources banned in areas where gases or flammable liquids are stored or used?
        • Are gas cylinders, associated hoses and equipment properly maintained and in good condition?
        • When gas cylinders are not in use, are the valves fully closed?
        • Is flammable and combustible waste removed regularly and stored in suitable bins or skips?
        • Are suitable fire extinguishers provided?
      • Hazardous substances
        • Have you identified all harmful substances and materials, such as asbestos, lead, solvents, paints, cement and silica dust (eg from kerb or paving cutting)?
        • Have you checked whether a licensed contractor is needed to deal with asbestos on site? (Most work with asbestos requires a licence, although you can do some very limited work with materials that contain asbestos without one.)
        • Have you identified and put into place precautions to prevent or control exposure to hazardous substances, by:
        • Doing the work in a different way, to remove the risk entirely?
        • Using a less hazardous material?
        • Using tools fitted with dust extraction?
        • Using tools fitted with water suppression?
      • Hand­ Arm vibration
        • Has exposure to HAV been avoided or reduced as much as
        • possible by selecting suitable work methods and plant?
        • Have you chosen the lowest vibration tool that is suitable and can do the job efficiently?
        • Have you limited the time that each worker uses high vibration tools such as concrete breakers, angle grinders or hammer drills as far as possible?
        • Have workers had information and training so they know what the risks are from hand­arm vibration (HAV) on site, and what they need to do to avoid those risks?
        • Have vibrating tools been properly maintained includingkeeping bits and drills sharp?
        • Have you arranged health surveillance for people exposed to high levels of hand­arm vibration, especially when exposed for long periods?
      • Noise
        • Have you identified and assessed workers’ exposure to noise?
        • Have workers had information and training so they know what the risks are from noise on site, and what they need to do to avoid those risks?
        • Can the noise be reduced by using different working methods or selecting quieter plant, eg by fitting breakers and other plant or machinery with silencers?
        • Are people not involved in the work kept away from the source of the noise?
        • Is suitable hearing protection provided and worn in noisy areas?
        • Have hearing protection zones been marked?
        • Have you arranged health surveillance for people exposed to high levels of noise?
      • Protecting the public
        • Is the work fenced off from the public?
        • Are roadworks barriered off and lit?
        • Are the public protected from falling material?
      • When work has stopped for the day:
        • Is the boundary secure?
        • Are all ladders removed or their rungs boarded so that they cannot be used?
        • Are excavations and openings securely covered or fenced off?
        • Is all plant immobilised to prevent unauthorised use?
        • Are bricks and materials safely stacked?
        • Are flammable or dangerous substances locked away in secure storage places?

      Source: https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg344.pdf

      Contact Agility R&C

      Agility Risk & Compliance Ltd provide tailored solutions to mitigate risk and improve compliance in Health and Safety, HR, Training, and Occupational Health.

      If you have an enquiry please call us on 01527 571611 or email us on info@agilityrac.com.

      Existing clients call our 24-hour service and you will be directed to your expert consultant.

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