Role Changing in CDM

Change is often the most feared part of consultation. The majority want the status quo - we just want to be left alone! If nothing changes, we normally have to do absolutely nothing except carry on as before; i.e. nothing. Business as usual. With the current CDM changes still in consultation, I can continue to do nothing for another year at least!

Calls to very large London based organisations this week reveal little or no concern about managing the current CDM Regulations let alone the proposed revised ones. Where management is taking place, the idea of sharing that information with other sister organisations and fellow contractors in the public sector appears 'out of focus' to say the least.

One of the issues raised is the difficulty in deciding who the Client in many CDM projects actually is. In highways maintenance for instance, there appears to be little clarity in who the Client actually is and even then, the role appears to pass back and forth between at least 2 agencies almost as quickly as you identify them. So when the CDM revisions include even more regulations aimed at the Client, won't there be even more procrastination? If the intention of the regulations is to collar the Client with responsibilities he or she could never have imagined would come their way, the more astute will no doubt organise themselves to decline the offer of being the Client - for the time being anyway until the next storm passes. It is however, worth noting that the role of Client's Agent has been dropped from the proposed legislation. If you are the Client, you have much more to do and there is no way out!

Ai Solutions offer a tool for good communication, between all levels of all departments and between all organisations that want to engage with them. Not just a documentation system; good though it is in that role, ToolKit CS™ is a communication system second to none for managing CDM compliance not only now but using the changed legislation that you have only this month to comment upon!