What is a construction phase plan?
Of all the documents CDM 2015 asks for, the construction phase plan is the one people are most likely to get wrong in two opposite directions. Some skip it on smaller jobs, not realising it is required on every project. Others produce a fifty page folder for a two week refurbishment. This guide explains what a construction phase plan actually is, when it is required, who writes it, and how to keep it proportionate to the job in front of you.
What a construction phase plan is
The construction phase plan is the document that sets out how the health and safety of a construction project will be managed during the build. It is the project level plan: the arrangements, the site rules, the key risks and how they are controlled, and how the work is organised safely. It is not the task level detail, that lives in the risk assessments and method statements that sit underneath it. Think of it as the framework, with the RAMS as the parts.
When a construction phase plan is required
Under CDM 2015 a construction phase plan is required for every construction project, whatever the size, and it must be in place before the construction phase begins. That includes single contractor jobs and domestic work. The important word is proportionate: the plan should match the risk. A short, low risk job needs a brief plan covering the real risks, not a generic folder padded out to look thorough. A large or complex project needs more.
Key point: a construction phase plan is required on every project, but it should be proportionate. A padded generic plan for a small job is as much a failing as no plan at all, because it hides the risks that actually matter under boilerplate.
Who writes it
On a project with more than one contractor, drawing up the construction phase plan is the principal contractor's duty, and a site manager usually works under that role. On a single contractor project, the contractor prepares it. In both cases it should be built from the pre-construction information, which is what the client and principal designer have gathered about the site and its risks before work starts.
What a construction phase plan should contain
Proportionate to the project, a plan usually covers:
- Project description and key dates, and the people and their roles under CDM 2015.
- Management arrangements: how health and safety is organised, site rules, induction, and how information is shared with the team.
- The significant health and safety risks for this specific project and how they will be controlled, drawn from the pre-construction information.
- Site arrangements: access and egress, traffic and pedestrian routes, security, and control of who is on site.
- Welfare facilities in place from the start: toilets, washing, drinking water, and somewhere to rest, change and eat.
- Emergency arrangements: fire, first aid, and what happens if something goes wrong.
- How the plan links to the RAMS for each activity and how records will be kept.
How it connects to the rest of the paperwork
The construction phase plan sits at the top of the chain. Under it, a risk assessment identifies the hazards for each task, a method statement sets out how that task is done using the controls, and a toolbox talk briefs the team. When those documents are consistent, tied to the same project and easy to find, an inspection or a client query is quick. When the plan says one thing and the RAMS on the ground say another, that gap is what gets picked up.
Where construction phase plans go wrong
- Skipped entirely on a small or domestic job, on the mistaken belief that only large projects need one.
- A generic template that never mentions the real risks of this specific site.
- Welfare left out or treated as an afterthought rather than in place from day one.
- Written after the construction phase has already started.
- Never updated as the job and its risks change.
Frequently asked questions
When is a construction phase plan required?
For every construction project under CDM 2015, whatever the size. Even a single contractor domestic job needs a construction phase plan, though the plan should be proportionate to the risk. A small low risk job needs a short, simple plan, not a folder.
Who writes the construction phase plan?
On a project with more than one contractor it is the principal contractor's duty. On a single contractor project the contractor draws it up. In both cases it must be prepared before the construction phase starts, using the pre-construction information.
What is the difference between a construction phase plan and a RAMS?
The construction phase plan is the project level document that sets out how the whole job will be managed safely. The RAMS are task level documents for specific activities. The plan sets the framework, the RAMS sit under it for each activity.
Is this legal advice?
No. This is a plain-English working summary to support site teams. For the detail see CDM 2015 and the HSE approved code of practice L153.
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Get started with Site Manager AI Prefer your phone on site? Download Site Manager AI on the App Store.Related reading: the CDM 2015 regulations explained pillar, how to write a method statement, and permit to work.