Setting up a construction site office correctly is vitally important. A health and safety inspector will check the setup of the construction site office to ensure all paperwork and documentation is in order.
A CDM (Construction Design & Management) Notice Board, usually set up in the site office, is a good way of sharing important safety information on your site and having the correct documents clearly visible and on hand. There isn’t one definitive version of a CDM noticeboard and it’s a good idea to consult with the people working on site on what documentation they need to be accessible. However, here’s a list of minimum, basic elements we would recommend including on the board:
- Health and Safety Law Poster - The Health and Safety Information for Employees Regulations 1989, requires employers to either display the HSE-approved law poster or to provide each of their workers with the equivalent leaflet. This is available in an A2 or A3 footprint
- Insurance Certificates
- F10 - all CDM notifiable projects need to have an F10 and this should be displayed on site
- Fire and Emergency Plan
Additionally, a CDM noticeboard is also a good central place to locate:
- Central contact details e.g. the site manager and first aider/s
- A first aid kit and potentially an eye wash kit.
As there’s not a definitive list, opinions differ on what to include on your CDM noticeboard. Some H&S professionals would argue in keeping the information displayed to a minimum so there's not too much to take in. However, there is a strong argument that any type of safety or notice board is like wallpaper, you only notice it when it’s new. So it’s a good idea to use part of the CDM board to regularly post new information, for example, a dry wipe area for daily briefing notes, accident stats or safety inspection reports. Use the board to display any eye-catching or topical information but don’t display it for too long. Also, ensure any printed material looks professional – a scrappy, bad photocopy isn’t the best way to get important information across. Consider adding some non Health & Safety related items to increase it's appeal, maybe welcome new staff and say farewell to leavers, record successes and company news.
Having a CDM noticeboard on site isn't just ticking a box, used in the right way, it's a vital tool for keeping workers safe and engaged.