Pre-Construction Information

Introduction

The 2007 Regulations remove the previous "Pre-Tender Health and Safety Plan" that was prepared by the planning supervisor, and replace it with "Pre-construction Information". This is intended to reduce bureaucracy and ensure that health and safety information continues to flow to the contractors throughout the construction phase.

• During its development the Pre-construction Information can provide a focus at which health and safety considerations of the designs are brought together under the control of the CDM Co-ordinator.
• Secondly, the Pre-construction Information plays a vital role in the tender documentation. It enables prospective principal contractors to be fully aware of the project's health and safety and welfare requirements. This will allow prospective principal contractors to have a level playing field as far as health and safety is concerned on which to provide tender submissions.

Pre-construction Information will not include information about normal construction techniques.

Who prepares the Pre-construction Information?

The CDM Co-ordinator manages the flow of information from designers and produces "Information Packs" with relevant information and passes it to the tendering Principal Contractors. The principal is that the right information should be provided to the right people, at the right time.

What should go into Pre-construction Information?

The Pre-construction Information should contain information relevant to tendering Principal Contractors and include some or all of the following:

Description of project

Project description and programme details including:

• Anticipated dates (planned start and finishing dates of the construction phase).
• The minimum time to be allowed between appointment of the Principal Contractor and instructions to commence work on site.
• Details of client, designers, CDM Co-ordinator and other consultants.
• Whether or not the structure will be used as a workplace (in which case, the finished design will need to take account of the relevant requirements of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992).
• Extent and location of existing records and plans.

Client's considerations and management requirements.

This section should include arrangements for:

• Planning for and managing the construction work, including any health and safety goals for the project.
• Communication and liaison between clients and others.
• Security of the site.
• Welfare provisions.

This section should also include requirements relating to the health and safety of the client's employees or customers or those involved in the project such as:

• Site hoarding requirements.
• Site transport arrangements and vehicle movement restrictions.
• The Client's permit-to-work arrangements.
• Fire precautions to be put in place.
• Emergency procedures and means of escape.
• Restricted areas or other authorisation requirements.
• Any areas the client has designated as confined spaces.
• Smoking and parking restrictions.

Environmental restrictions and existing on-site risks

Safety hazards, including:

• Boundaries and access, including temporary access - for example narrow streets, lack of parking, turning or storage space.
• Any restrictions on deliveries or waste collection or storage.
• Adjacent land uses - for example schools, railway lines or busy roads.
• Existing storage of hazardous materials.
• Location of existing services - water, electricity, gas, etc.
• Ground conditions, underground structures or water courses where this might affect the safe use of plant, for example cranes, or the safety of groundwork's.
• Information about existing structures - stability, structural form, fragile or hazardous materials, anchorage points for fall arrest systems (particularly where demolition is involved).
• Previous structural modifications, including weakening or strengthening of the structure (particularly where demolition is involved).
• Fire damage, ground shrinkage, movement or poor maintenance which may have adversely affected the structure.
• Any difficulties relating to plant and equipment in the premises, such as overhead gantries whose height restricts access.
• Health and safety information contained in earlier design, construction or ‘as-built' drawings, such as details of pre-stressed or post-tensioned structures.

Health hazards including:

• Asbestos, including results of surveys (particularly where demolition is involved).
• Existing storage of hazardous materials.
• Contaminated land, including results of surveys.
• Existing structures containing hazardous materials.
• Health risks arising from client's activities.

Significant design and construction hazards

This section should include:

• Significant design assumptions and suggested work methods, sequences or other control measures.
• Arrangements for co-ordination of ongoing design work and handling design changes.
• Information on significant risks identified during design.
• Materials requiring particular precautions.

The health and safety file

Description of the required format and any conditions relating to its content.

How should the Pre-construction Information be presented?

The Pre-construction Information is produced as a printed and bound document and where necessary it will refer to other separately bound documents (e.g. asbestos report, structural report, soil report, drawings etc.).