1. Overview and Legislation

Due to the nature of construction, accidents and incidents can result in fatalities and life-altering injuries. And poor construction presents dangers to occupants of premises.

Since the introduction of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HASAW), fatalities and serious injuries in the workplace have fallen dramatically so it is clear that good legislation, properly enforced, is literally a life-saver. The original CDM Regulations were introduced in 1995 in response to an EU Directive which stated that design and management procedures in the construction industry needed to be changed to reduce deaths and injuries.

Construction is still in first place for work-related deaths (with agriculture, forestry and fishing coming second).

Since the introduction of HASAW, workplace injuries and deaths have fallen dramatically, but...

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Construction (Design and Management) usually abbreviated to “CDM” – overview and legislation. A significant proportion of health and safety advice and guidance – and therefore legislation – relates to the construction industry.

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