The Role of the PD and Identifying Risk

There is a lot of information available that describes the role of the Principal Designer and why they are important. But do you really understand what they do? We’ve broken it down into simpler terms.

Our role as PD is to look at the whole life cycle of the building. From construction to demolition, everything we do is documented and is readily available within the Pre-Construction Information to the Health and Safety File. We’re bringing together information from the client, contractor and all designers involved in the project through communication and cooperation ensuring that risks have been considered at all stages.

The following questions need to be considered to ascertain the level of risk and where risk may need to be designed out in order to protect those working on site and the general public at pre-construction and construction stages, and even the users of the building following completion:

• What is being built, where is it being built and what are the materials to be used?

• How will it be built, how long will it take to build?

• Who is involved in the project?

• What is happening in adjacent areas?

• How will the building be maintained following completion?

• What are the considerations for refurbishing or demolishing the building at the end of its lifecycle?

Finally, if the risk can’t be designed out, the construction team needs to be briefed, and provided with all the required information they need to act safely during the construction stage.

If you need assistance with managing risk on your next project email us at hello@stonehousecdm.co.uk. We love to chat about PD compliance.