Construction Phase Plan (CDM 2015): What It Is, What Goes In It, and How to Write One
A construction phase plan is the document that sets out how a construction project will be managed to keep people safe, from the day work starts on site to the day it finishes. Under CDM 2015 it is required on every project, and it has to be ready before the first day of construction. This guide explains what the law actually asks for, what the plan must contain, who has to write it, and how to produce one that reflects the real job rather than a template with the site name swapped over.
What a construction phase plan is
The construction phase plan is a written record of the health and safety arrangements for the construction phase of a project. It answers a simple question in a way an inspector, a client or a new contractor can follow: how is this specific job going to be run safely from start to finish. It pulls together the site rules, the management arrangements, the welfare, and the controls for the significant risks on this particular site into one place.
It is not the same as a risk assessment for one task, and it is not a generic health and safety policy. It sits above the individual task documents and ties the whole site together. It is required on top of the wider duties under CDM 2015, which set out who is responsible for what across the life of a project.
When you need a construction phase plan
This is the part most people get wrong, so it is worth being blunt. Under Regulation 12 of CDM 2015, a construction phase plan is required for every construction project. There is no lower threshold. A single joiner refitting one kitchen needs a plan, a domestic loft conversion needs a plan, and a multi million pound commercial development needs a plan. Domestic work is not exempt, and single contractor jobs are not exempt.
The plan must be drawn up before the construction phase begins, not written up after the job has started or reconstructed when someone asks to see it. What changes with the size and complexity of the project is not whether you need a plan, but how much detail that plan sensibly contains.
Who writes the construction phase plan
Responsibility depends on how many contractors are involved:
- On a project with more than one contractor, the principal contractor draws up the plan. This is the duty holder running the site, and in practice the work often lands on the site manager acting on their behalf.
- On a single contractor project, that one contractor prepares the plan.
Either way, the plan is not a write once and file away document. It is a live record. As the work moves through its phases, as new contractors and new risks arrive on site, the plan is reviewed and updated so it always reflects what is actually happening.
What a construction phase plan must contain
There is no single legally fixed form, and CDM 2015 deliberately asks for a plan that is proportionate to the risks rather than a set page count. The reference points are the HSE guidance L153 and the CITB and HSE construction phase plan templates for smaller work. In practice a complete plan almost always covers the sections below.
- Project description and key dates. What is being built, where, the client, the programme and the key dates, and the contractors involved.
- Management of the work. The roles and responsibilities on the project, who is in charge of health and safety, and how decisions are made.
- Site rules. The rules everyone on site must follow, from access and signing in to PPE, permits and no go areas.
- Arrangements for managing the work. How the work is planned and controlled, how cooperation and coordination between contractors will happen, how the workforce is consulted, and how the plan is kept up to date.
- Site induction, information and training. How people are inducted onto the site and given the information they need to work safely.
- Welfare arrangements. Toilets, washing facilities, drinking water, rest areas and changing facilities appropriate to the job and the number of people on site.
- Emergency arrangements. First aid, fire, emergency procedures and how people raise the alarm.
- Control of the significant health and safety risks. The specific risks on this site, such as working at height, excavations, live services, traffic and deliveries, dust and manual handling, each tied to a clear control measure.
That last section is the heart of the plan. It is where the plan proves it was written for this site and not lifted from another job. The detailed, task level controls behind it live in the risk assessments and method statements, which sit under the plan rather than inside it.
How the construction phase plan fits with RAMS and the health and safety file
These three documents are constantly confused, and getting the distinction right is half the battle.
| Document | What it covers | When and who |
|---|---|---|
| Construction phase plan | How the whole project is managed safely, at site level | Every project, before work starts. Principal contractor, or the single contractor on a one contractor job |
| RAMS (risk assessment and method statement) | The hazards and safe method for a single task | Per task, before that task starts. The contractor doing the work |
| Health and safety file | Information needed to carry out future work on the building safely | Only where more than one contractor. Principal designer prepares, client keeps at handover |
In plain terms: the construction phase plan is the whole site view written before work starts, a RAMS is the task view written for each activity, and the health and safety file is the handover view written for whoever works on the building in the future. The plan and the individual RAMS should agree with each other rather than contradict. If you need the detail on producing the task level documents, see our step by step guide on how to write a RAMS for a UK construction project.
