Manchester safety expert launches CDM compliance list
Siobhan Molloy, a health and safety consultant, has launched CDM Competence Ltd to establish the industry's first open competence list for the new regulations.
The initiative will help professionals involved in a construction project to comply with their responsibilities and obligations under Regulation 4 of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007. In turn the list will allow all parties to openly view competent companies and individuals when assigning partners and suppliers to projects.
Molloy, who has 20 years' experience in the construction industry and set up her own consultancy five years ago, Building Health & Safety, commented: "This list aims to improve safety in the construction sector and help companies to comply with Regulation 4. It will also relieve companies of the current laborious competence approval process, saving time, energy and above all money.
"The viral competence list will provide one central port of call for checking that designers, contractors and CDM Coordinators are competent before assigning them to a particular project."
CDM will review information submitted online by applicants to join the list and test their compliance. If firms are lacking in any of the sections they will be advised through to competency. This advice will be included in the application fee.
Molloy added: "There were 72 recorded fatalities within the construction industry last year in the UK alone. All of these deaths could have been avoided.
"CDM Competence is not here to judge and all information is confidential, the only time we shout about you is when you are competent. The aim of the company is to set a standard of CDM Competence across the construction industry to make all our jobs easier, and of course to reduce avoidable accidents on construction sites."
For companies that are not ready to apply for competency approval and would like to learn more about what the law requires of them, CDM Competence Ltd offers training courses to ensure they meet the necessary obligations in the future. Training courses are available across the UK, both in house and locally scheduled with costs starting from £200 per person.
- For further information on the Competence List and training courses please visit the CDM Competence website.
