RR920 - Evaluation of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007

In September 2003, the Health and Safety Commission took the decision to revise the existing Construction (Design and Management) Regulations (CDM 1994) with the objective of improving the management of risk. Consequently, CDM 2007 came into force on 6 April 2007.

It was agreed to evaluate CDM 2007, following a period of operation, in order to answer two key questions:

To what extent has CDM 2007 met the stated objectives for these Regulations?
What are the cost implications for the construction industry of CDM 2007?

The evaluation approach was piloted and reported on in RR845 before undertaking the main phase of evaluation work, which is reported here. Quantitative and qualitative data was obtained using a variety of techniques from a number of sources across the construction industry.

Publication of the report also meets one of the recommendations in the Lofstedt report, namely that CDM 2007 and the associated ACOP evaluation should be completed by April 2012 to ensure there is a clearer expression of duties, a reduction of bureaucracy and appropriate guidance for small projects.

The results of the evaluation show that:

CDM 2007 has gone a long way to meeting its objectives, but some concerns remain within the industry;
construction design, management and site practices have improved between 2006 and 2010;
a cost impact was associated with CDM 2007, but respondents rated the benefits obtained higher than costs; and
industry practice was found to have a significant influence on how CDM 2007 is implemented.

The evidence provided will support policy development in this area. HSE will address the CDM package as a whole and consult on any changes once the HSE Board has considered them.

This report and the work it describes were funded by the Health and Safety Executive. Its contents, including any opinions and/or conclusions expressed, are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily represent HSE policy.

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