H&S rules?

[AndyJohnson]

hi there

what health and safety rules do i need to abide by for the following:

1. a standard loft conversion
2. building a new house

do i need to hire an external H&S expert for any of these?

thanks and happy christmas!

[mk1fan]

depends whether you're the client or the builder or whether this is private or commercial development.

CDM regs are the starting point. Although, they may not fully apply it is good practice to follow them. Afrterall, people go to work expecting to return home safely.

[AndyJohnson]

i am the builder and its private

am i right in saying that for the new build i need to hire an external CDM company for H&S advice?

thanks

[mind the gap]

That was a very long Christmas holiday you had there, Andy!

It must be good being a builder...:)

[AndyJohnson]

best job in the world!!:cool:

on a serious note, ive been doing my loft conversion, with not much H&S - its all common sense pretty much

however, if an accident happens, i may be liable i guess ie. if a worker trips and hurts himself

how could i cover myself in this instance? do i need to abide by any set H&S procedures in simple building work like this?

and for a new build, which is more advance, therefore higher safety risks, what should i do regarding H&S?

thanks for any info!

[Brixtonia]

CDM is a bit of a headspin when you start out but much of it is common sense and probably things that you do already. The ball ache is that it mostly needs to be evidenced with written assessments and plans. All the info you need is here: http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/cdm.htm
Including "what happens if I do not comply?".

You may find that working on your own private loft conversion limits your responsibilities slightly but that depends on your commercial setup.

[AndyJohnson]

do i need to do the cdm stuff if i'm doing my own projects?

i mean if i dont have them in place for the loft and new build could i get penalised in some way?

[Brixtonia]

do i need to do the cdm stuff if i'm doing my own projects?

i mean if i dont have them in place for the loft and new build could i get penalised in some way?

I don't think you are free to kill and maim through negligence on the basis that they are your own projects. Penalties are proportional and range from small fines to incarceration, I believe.

Summary of duties here are set out in the link I already gave you. http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/cdm/summary.htm

Because you are managing the work yourself I do not think you can escape liability on the basis that you are the "domestic client" because you are in effect the main contractor too. You need carefully tailored advice.