Principal Designer – what does it mean?
A principal designer is somebody who is either an individual – when working on smaller projects – or an organisation appointed by a client to head up and take control of any pre-construction works which involve more than one contractor.

 

Health and Safety issues are managed by the principal director and they have the influencing factor when it comes to making sure everything on site is safe. The decisions that are made at the pre-construction phase lay the foundations for all additional works and alter the way a project is delivered, whilst ensuring that everyone on-site or affected by works scheduled to be carried out, remain safe.

 

What Must Principal Designers Do?

The principal designer must undertake the following:

  • They must plan, manage, monitor and coordinate health and safety whilst in the pre-construction phase of the build. They must also take account of additional relevant information which could include an existing health and safety file, as this could impact the design work carried out both pre and post-construction phase.
  • Work with the client and be the point of contact; helping and advising with pre-construction information as well as speaking to the designers and contractors with the information they require.
  • Work fluidly with other designers that may be present on the project in order to eliminate any potential and foreseeable health and safety risks. It might be that it is not possible to negate such risks, therefore steps must be taken to reduce or control those risks before they happen.
  • Ensure that there are clear and well-used communication channels between all persons involved in the pre-construction phase, coordinating their work whenever required.
  • Work closely with the principal contractor, ensuring they are informed of any updates or risks that will need to be controlled during the construction of the project.

 

How Can Bellrock help?

At Bellrock we can be the principal designer for your construction needs, making sure that everything is as it should be under the Construction Design and Management (CDM) Regulations.

Get in touch with us today to find out more about our Principal Designer service as well as our many other services.