Any builders - Principle Contractors

**Disneymaddaddy** · 18 Oct 21, 04:24 PM

HI,

Hoping some people in the building trade can help me.

We will be moving into a newly re-furb'd warehouse at work and it will need racking, lighting and air con. There will be no structural work / changes and in the offices it will just be furniture needed.

we have been advised that we need a principle contractor and designer but from what i can read on line this is more when there are structural works being undertaken and ensure that everything complies to building regs.

The cost for a PC is pretty shocking!

windsor_hills · 18 Oct 21, 05:49 PM

Who is doing the individual pieces of work (I.e the air con, lighting, racking etc)? Could one of those contractors reasonably take on the role of principal contractor?

CDM regulations are not my strongpoint but I think air con and lighting would come under the definition of construction and therefore fall under these regulations. As client you need to ensure you appoint someone suitably qualified and competent to act in the principal contractor role if there is more than one contractor.

We often use one of our main contractors to undertake the principal contractor role for us on projects such as this, but that�s easy for us as we have this contractor readily available to us. If you have the skills and competencies within your business the other option is for someone internally to take on that role.

However, someone with more knowledge and experience I�m sure will come along with better advice.

YorkshireT · 18 Oct 21, 06:03 PM

Look up the CDM regs, good guides on the HSE site - download the guide to CDM which you can do there as a PDF. You need to determine whether it�s a project that is governed by the regs/ notifiable. If it�s governed, you need to be careful in terms of design, principal contractor, designer, health and safety plan. Otherwise the HSE could serve you with a prohibition notice, or worse if there�s an accident.
CDM sets out a hierarchy of responsibility. Mess that up and something goes wrong and you could have problems. Good luck.

Stew_the_red · 18 Oct 21, 07:05 PM

if you can drop me a dm with the full scope of what you are looking to have done I will send you some advice over

stew

**BevS97** · 18 Oct 21, 07:07 PM

My husband is a CDM coordinator. This is what he says

The person that said they should get one of the m and e contracts to be PC is probably the best option

They need to get them to be PD too otherwise the client takes on that role.

If the racking comps are designing a system to fit and maybe have a mezzanine floor or loading calculator based on the equipment stored then they come under CDM too

He said he�d be happy to discuss more if you have other questions.

18 Oct 21, 05:49 PM	#2
	18 Oct 21, 05:49 PM windsor_hills Imagineer
windsor_hills Imagineer Join Date: Mar 11	Who is doing the individual pieces of work (I.e the air con, lighting, racking etc)? Could one of those contractors reasonably take on the role of principal contractor? CDM regulations are not my strongpoint but I think air con and lighting would come under the definition of construction and therefore fall under these regulations. As client you need to ensure you appoint someone suitably qualified and competent to act in the principal contractor role if there is more than one contractor. We often use one of our main contractors to undertake the principal contractor role for us on projects such as this, but that�s easy for us as we have this contractor readily available to us. If you have the skills and competencies within your business the other option is for someone internally to take on that role. However, someone with more knowledge and experience I�m sure will come along with better advice. Edited at 06:02 PM.