Are you Planning Works in School?
Checklist for Construction/ Refurbishment Projects
This checklist has been designed as an aide memoire for Head Teachers and/or those delegated to co-ordinate school building projects. The following information provides guidance on the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015). The Regulations apply to construction (Refurbishment) projects and everyone associated with them: clients, Principal Designers, professionals, contractors and site workers. Schools must make suitable arrangements for managing their project, enabling those carrying it out to manage health and safety risks in a proportionate way to meet statutory requirements. For all construction projects the School’s legal duties are to:
· check the competence and resources of all appointees making sure they have the skills, knowledge, experience and organisational capability.; (including the Principal Designer (usually the architect or surveyor appointed by the school) and Principal Contractor (usually the main contractor appointed by the school) on projects involving more than one contractor)
· ensure there are suitable management and coordination arrangements for the project;
· allow sufficient time and resources for all stages;
· provide pre-construction information to designers and contractors.
This checklist should be completed at the very early planning stages of a project to allow you enough time to help plan, organise and control the work. It is always best to get expert advice as early as possible. The HSE are very clear that whatever your role in construction, the requirements of safety regulations help you to;
· sensibly plan the work so the risks involved are managed from start to finish
· have the right people for the right job at the right time
· cooperate and coordinate your work with others
· have the right information about the risks and how they are being managed
· communicate this information effectively to those who need to know
· consult and engage with workers about the risks and how they are being managed
Working through the checklist will help you address some of the main considerations before the construction phase plan for the project is developed.
Project Title (e.g. Classroom 2 refurbishment)
Proposed Timings - Start – End dates
Signed (Headteacher/Principal/Premises Manager)
Name/qualifications of Principal Designer/ Safety consultant(s)
Name/qualifications of Principal Contractor
Issue / Yes / No / N/A / Observations /Landlords Consent
Do you need permission before commencing work? / If the Local Authority has ownership of the land and/or buildings you must ensure that consent is granted in writing before any work commences.
You should contact Cumbria County Council Capital Programmes and Property Team at (Contact should be made at the inception stage of the project)
School Capacity
Will the capacity of the school be altered by the addition, removal or conversion of teaching space? / If yes, please discuss with the Capital Programmes and Property/ Children’s Services General Advisor before work commences.
On completion of the project you will need to inform them of the details/required amendments that will affect your Net Capacity data.
Please note: in most cases any works undertaken could affect your overall capacity figure and, in turn, PAN (Planned Admission Number).
Planning Approval
Is planning approval required? / If yes - For Local Authority Schools this will be obtained via the Cumbria County Council Planning Team in consultation with Property.
For other types of schools – this will be through District Council Planning.
You will need to allow eight to 12 weeks for the planning process before work commences.
Building Regulations Approval
Is Building Control Approval required (usually via District or Borough Council)? / This can be checked by consulting with your Local Building Control Officer at the District/Borough Council (If ‘yes’ this must be obtained before work commences).
Risk Assessment
Are the school required to carry out a risk assessment? / The answer to this is always YES. Although main contractors and sub-contractors will be responsible for establishing their own risk assessments for their own work activities. Schools should ensure that they conduct their own work site safety risk assessment BEFORE any work is allowed to commence. A model is provided by the Health and Safety Team for schools to tailor. This risk assessment should be kept under review throughout the period of works at regular intervals.
You should also ensure that any other relevant risk assessments are reviewed and agreed if works affects these areas – For instance interim fire safety arrangements may be required which affect the current Fire Risk Assessment.
Construction Phase Plan (CDM 2015)
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/cis80.pdf / Under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015) a construction phase plan is required for every construction project. This should be undertaken by the Principal Contractor or contractor. This does not need to be complicated but more substantial work will need a much more complex plan (see below). A plan should contain
· a general description of the work and key dates within the project; details of responsible parties, i.e. Client, Principal Designers, Contractors etc.
· arrangements for ensuring the health and safety of all who may be affected by the construction work and controlling site risks;
· arrangements for the management of health and safety of the construction work, and monitoring of compliance with health and safety law;
· information regarding the Health and Safety File format and arrangements for the collection, gathering and storage of information. This is a record of information for the Client/end user, which tells those who might be responsible for the structure in future of the risks that have to be managed during maintenance, cleaning, repair or renovation. The Health and Safety File is prepared as the project progresses and it is given to the Client (Head Teacher or representative) when the project is complete. The Client has to make it available to those who will work on any future design, building, maintenance, or demolition of the structure. It should include drawings showing updated floor plans changes to the asbestos register, and all relevant certificates (i.e. electrical testing) and particularly asbestos clearance certificates All of this information should also be returned to
Construction (Design &
Management)
Regulations 2015 (CDM)
Does the HSE need to be notified?
(a) Do you understand your “Client” duties under CDM 2015?
(b) Has a Principal Designer been appointed? / If the job will last longer than 500 person days or 30 working days (with more than 20 people working at the same time) The client will need to notify the HSE using an F10. https://www.hse.gov.uk/forms/notification/f10.htm
Jobs of this nature are likely to be too complex for a simple construction phase plan.
