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Principal Designer CDM Services

At USP, we have been involved as a Principal Designer on hundreds of projects, from social housing through to large commercial fit-outs and everything in between. All our Principal Designer appointments are backed up with significant experience and qualification, as well as registered membership of the Association of Project Safety.

Our Principal Designer Services include:

  • Helping and advising the client in bringing together pre-construction information and providing the information Designers and Contractors need to carry out their duties.
  • Working with designers and Architects on the project to eliminate foreseeable Health and Safety design risks associated with the projects design.
  • The completion of in-depth design risk registers for projects.
  • Ensuring that everyone involved in the pre-construction phase communicates and cooperates, coordinating their work wherever required.
  • Liaising with the Principal Contractor, keeping them informed of any risks that need to be controlled during the construction phase.

USP work across SussexSurrey, Kent, London and throughout the UK including Brighton, Eastbourne & Hastings.

CDM Principal Designer

Featured Project

Renewable Energy Sector

“Kevin and his team at USP have become an invaluable professional health and safety principal designer resource for a number of our UK Solar/PV major projects. The USP consultants, led by Kevin have provided a robust health and safety lead during the pre-project planning and development of our projects. I would recommend Kevin and his team to any potential client looking for Principal Designer Services.”

Maria Ocana | Global Health, Safety and Environmental Lead
SunEdison Solar LLC

Principle Designer Service Testimonials

I have worked with Kevin Kerin of Universal Safety Practitioners for approximately 9 years.

In my role as a Senior Project Manager (firstly within ISG and now with Thompsons) I have worked with Kevin and his company on a number of very high profile and high value projects as well as construction and refurbishment programmes including large multi-site role outs of up to 100 sites up and down the country, with Kevin fulfilling the role of both Principal Designer and Client Health and Safety Advisor.

Kevin’s health and safety and technical knowledge is second to none and I have always found him highly approachable, flexible as well as pragmatic in his approach to health and safety matters.

In my current role as Senior Project Manager for Thompson’s, Kevin and his company are supplying Principal Designer/Health and Safety support services to a number of my projects which gives me an extremely high level of technical health and safety support, making my role a great deal easier, knowing that the project health and safety elements are in safe and highly qualified hands.

As a company, USP always deliver on their promises and perform to the highest level, and I would have no hesitation in recommending their services and in particular the services of Kevin Kerin, to any prospective client.

Mick Hill, Senior Project Manager
Thompsons

I have worked with Kevin for 6 years on a large retail banking account which he has taken on various roles such as Principal Designer, Client Assurance, Client Liaison and providing general health and safety advice across many different topics linked to projects.

Kevin is a highly professional consultant who has the ability to work with people operating in many different project roles from operatives on site to the client themselves.

Kevin’s knowledge of Health and Safety is second to none and he is able to provide vast experience from his time in the industry to provide worked examples to new projects. His personality and great sense of humour makes him easily fit into any project team! I would happily recommend Kevin to work with any client.

Miriam Abbott, Principal Consultant
RBS Account Lead H&S, Arcadis

Kevin and his company have been our health and safety advisors since 2005. He has advised on and implemented safe practices in the company’s workshops and office premises and been our appointed person for project-specific risk assessment, documentation and control as required by CDM. He has provided us with a fully functioning and easy to use health and safety management system, with successful auditing by external accreditors, including our CHAS certification;

He has been instrumental in developing and managing our fire risk assessments, as well as all company risk assessments and safe working procedures for our offices and workshops.

For our projects, Kevin and his company have provided all documentation and support in respect of our exhibition fit-out works, where we have held the role of Principal Contractor.

Where we have been asked to act in the role of Principal Designer by our clients, Kevin and his company have been instrumental in supplying this appointment, coordinating designers and sub-contractors, and creating all the required documentation, allowing us to work at this elevated level with our exhibition fit-out clients.

We have worked with Kevin and his team for 15 years and during this time we have had zero notifiable accidents, and I recommend him and his company without reservation.

Bob Deakin, Specialist Fit Out Company Director and Senior Project Manager

Speak to Our Expert Team Today

Please use the form to get in touch with one of our health and safety consultants. Alternatively, please give us a call or email us using the contact details below.

What is a Principal Designer?

The HSE states that a Principal Designer is a designer who is an organisation or individual appointed by the client to take control of the pre-construction phase of any project involving more than one contractor.

The Principal Designer must have the right skills, knowledge and experience, and, if they are an organisation, the organisational capability necessary to fulfil the role of Principal Designer. In essence, they should have:

  • Technical knowledge of the construction industry, relevant to the project;
  • An understanding of how Health and Safety is managed through the design process; and
  • The skills to be able to oversee Health and Safety during the construction phase.

What Is the Role of a Principal Designer?

The Principal Designer must plan, manage and monitor the pre-construction phase and coordinate matters relating to health and safety during the pre-construction phase to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the project is carried out without risks to health and safety, this includes:

  • Identifying, eliminating or controlling foreseeable risks
  • Ensuring designers carry out their duties
  • Prepare and provide relevant information to other duty holders
  • Liaise with the Principal Contractor to help in the planning, management, monitoring and co-ordination of the construction phase
  • Produce the Health and Safety File (H&S File) and Pre-construction information (PCI).

Finally, if asked to do so by the client, the Principal Designer can complete the F10 documentation and submit it to the HSE.

What is CDM?

The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, herein called CDM is the assessments and management of Health and Safety Hazards and Risks involved in all construction works in the United Kingdom, both domestic and commercial. This means that the CDM regulations applies to anything from a homeowner having structural works completed on their property, all the way to the building of large skyscrapers, stadiums etc.

The Construction, Design and Management Regulations 2015, often referred to as ‘CDM’ was introduced in 2015. The 2015 CDM regulations introduced the duty holder position of ‘Principal Designer’.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does CDM stand for?

CDM stands for the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015.

What is a ‘CDM Coordinator’?
What is a Principal Designer?
What must a Principal Designer do?
What is an F10?