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Part of our CDM 2015 series. See CDM Regulations 2015 explained for every duty holder and key document in one place.
A construction phase plan sets out how health and safety will be managed while the building work is carried out. Under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, every construction project needs one, whatever its size, and it must be drawn up before the construction phase begins.
Does every project need one?
Yes. Unlike the old CDM 2007 rules, CDM 2015 requires a construction phase plan on every project, including small jobs and work for domestic clients. What changes with size is the level of detail. HSE says that for most small projects a simple plan before the work starts is usually enough.
Who writes it
| Situation | Who draws up the plan |
|---|---|
| More than one contractor on the project | The principal contractor (CDM 2015, regulation 12) |
| Only one contractor | That contractor (CDM 2015, regulation 15) |
| Domestic client | The principal contractor or the only contractor, as above. The client’s duties pass to the contractors under regulation 7. |
The principal designer must help by providing relevant information, and the client must make sure a plan is in place before the construction phase starts. See our guide to principal contractor duties for how the roles fit together.
When it is needed
- Drawn up during the pre-construction phase, before setting up the site
- In place before the construction phase begins, and the client must not allow work to start until it is
- Reviewed, updated and revised as the project progresses, so it stays accurate
What the plan must include
Regulation 12 requires the plan to set out the health and safety arrangements and site rules for the project, and to include specific measures for any high risk work listed in Schedule 3. HSE guidance L153 suggests the plan covers the following.
| Section | What to cover |
|---|---|
| Description of the project | Key dates, the client, designers and contractors, and relevant existing information such as surveys and drawings. |
| Management of the work | Who is responsible for what, arrangements for cooperation and communication, site induction, welfare, site rules, and how workers are consulted. |
| Arrangements for controlling significant site risks | Safety risks such as work at height, excavations, lifting, traffic and services, and health risks such as dust, noise, vibration, asbestos and hazardous substances. |
| Schedule 3 work | Specific measures for each type of high risk work on the project. |
| Emergency arrangements | Fire, first aid, rescue and how incidents are reported. |
| The health and safety file | Where more than one contractor is involved, how information for the file will be gathered. |
Schedule 3: high risk work that needs specific measures
- Work with a particularly aggravated risk of burial under earthfalls, engulfment in swampland or falling from height
- Work with chemical or biological substances that are a particular danger, or that need health monitoring
- Work with ionising radiation requiring controlled or supervised areas
- Work near high voltage power lines
- Work exposing workers to a risk of drowning
- Work on wells, underground earthworks and tunnels
- Work by divers with a system of air supply
- Work in caissons with a compressed air atmosphere
- Work involving explosives
- Work assembling or dismantling heavy prefabricated components
What the plan is not
L153 says the plan should not be cluttered with generic risk assessments or unnecessary paperwork. RAMS for individual tasks sit alongside the plan; they are not the plan itself. A thick folder of copied documents can hide the few arrangements that actually matter.
Notifiable projects and the F10
A construction phase plan is needed whether or not a project is notifiable. Separately, the client must notify HSE using form F10 if the construction work will last more than 30 working days and have more than 20 workers working at the same time at any point, or will exceed 500 person days.
Free templates and tools
HSE publishes a free template for small projects in its CIS80 information sheet, and CITB offers a free CDM Wizard app that builds a simple plan. Both are a sensible starting point, as long as the result is made specific to the job.
A quick checklist before work starts
- The plan names the project, the duty holders and the key dates
- Site rules, induction and welfare arrangements are set out
- Each significant risk on this site has a specific control
- Every Schedule 3 activity on the project is covered
- Emergency, first aid and fire arrangements are clear
- Workers have been told about the parts that affect them
- There is a named person responsible for reviewing it
Training that helps
Site managers usually draw up and run the plan, which is why it features on SMSTS. For a broader management qualification, the NEBOSH Health and Safety Management for Construction certificate covers CDM in depth, and our CDM awareness eLearning gives a quick online introduction.
Where this fits in SMSTS and SSSTS
Planning and managing the construction phase, including the construction phase plan and site rules, is a key part of SMSTS and is covered at supervisor level on SSSTS. Our free SMSTS mock test and SSSTS mock test let you check your knowledge before the course or a refresher, and you can email yourself the results sheet at the end.
When you are ready, the five day SMSTS course is for site managers and the two day SSSTS course is for supervisors. If your certificate is due, the SMSTS refresher and SSSTS refresher keep it current.
Frequently asked questions
Who is responsible for the construction phase plan?
The principal contractor where there is more than one contractor, or the only contractor on single contractor projects. The client must make sure a plan is in place before work starts.
Do small projects need a construction phase plan?
Yes. Every project under CDM 2015 needs one, but it should be proportionate. A simple plan is usually enough for small, low risk work.
Is the construction phase plan the same as the health and safety file?
No. The plan manages the work while it is being built. The health and safety file is handed to the client at the end with information needed for future work on the building.
Should RAMS go in the construction phase plan?
No. HSE guidance says the plan should not be filled with generic RAMS. Task RAMS sit alongside it.
Read the source
The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, regulations 4, 6, 7, 12 and 15 and Schedule 3; HSE guidance L153, Managing health and safety in construction, including Appendix 3; HSE information sheet CIS80 and its construction phase plan template; and CITB’s CDM Wizard. Facts checked on 6 October 2026.
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