If No- You must seek further advice from the Health and Safety team or Project Manager
A Principal Designer is a designer who is an organisation or individual (on smaller projects) appointed by the client to support them in the planning, management, monitoring and co-ordination of health and safety in the pre-construction phase of any project involving more than one contractor.
Asbestos Materials
(a) Has an appropriate asbestos refurbishment/ demolition survey been carried out?
(b) If no to (a) above please seek advice about whether one will be required – this is a legal obligation.
(c) If ‘yes’ to (a) above, have any asbestos materials been identified which will be at greater risk of damage or that might be disturbed or require removal as part of your project?
Asbestos Materials (continued)
(d) If ‘yes’ to (a) above, all works involving asbestos materials must be carried out in accordance with CCC’s current policy and procedures for asbestos and current legislation. / Any queries regarding asbestos should in the first instance be referred to the Local Authority Project Manager and Health and Safety Team 01228 221616
Electrical Installation
Will the existing electrical installation need alteration? / If yes, all work must comply with the current IEE Regulations BS 7671 and must be carried out by a NICEIC registered contractor.
Guidance should be undertaken to ensure that any increased modifications to the electrical requirement can be sustained or suitable modifications undertaken.
For CCC properties please also ensure consultation takes place with your
Property Surveyor
Gas Installation
Will the existing gas installation need alteration? / If yes, all work must comply with the Gas Safety Regulations and IGEM Guidance
Notes on Gas Installations for Education Establishments.
All work must be carried out by GAS SAFE registered contractors.
Guidance should be undertaken to ensure that any increased modifications to the gas requirement can be sustained or suitable modifications undertaken.
For CCC Properties please also ensure consultation takes place with your Property Surveyor
Fire Precautions
Will any fire precaution measures/ means of escape be affected? / If yes, you must ensure consultation takes place with your Fire Safety Advisor in the Health and Safety Team
Public Protection
Segregation of works/ hazards and traffic.
How will your ensure safety of the public throughout the duration of the works?
For this you will need to Identify the main dangers on site and how you will
control them, (risk assessment)
Public Protection
Segregation of works/ hazards and traffic. (continued) / Work sites in schools need to be secure at all times to prevent unauthorised access and risk assessment may deem that certain activities should NOT take place during times where the school is occupied.
While the numbers of children being killed or injured on construction sites has reduced, there is no room for complacency. Each year, two or three children die after gaining access to building sites, and many more are injured.
The work will most likely be taking place during school holidays but this does not mean that no one will have access to school grounds or buildings. Controls must be in place at all times.
Other members of the public are seriously injured by:
· Materials or tools falling outside the site boundary.
· Falling into trenches; or
· Being struck by moving plant and vehicles.
The following specific steps are particularly relevant to child safety:
· Secure sites adequately when finishing work for the day.
· Barrier off or cover over excavations and pits.
· Isolate and immobilise vehicles and plant and if possible lock them in a compound.
· Store building materials (such as pipes, manhole rings, and cement bags) so that they cannot topple or roll over.
· Remove access ladders from excavations and scaffolds.
· Lock away hazardous substances.
Overhead Work/ Falling Objects/ Scaffolding and other access equipment
Could works be taking place overhead? / Scaffolding should only be erected and dismantled when schools are not occupied and people outside the site boundary must also be protected if erecting, dismantling and using scaffolding and other access equipment
Work must be controlled to make sure objects and people cannot fall.
On scaffolds this can be achieved using fall arrest measures, toe-boards, brick guards and netting. Debris fans and/or covered walkways.
Any overhead work must also consider working well away from overhead powerlines when handling long items like scaffold poles or using cranes jibs or elevated work platforms.
Delivery and other site vehicles.
Will moving vehicles pose a hazard? / Safe routes and barriers must be in place to ensure that pedestrians cannot be struck by vehicles at any time. Obstructing the pavement during deliveries may force pedestrians into the road, where they can be struck by other vehicles.
Storing and stacking materials
Have you considered safe storage? / This will mostly fall to Contractors to ensure safety measures. They can reduce the risks by storing materials securely in compounds within the site perimeter and away from the perimeter fencing.
Openings and excavations
Will there be open holes or excavations? / People can be injured if they strike underground services, fall into excavations, manholes, stairwells or from open edges. Suitable barriers or covers must be in place and Contractors will need to undertake underground services location and employ safe digging practices.
Vulnerable groups
Are vulnerable persons likely to be present? / The elderly, children and people with certain disabilities may need special attention. Work in premises such as schools needs careful thought and planning.
Glazing Materials
Will the installation of glazing material be included? / If yes, Principal Designers should ensure all work must comply with current safety regulations
School Transport
Is the work going to affect, temporarily or permanently, any school
transport contracts by, for example:
· Altered drop off or pick-up points?
· Restricted parking?
· Relocation to temporary accommodation for some or all pupils? / If yes, you must discuss the issues with the Cumbria county Council Transport Team before developing the project further.
School Meals/Catering
Is the work going to affect, temporarily or permanently, the
provision of the food service, disrupt the water/gas/electrical
Services or the delivery of food or vehicular access to the kitchen/servery? / If yes - you must discuss the issues with your Catering Provider
Checklist for Construction/ Refurbishment Projects - September 2016 8