New Building Safety Rules Could Affect Landlords

Construction Design and Management (CDM) regulations already affect large building contractors, but as of April 6th this year, smaller renovations on residential and commercial properties will also fall under the remit of CDM legislation.

What is CDM?

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CDM rules specify the legal requirements and safety standards to be adopted on building sites. CDM legislation was introduced to try and reduce the number of serious accidents that were happening on construction sites. The good news is that it has been very successful and the number of accidents on large construction sites has fallen dramatically. The bad news is that there are now more people seriously injured or killed on smaller domestic jobs carried out by property developers and small-time builders.

Property Renovators Affected by New Rules
Landlords carrying out renovations on their properties are now subject to CDM health and safety rules. Everyone involved in a project, including the property owner(s) must work together to ensure CDM legislation is adhered to.

Builders working on property developments, commercial and residential projects must produce a Construction Phase Safety Plan. Some projects will also require a Health & Safety File, which will include building specifications, drawings, etc. If more than one builder is involved in the project, a ‘principle designer’ must be appointed to co-ordinate health and safety on site.

Landlords should make a point of choosing their building contractor very carefully. If safe working practices are not adopted, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) could hold them personally responsible if there is an accident on site.