10 steps · Updated 5 March 2026
Step-by-step guide to creating a CDM 2015 compliant construction phase plan. Includes all required content and practical examples.
Before writing the construction phase plan, you need the pre-construction information (PCI) from the principal designer. This should include: existing health and safety information about the site, design decisions relevant to the construction phase, identified hazards and design risk assessments, and any ongoing requirements during construction.
Start the plan with a clear project description: client name and contact details, project location and address, project description and scope of work, estimated start and completion dates, total project value, and notification details (F10 reference if applicable).
Define who is responsible for what: client, principal designer, principal contractor, contractors, and their respective health and safety responsibilities. Include an organisation chart showing reporting lines and emergency contact details for all key personnel.
Document the physical site arrangements: site layout plan showing compound, storage, access routes, and working areas; site security measures; traffic management plan; pedestrian routes and segregation from vehicle routes; crane and material delivery positions; temporary works locations.
Set out the site-specific rules: PPE requirements (baseline and activity-specific), working hours, smoking/eating restrictions, alcohol and drug policy, permit-to-work requirements, hot works procedures, visitor management procedures, and any other site-specific rules.
Address each significant hazard identified in the pre-construction information and risk assessments: working at height procedures, excavation and ground stability, asbestos management, contaminated land procedures, services avoidance (electricity, gas, water), noise and vibration controls, and dust and airborne substance controls.
Detail the welfare facilities: location and type of facilities, maintenance schedule, and confirmation of compliance with CDM 2015 Schedule 2 requirements. Include the welfare facilities plan showing toilet, washing, rest, changing, and drying provisions relative to work areas.
Document emergency procedures for: fire (including assembly points and roll call procedures), first aid (qualified first aiders, equipment locations, nearest A&E), rescue from height or confined spaces, environmental incidents (spills, contamination), structural collapse, and severe weather.
Define how compliance will be monitored: audit schedule (weekly/monthly), inspection regimes (daily informal, weekly formal), toolbox talk schedule, near-miss reporting system, management review frequency, and corrective action tracking process.
Describe how the health and safety file will be compiled throughout the project. Identify what information will be included, who is responsible for gathering it, and how it will be handed over to the client at completion.