How to write a construction phase plan, step by step
- Start with the project, not a template. Describe this job first: what is being built, the site and its constraints, access, the programme, the client and the contractors involved. A plan that reads as if it was written for this project, because it was, is the whole point.
- Set out the management arrangements and roles. Name who is responsible for health and safety on site, how the site is run, and how cooperation and coordination between the trades will actually happen rather than just be assumed.
- Write the site rules. The practical rules everyone follows, from signing in and induction to PPE, permits, exclusion zones and site security. Keep them clear enough that a new operative could read them and know what is expected.
- Plan welfare and emergencies. Set out the welfare facilities for the size of the job, and the first aid, fire and emergency arrangements. These are easy to skip and are exactly what an inspector checks.
- Identify the significant risks for this site. Walk the project through in your head phase by phase and list the significant health and safety risks, such as work at height, excavations, services, deliveries and dust. Keep it specific to this site.
- Assign a control to each significant risk. For every risk, state what you are doing about it, and point to the RAMS or permit that carries the task level detail. This keeps the plan readable while showing the controls are real.
- Keep it proportionate. Match the depth to the risk. A short focused plan for a small domestic job, a fuller plan for a complex commercial project. More pages is not the same as more compliant.
- Review and update it as the job changes. Revisit the plan when new phases, new contractors or new risks arrive, and record the changes so the plan always reflects the site as it is now.
Common construction phase plan failings
- No plan before work starts. Writing it up after the job has begun, or when someone asks to see it, misses the entire point. It has to exist before the construction phase begins.
- Assuming small or domestic jobs are exempt. They are not. Regulation 12 requires a plan for every project, however small.
- A generic template with the name swapped. A plan that does not describe the actual site, access and risks convinces nobody and protects nobody.
- Confusing the plan with a RAMS. The plan is the whole site view. It should reference the task level RAMS, not try to replace them or duplicate them.
- Forgetting welfare and emergencies. These are specific things an inspector checks, and they are easy to leave out of a rushed plan.
- Writing it once and never updating it. The plan is a live document for the whole build, not a one off form.
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Frequently asked questions
Is a construction phase plan a legal requirement?
Yes. Regulation 12 of CDM 2015 requires a construction phase plan for every construction project, including domestic and single contractor work. There is no lower threshold, and the plan must be drawn up before the construction phase begins.
Who is responsible for writing the construction phase plan?
On a project with more than one contractor, the principal contractor draws it up. On a single contractor project, that contractor prepares it. In practice the site manager often produces it on the principal contractor's behalf, and it must be kept up to date through the construction phase.
What is the difference between a construction phase plan and a RAMS?
The construction phase plan covers how the whole project is managed safely at site level. A RAMS, a risk assessment and method statement, covers the hazards and safe method for a single task. The plan sits above the individual RAMS and should agree with them rather than contradict them.
How long does a construction phase plan need to be?
As long as the risks need and no longer. CDM 2015 asks for a plan that is proportionate. A small domestic job may need only a short focused plan, while a complex commercial project needs a fuller one. The HSE guidance L153 and the CITB template are useful reference points for scale.
Do I need a construction phase plan and a health and safety file?
They are different documents. A construction phase plan is required on every project before work starts. A health and safety file is only required where more than one contractor is involved, is prepared by the principal designer, and is handed to the client at the end for use on future work. Many small jobs need the plan but not the file.
Conclusion
A construction phase plan is required on every UK construction project under Regulation 12 of CDM 2015, it has to be ready before work starts, and it is written by the principal contractor or, on a single contractor job, by that contractor. Keep it proportionate to the risk, make it describe the actual site rather than a template, cover the management, welfare, site rules and the controls for the significant risks, and keep it live for the whole build. Where a requirement is unclear for your specific project, check the HSE guidance L153, the CITB template and your own competent assessment.
This article is general guidance for UK construction and is not legal advice. For requirements specific to your project, check current HSE guidance, including L153, and take competent advice.