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Client group leads the way designing for healthier projects

The Construction Clients’ Group (CCG) is a body for all public and private sector construction clients with the objective of improving ‘value for money’. It is the only dedicated client body combining public and private sector clients promoting best practice and industry improvements.

The CCG has established a Health and Safety in Design Working Group comprising; Liz Bennett, Safety in Design (SID) , Land Securities, Imperial College, Skanska and AWE, with more members engaging as work progresses.

The objective of the is to:

“raise the profile of health in design making it an equal partner with safety, transforming the way clients, designers and construction suppliers engage to eliminate avoidable health and safety risks to all involved in the construction process and well as those using the completed asset.”

Design for health expectations

The Design for Health Task Group (D4HTG) has launched a consultation on client expectations of designers and contractors in relation to designing for health and safety.

Following CDM 2015 the CCG challenged the D4HTG to identify what clients can reasonably expect of the supplier community in meeting these obligations.

HSE has agreed to support the development of further guidance material for clients and will disseminate the results of this consultation via the Health in Construction Leadership Group and the Construction Industry Advisory Committee (CONIAC).

Speaking about the opportunity to be involved in the consultation, SID Director Liz Bennett remarked:

“This is the construction industry’s chance to have a say in a significant piece of thinking about designing for health and safety. By engaging with the process at this early stage, designers and contractors will have a voice in the discussion, and will therefore be able to steer the initiative in a helpful direction.

This is a wonderful opportunity to be involved in the early stages of shaping a conversation that will have far-reaching consequences for our industry, and for the health of the population more generally.”

Terms of Reference of D4HTG

1. Identify challenges faced by clients and designers in owning the contribution they can make to health (and safety) through design and decision making.
2. Identify work being done currently to support the industry and change the culture of all stakeholders.
3. Identify additional mechanisms needed for better engagement by designers and clients and support for their appropriate development.
4. Set out the reasonable expectations by clients of their designers, especially taking account of design for health. Set out the complementary activity required of designers to support their clients.
5. Produce a guide by which clients can clearly and consistently specify the skills, knowledge and experience required of the design community to incorporate health considerations as an integral part of the design process. Produce a complimentary guide by which the design community can establish what is expected of them by their peers, their clients and the regulator.
6. Recognise the commitment to the HSE to take further the Client Guidance prepared in support of CDM2015.

This article was posted on 4th July 2016