The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations SI 2007/320 are still on course to come into force on 6 April 2007, despite concern from certain groups. The Forum of Private Businesses (FPB) have protested over the legislation and have urged MPs to oppose it, claiming it will leave small businesses burdened with extra responsibilities when having building work carried out. However, the Regulations remain on the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) list of commencement dates for April and the accompanying Approved Code of Practice has now been officially published, suggesting they will not be delayed or pushed back.
The HSE have responded by reiterating that the new Regulations do not introduce any new duties, they purely simplify and add clarity to construction health and safety law so that risks on site can be properly managed, something the FPB disagree with. What is clear, is that the Regulations place a greater emphasis on the role of the client when it comes to health and safety throughout the life of a construction project. Clients can no longer opt-out of their health and safety responsibilities by passing them onto a second party.
Some weight has been added to the opposition's argument, with news that Conservative leader David Cameron has called for the Regulations to be scrapped and that a debate should be re-opened in a House of Commons Committee. However, this view has been slammed by Alan Ritchie, the general secretary of the Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians (UCATT). He stated, "Cameron's attempts to block the new CDM Regulations are beneath contempt. The Regulations are supported by the majority of employer organisations, including the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). At a time when deaths on building sites are increasing, you would think any decent politician would support regulations which reduce bureaucracy and force all parties to take safety seriously."
