Any organisation or individual who carry out design work for a construction project, including temporary works design; this may include architects, consulting engineers, quantity surveyors, chartered surveyors, technicians,
principal contractors and specialist contractors. The term 'design' is a wide term including drawings, design details, specifications and bills of quantity. Designers from all disciplines have a contribution to make in avoiding and reducing health and safety risks which are inherent in the construction process and subsequent work (eg. maintenance).
Duties
Every designer shall:
1) take reasonable steps to ensure that clients are aware of their duties, before starting design work;
2) ensure that any design he prepares and which he is aware will be used for the purposes of construction work includes among the design considerations adequate regard to the need:
a) to avoid foreseeable
risks to the health and safety of any person at work carrying out construction work or cleaning work in or on the structure at any time, or of any person who may be affected by the work of such a person at work,
b) to combat at source risks to the health and safety of any person at work carrying out construction work or cleaning work in or on the structure at any time, or of any person who may be affected by the work of such a person at work, and
c) to give priority to measures which will protect all persons at work who may carry out construction work or cleaning work at any time and all persons who may be affected by the work of such persons at work over measures which only protect each person carrying out such work;
3) ensure that the design includes adequate information about any aspect of the project or structure or materials (including articles or
substances) which might affect the health or safety of any person at work carrying out construction work or cleaning work in or on the structure at any time or of any person who may be affected by the work of such a person at work; and
4) co-operate with the
planning supervisor and with any other designer who is preparing any design in connection with the same project or structure so far as is necessary to enable each of them to comply with the requirements and prohibitions placed on him in relation to the project by or under the relevant statutory provisions.
