Association for Project Safety
CDMPC Limited Joined the Association for Project Safety in 2006. (S J Dallow Registered Membership No 012426)
This provides us with:
- UK wide CPD provision from experts to keep up to date.
- Access to the latest advice on CDM.
- Job specific Newsletters and Practice Notes.
- Procedures based on an industry standard “Guide to CDM”.
- Access to CDM Legal Advice Service and Help line.
- Model Plans and Files.
- A proven Form of Appointment
The Association for Project Safety sets out to create the principles of best practice in fulfilling the requirements of the Construction (Design Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM). It strives to achieve this by publishing Practice and Guidance notes along with Model documents and procedures and also by providing practice and legal advice to its members on issues pertaining to the CDM Regulations and Health and Safety generally. APS members are encouraged to provide a proportionate and effective service so that the benefits of the Regulations can be fully realised just as they were intended.
The Background
The Association for Project Safety (a Registered Company, Limited by Guarantee) has been established to provide all those working as Principal Designers under the terms of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 with an advisory and representative body to assist development of this field and activity. The Association is a multi-disciplinary body, for all who work as Principal Designers in the UK, enabling the Construction Industry to respond to the demand for CDM Principal Designers who are both trained and monitored. The Association provides a Forum in which the necessary knowledge base can be developed and disseminated, provides guidance and training for Principal Designers and for others affected by the Regulations, and provides a central source of information for clients seeking Principal Designer appointments.
Objectives
To broaden and develop membership and secure involvement in the development of the Association by other interested bodies so that it is recognised as the representative body for all who work in the UK as CDM Principal Designers in terms of the CDM Regulations 2015.
- To formulate requirements for training, experience and Continuing Professional Development for members of the Association.
- To serve as a focus for development of the best practice information for all concerned with this work.
- To develop procedures and standards for accreditation of courses which meet membership requirements.
- To act for members in discussions with the Health and Safety Executive and Government on all matters pertaining to the duties and responsibilities of Princpal Designers.
- To promote the services and skill of Members to client and public, and to contribute to improving the Health and Safety record of the Construction industry.
Constructionline Membership
Constructionline is a public private partnership between the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR) and Capita, is the UK’s largest register of qualified construction contractors and consultants.
CDMPC Limited have reached the required technical, managerial and financial standards as laid down by the Construction Directorate of the (DETR).
Its principal objective is to streamline public sector procurement procedures and increase quality in construction services.
How Does It Work
Constructionline primarily exists to reduce the cost and burden of pre-qualification for clients and firms. All contractors and consultants seeking public sector construction work can register with Constructionline and the process for pre-qualification involves comprehensive checks of financial, managerial and technical criteria to standards agrees by the DETR.
Who Are Constructionline’s Clients
There are currently over 550 clients using Constructionline to service their procurement requirements.
These include central Government departments, Local Authorities, Housing Associations, NHS trusts, Universities and private sector organisations. The database of contractors and consultants now contains over 9000 firms.
Contractors Health & Safety Assessment Scheme (CHAS)
CHAS local authority health and safety and contract professionals, supported by the Health and Safety Executive, have developed the Contractor Health and Safety (CHAS) Assessment Scheme over recent years. It is now available for any public sector organisation to use in their pre-qualification process for contractor application for approved/select list or short-listing. It provides information relating to the health and safety element of the application only.
The Scheme Principles
In any one month many thousands of applications are made to Local Authorities, Housing Associations, Health Trusts, Fire Services (and many other public bodies) for what is known as the applicant, select or approved list (hereafter referred to as the select list). Many of the companies making these applications do so to more than one public sector organisation requiring duplication of effort for both them, and the assessing organisations. Underpinning CHAS is a logic that the assessment of a company applying in one area or region should be acceptable in another. This is not always the case leading to understandable frustration for the applicant.
Since its introduction the CHAS scheme has established that four out of five small and medium sized businesses applying to the scheme have failed an initial assessment designed to ensure the applicant demonstrates compliance with basic health and safety legislation and also show adequate management of health and safety in their company. Following verbal or written guidance on the weaknesses identified in the assessment, applicants have been able to re-apply and gain approval. The approval rate following reapplication increases to approximately four in five. Through the scheme, members are able to help small local businesses to improve their compliance with, and management of, health and safety.
CHAS and Constructionline
Constructionline is the Government’s preferred single national register for constructors (whilst its name infers it is construction biased, it does in fact register non-construction companies too). In the same way that CHAS offers a tool for use in the health and safety element of pre-qualification, Constructionline provides the pre-qualification tool for use in financial standing, technical references and other areas. The CHAS Management Group undertook to support the principles of a single national register and as CHAS members are public bodies, joint working with Constructionline is most appropriate.
Following agreement by the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions (DTLR), CHAS and Constructionline have now formed a “mutual working agreement” to work together to provide the public sector with an improved service for their clients. The details of that agreement can be obtained from the CHAS Administrator.
Both CHAS and Constructionline maintain their own independence and identity but the respective databases are linked.