Safe Access for Maintenance and Repair

CDM 2015 requires designers to give consideration to risks to workers and others throughout the whole lifecycle of a structure; reducing accidents and ill health. 

This approach also has the potential for a wider positive impact in efficiencies and benefits to both sustainability and investment decision making.  

“Building owners and operators should not be in a position where they have to retrospectively review the in-use strategies, often resulting in increased OPEX and CAPEX costs”.  

All too often buildings have elements which are difficult to access, maintain and repair with no real consideration given to the end user. As such, early engagement with the design team and operators is essential.  

In order to ensure that the client’s brief and operating requirements are met, it’s vital that the design team work together with the building owner and operator to ensure that a holistic approach is taken. It is imperative that each and every project has an established approach to managing design risk, and rather than looking at each element in isolation, that all disciplines coordinate their designs with others.  

We ensure that designs are coordinated between the different designers to identify any potential impacts on health and safety during the full project lifecycle.  

When considering safe access for maintenance and repair we breakdown the structure along with its external and internal environments into elements. Consideration is also given to the requirement for any specialist equipment – providing an appropriate challenge to the design.  

Our established approach and design risk management process is implemented on all our projects, and we are frequently commissioned by clients to retrospectively review their in-use strategies where we have had no prior involvement.  

Here at Curtins we facilitate a variety of CDM workshops throughout each RIBA Stage.  

To find out how we can help you, or to discuss our services in further details, please contact me on tim.allen@curtins.com / 07976 864 222.