Introduction, Project Description, Overview, and Scope of Work

A CPP is started off with a proper introduction such as the name of the project, address or location, name of the client, detailed overview, including the scope of work, key project objectives, and the expected outcomes.

For the timeline, it must be properly defined by specifying the start and completion dates, and by setting the major timelines and deadline. This is so that all key persons involved have an idea on the workaround schedule and expectations. Furthermore, setting this at the beginning of the CPP allows managers to coordinate tasks efficiently among workers, allocate resources effectively, and even identify delays ahead of time.

Additionally, information about the duty-holders like the principal contractor, client, designers, and other contractors would be helpful for everyone to know about their key responsibilities and including the project’s requirements.

Roles, Responsibilities, and Contact Information of Duty-Holders

This is the section of the CPP where the roles and responsibilities are defined across the personnel involved in the project to ensure that they fully align their work within their responsibilities, promote accountability, maintain compliance, and to ensure proper and efficient project execution. This section should include the method or lines of communication, how each duty-holder reports to one another, how their responsibilities should be implemented, and how they will be monitored throughout the project.

This section also includes emergency contact information so that there is a proper communication method.

Health and Safety Management

This section of the CPP outlines all the health and safety strategies, procedures, and measures to be implemented in the construction project, ensuring a proactive safe working environment.

At the beginning, it would be ideal to write down a summary of the construction project being compliant with the CDM 2015 regulations and the project’s overall commitment towards promoting a safety-first culture. This helps set in the minds of the key personnel involved that the principal contractor is aligned with the strict health and safety standards of the UK, and gives peace of mind to the workers that their well-being is prioritised.

Another area of this section is the risk assessment identification and control measures. Before the construction work starts, it’s essential to write down the common hazards and risks involved in the construction project by going through a history of similar hazards and risks in a similar project, assessing the construction works to be done based on the designs, and consulting professionals. Risk Assessment and Method Statements (RAMS) could be implemented to outline the control measures in place or use other mitigation strategies as per the guidelines and safety procedures under the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Another important element under this section is laying out the site rules and safety procedures. There should be general site rules in place as a guide for workers to follow, including a list of personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements, informing about restricted areas, signages and security protocols, and the general safety guidelines on using tools, equipment, or machinery.

The main reason there are general rules, safety guidelines, and safety procedures are to avoid chances of having incidents and accidents, however there are unavoidable instances where they occur. Included in this section is the methodological steps for reporting accidents, near misses, and occurrences, and more importantly including a proper emergency procedure, fire safety procedures, first aid information, and evacuation routes. It’s essential to keep this part of the section direct to the point, concise, and easy to understand for workers. This way, workers can know the proper procedures when accidents and incidents occur without confusion. Similarly, when they need to search for emergency procedures, they can easily find the information in the CPP.

Included as well in this section are a list of training, certification, and competencies of workers should have and making sure that they are competent for their tasks. That also involves toolbox talks, health and safety briefings, and induction procedures of general safety rules as stated in the CPP for the new workers and site visitors.

The construction industry is dynamic, and so is the CPP. There should be regular site inspections, compliance checking, and audits to make sure that the site is adhering to safety protocols. This should be included in the CPP. Additionally, because the CPP is a dynamic and living document, there will always be revisions and updates, meaning there should be a procedure on how to review and update the safety measures. Most importantly, include a procedure in appointing a designated safety officer in the organisation to oversee the implementation of safety procedures.

General Site Rules, Working Procedures, Access, Waste Management, Housekeeping

In order to maintain an organised site in a construction project, it’s essential to establish mandatory guidelines that all personnel and duty-holders must follow.

First is the section for the general site rules. There are generic ones to be followed that align with the CDM 2015 and other best safety practices suggested by the HSE, but it can vary from site to site. Some generic ones are mandatory site induction before starting work, proper signing in and out of work, PPE, authorised entries, zero tolerance policy for drugs and alcohol, or smoking rules.

Another are guidelines on the accessibility and movement on site. Depending on the project and its location, the site traffic rules may differ.

For waste management and housekeeping, all work areas should be clean and free of obstructions to avoid near misses and accidents. There should also be designated areas that follow environmental regulations for proper waste disposal. And when handling hazardous substances, they should be stored and handles under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) guidelines.

Construction Activities

This section makes sure that each construction activity are properly carried out systematically, with methods and safety measures in place to maintain compliance with the CDM 2015 regulations.

Normally, the construction phase is categories into stages, and for each stage there are construction activities that need proper methods. This is extremely helpful in guiding each key personnel and duty-holder to the construction works to be done, and similarly, this is also helpful in setting the project timeline and schedule.

This section makes sure that each acidity in each category are well-planned and efficiently managed by the contractor and workers.

Resource Management

This part of the CPP details the proper and efficient allocation and management of resources like materials, labour, equipment, and finance all throughout the project. The correct resource management should make sure that the entire project remains cost-effective, within schedule, and compliance with standards.

For materials, there should be a list of materials needed, storage and inventory management, sustainability and eco-friendly practices to be implemented, and using the Just-In-Time (JIT) delivery approach to minimise the amount of inventory held on hand. This is most especially helpful to reduce overall storage costs.

For labour, there should be a list of required personnel, their certifications, training, experience, the workforce scheduling, and the health and safety training they have attended or will attend to comply with the regulations.

For the equipment and machinery, there should be a list of all the tools and machinery needed for the project, including their schedules to avoid multiple people reserving a machine at the same time or for downtime, routine maintenance and inspection, and even operator training requirements.

For the finances, included should be the breakdown of project costs among the labour, materials, equipment, subcontractors, etc, and a cost control measure to avoid over-spending in the project. Using historical data, assessments from professionals, and projections, whether manually or using tracking software, there should be proper budget management. Included in this section is the regular financial reviews for the project to stay within its budget.

Monitoring, Review, and Update Procedures

This heading covers the mechanisms for performance monitoring, reporting, and regular reviews. It also details how the CPP will be updated in response to changes in the project or external environment.

For more information on the general contents, components, and roles and responsibilities under the CDM Regulations, refer to the CDM 2015 document provided by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

You can also refer to the form below, which is used by hundreds of construction companies to frame their construction phase plan headings and contents.