Principal contractor assessment checklist

If more than one contractor is involved in your construction project, the client must appoint a principal contractor. But how do you ensure that your appointee is competent for the role? Use our principal contractor assessment checklist.

CDM Regulations

Under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 if a project will involve more than one contractor, the client must appoint a principal contractor (PC). The role of the PC is to take charge of work on site whoever is doing it, e.g. their own workers, contractors, the client’s staff, visitors etc. It’s easy to see that in more complex projects, the role can be very challenging. The HSE therefore makes it clear that the client must make absolutely sure that the PC they appoint is competent for the role. Our Principal Contractor Assessment Checklist will help you to work through all the attributes required to ensure that you have the right PC for the job.

What’s covered?

As well as the usual checks you’d expect, like whether they have a health and safety policy, and public liability insurance, our checklist goes into much more depth. The questions cover training, provision of professional safety advice, relevant experience, accident history and whether the company has ever been prosecuted.