The next 12 months will be a busy one for WA Management as changes are a foot across the board. The largest changes we expect are the revisions to the ISO 9001 standard and the CDM (Construction Design and Management) Regulations. Both are expected to be significant and will mean a large percentage of our client base will need to brought up to speed. So what are these changes? Well the changes are yet to be confirmed but what we do know is below:
ISO 9001:2015
With over 1.2 million organizations certified to ISO 9001 it is the standard which provides companies with the structure and processes to deliver continuous improvement while consistently providing products and services that meet customer requirements. The draft standard has now been written using a new high level structure which is common to all new management systems standards. This will allow for an easier integration when implementing more than one management system e.g. ISO 14001 & ISO 45001 (OHSAS 18001). WA Management will ensure all clients have an trouble free transition to this new standard as and when required.
CDM Regulations 2015
With the consultation now completed on replacement of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007, the outcome is being considered by the HSE board. The main proposed changes are to: make the Regulations easier to understand; replace the CDM co-ordinator role with the principal designer; replace the ACOP with targeted guidance; replace the detailed and prescriptive requirements for individual and corporate competence with a more generic requirement; align notification requirements with the Directive and apply the Regulations to domestic clients but in a proportionate way.
The proposals will be of interest to clients of construction work (including householders as clients), event organisers, designers, principal contractors, contractors, sub-contractors including the self-employed, CDM co-ordinators, safety representatives and anyone else with an interest in construction projects.
As expected, the consultation has created much debate within the industry, a factor which HSE acknowledges within the ‘next steps’ section of the document: “What has emerged from the consultation is a strong degree of agreement on the board proposals tempered by a diverse range of often opposing views on the details of the proposals.” What is positive, however, is that the consultation received over 1,400 responses, which is among the highest of any consultation undertaken by HSE.
What ever the final CDM regulations and ISO 9001 standard look like, we ensure clients are updated throughout and we have processes to ensure their compliance going forward. Keep an eye out for updates via social media, newsletters and this blog!