Construction Phase Plan Software for CDM 2015

What is construction phase plan software?

There is a difference between having a construction phase plan and managing one. A CPP written in Word and saved to a folder is a snapshot — it is out of date the moment the project moves on, and there is nothing linking it to the RAMS, records and evidence that back it up. Construction phase plan software produces the plan digitally, keeps it current, and holds it alongside the rest of the project's compliance.

Create a CPP online

Guided, project-specific creation: you enter the project details and the arrangements, and Complys structures a plan proportionate to the job, rather than starting from a blank template every time.

Keep your construction phase plan up to date

This is where software earns its place. HSE requires the principal contractor to prepare the written plan before construction begins, implement it, and then regularly review and revise it so it stays fit for purpose. A Word document is easy to forget; a live plan is version-controlled, so the current record is always clear and updates take minutes.

Keep CPPs, RAMS and project records together

The plan does not stand alone. In Complys it sits with your RAMS, risk assessments, worker records and site documentation, so the whole picture of a project's construction compliance is in one system rather than scattered across separate files.

Construction phase plans and CDM 2015

The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 apply to construction projects and set out duties across the whole team — clients, designers, principal designers, principal contractors and contractors. The construction phase plan is the principal contractor's (or contractor's) response: the written statement of how the work will actually be managed and the significant risks controlled once boots hit the ground.

Is a construction phase plan a legal requirement?

Yes — a construction phase plan must be prepared before the construction phase begins. This applies to every construction project, regardless of size or duration. Who prepares it depends on the project: on a single-contractor job the contractor prepares it; on a project with more than one contractor the principal contractor does.

Who is responsible for preparing the construction phase plan?

Responsibility follows the shape of the project:

In both cases the client must ensure a plan is in place before the construction phase starts, and the principal designer feeds in the pre-construction information.

When must a construction phase plan be completed?

Before the construction phase begins. It should never be produced retrospectively to satisfy a request after work has started — the point of the plan is to demonstrate the significant risks are under control before anyone goes on site, and to be reviewed and revised as the project develops.

Does every construction project need a CPP?

Yes. HSE's guidance is explicit that a general builder needs a construction phase plan for construction work where they are the only contractor or the principal contractor — while emphasising that the plan should be proportionate to the job. Check where you sit with the CDM duty checker, and see the fuller picture in our CDM 2015 compliance guide.

What should a construction phase plan include?

HSE describes a construction phase plan as recording the health and safety arrangements, the site rules and, where relevant, the specific measures for the higher-risk work that CDM identifies. In practice that breaks down into four areas:

RAMS and supporting documentation

The plan sets the framework; the detail of how each activity is done safely lives in the RAMS beneath it. That relationship is worth getting straight, because the two are so often confused.

Construction phase plan vs RAMS — what's the difference?

A construction phase plan sets out how health and safety will be managed across the construction phase of a project. RAMS describe the risks, controls and method for carrying out a particular work activity safely. One is the project-level document; the other is the task-level detail.

Does a CPP replace RAMS?

No. The construction phase plan sits above the RAMS and references them; the RAMS provide the activity-level detail the plan relies on. You need both, and they must be consistent with each other.

How Complys connects CPPs and RAMS

Complys builds both and keeps them together, so the plan references the RAMS that actually apply to the project. Explore the RAMS builder, compare options in our RAMS software buyer's guide, or test a document you already have with the free RAMS check.

Construction phase plans for different types of projects

The requirement is the same for every project; what changes is who prepares the plan and how detailed it needs to be.

How to create a construction phase plan with Complys

Producing a plan is a guided, five-step process:

1. 1

   Create your project

   Enter the project, client and site details and the key dates, and set up the project as its own record in Complys.

2. 2

   Add your project arrangements

   Record the management arrangements, responsibilities, site rules, welfare and emergency procedures that apply to the project.

3. 3

   Identify the significant risks

   Record the significant health and safety risks of the work and the control measures for each — proportionate to the job.

4. 4

   Connect supporting compliance documents

   Link the RAMS, risk assessments, COSHH assessments, training and competence records and site documentation the plan relies on.

5. 5

   Review and update the plan

   Keep the plan current as the project develops — new phases, new contractors or new risks — and hold the up-to-date record in one place.

Why use construction phase plan software instead of Word or PDF?

A downloaded template is a starting point, but it leaves you re-keying the same information, guessing which version is current, and storing the plan away from everything that supports it. Software changes that:

One system instead of disconnected documents

This is the real argument. A plan that lives with the RAMS, the workers, the training records and the site evidence is a plan you can actually stand behind at a moment's notice — rather than a document in one folder, a spreadsheet in another, and certificates in a third.

More than construction phase plan software

You are not buying another single-purpose CPP generator. The construction phase plan is one part of a wider construction compliance system you can run from the same place:

Who is Complys construction phase plan software for?

Consultants producing plans for multiple clients should see the health & safety consultant software, which runs entirely under your own brand.