Construction Phase Plan Template (CDM 2015, OSHA 1926)

Construction Phase Plan: [Project name]

The site health and safety plan for the construction phase of a building or civil engineering project: project description, management arrangements, site rules, the significant hazards and how they are controlled, welfare, and fire and emergency arrangements. The structure follows the topics HSE lists for a construction phase plan under regulation 12 of the UK Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015, guidance L153), and adds the matching US OSHA construction rules in 29 CFR Part 1926 as a second worked example. Other jurisdictions have their own rules: name yours in section 1.3. Replace every [bracketed] value and every row marked Example. This is a documentation format, not legal or safety advice: check the current official text and a qualified health and safety professional. Facts checked October 2026.

Document control

Approvals

Revision history

Contents

1. Project description
2. Project team and dutyholders
3. Health and safety aims
4. Management of the work
5. Site rules
6. Induction, training and competence
7. Worker involvement and communication
8. Significant hazards and controls
9. Work involving particular risks
10. Welfare facilities
11. Fire and emergency arrangements
12. Incident reporting and investigation
13. Monitoring, inspection and review
14. Information for the health and safety file
15. Glossary and references

1. Project description

1.1 Scope of the works

[Describe the structure, the main construction methods and any demolition, refurbishment or work in occupied premises.]

Example: New three-storey library and learning centre, gross internal area 2,400 m2, on a former car park. Piled foundations, ground-bearing slab, steel frame with composite metal-deck floors, curtain wall on two elevations, brick cladding elsewhere, flat roof with eight rooflights and roof-mounted plant. An occupied primary school shares the north boundary.

1.2 Key dates

1.3 Legal framework applied

State which rules apply to this site. This template gives two examples; confirm the current text with a qualified adviser.

Notification: under CDM 2015 reg. 6 a project is notifiable when the construction work is scheduled to last longer than 30 working days with more than 20 workers working at the same time at any point, or to exceed 500 person-days. The client notifies HSE (form F10) and the notice is displayed in the site office. Record the notification reference in the document control table.

2. Project team and dutyholders

2.1 Contractors and their scopes

3. Health and safety aims

4. Management of the work

4.1 Management structure and responsibilities

• The site manager is responsible day to day for implementing this plan, briefing site rules and stopping unsafe work.
• Each contractor supervisor briefs their RAMS to their own team before work starts and records the briefing.
• The temporary works coordinator keeps the temporary works register, checks designs and issues permits to load or strike.
• Any person on site may stop work they believe is unsafe without penalty.

4.2 Cooperation and coordination

4.3 Permits to work

4.4 Design changes and site information

Design changes reach site through the request for information process (construction/rfi-log) and the change process (construction/change-order-variation). Before a changed detail is built, the site manager checks whether it changes a hazard in section 8 and, if it does, updates the relevant RAMS and this plan.

4.5 Site security and public protection

[Describe the hoarding line, gates, out-of-hours security, and protection of the public and neighbours.]

Example: 2.4 m solid hoarding on the public boundary; two gated entrances, each with a banksman during deliveries; deliveries scheduled outside school arrival and departure times (08:15 to 09:00 and 15:00 to 15:45); CCTV and intruder alarm out of hours.

5. Site rules

6. Induction, training and competence

6.1 Site induction content

1. Project overview, site layout, access routes and restricted areas.
2. Site rules (section 5) and consequences of breaking them.
3. Significant hazards on this site now (section 8).
4. Welfare facilities and first aid arrangements.
5. Fire and emergency procedures, assembly point, alarm sound.
6. How to report incidents, near misses and concerns.
7. How workers are consulted and who represents them.

6.2 Competence checks

In the US example, 29 CFR 1926.21(b)(2) requires the employer to instruct each employee in recognising and avoiding unsafe conditions, and 1926.20(b)(4) limits equipment operation to employees qualified by training or experience. Record how each contractor meets these duties.

7. Worker involvement and communication

8. Significant hazards and controls

US example: fall protection is required for employees on walking or working surfaces 6 feet (1.8 m) or more above a lower level, under 29 CFR 1926.501(b)(1), subject to the exceptions in that section. Check the subpart that applies to each activity (for example Subpart L scaffolds, Subpart P excavations, Subpart CC cranes).

9. Work involving particular risks

CDM 2015 Schedule 3 lists ten categories of work involving particular risks. Summarised in our own words:

10. Welfare facilities

11. Fire and emergency arrangements

11.1 Emergency contacts

11.2 Procedures

11.3 Fire plan

• Fire points with extinguishers at each stair core and at the site office; checked weekly.
• Escape routes from each floor kept clear and signed; at least two routes once the frame passes the first floor, where practicable.
• Combustible materials stored away from the building or in a designated area; waste removed daily.
• Fire drill within [four] weeks of start and every [three] months.

12. Incident reporting and investigation

Statutory reporting examples (check the current rules):

• Great Britain: RIDDOR, the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations; HSE publishes the categories and deadlines at the link in section 15.
• United States: 29 CFR 1904.39 requires a report to OSHA within 8 hours of a work-related fatality, and within 24 hours of an in-patient hospitalisation, amputation or loss of an eye.

13. Monitoring, inspection and review

29 CFR 1926.20(b)(2) in the US example requires frequent and regular inspections of job sites, materials and equipment by competent persons designated by the employer.

14. Information for the health and safety file

The full handover pack is managed in the punch list and handover record (construction/punch-list-handover).

15. Glossary and references

15.1 Glossary

15.2 References

• Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, SI 2015/51, legislation.gov.uk.
• HSE, Managing health and safety in construction, L153 (2015), hse.gov.uk: regulation 12 text, Schedule 3, Appendix 3 (construction phase plan) and Appendix 4 (health and safety file).
• HSE, notifying a project (F10), hse.gov.uk.
• HSE, RIDDOR reporting, hse.gov.uk.
• 29 CFR Part 1926, Safety and Health Regulations for Construction, eCFR.
• 29 CFR 1904.39, reporting to OSHA, eCFR.
• Related templates: construction/rams, construction/daily-site-report, construction/punch-list-handover, construction/bim-execution-plan, compliance/iso-45001-hazard-register, project/project-management-plan.

Standard and licence note

Based on the UK Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, regulation 12 and Schedules 2 and 3, and the topic list in HSE guidance L153 Appendix 3, with US examples from 29 CFR Parts 1904 and 1926, as checked in October 2026. Regulations are summarised in original wording; no text is copied beyond short titles. Laws and guidance change: check the current official text and take advice from a qualified health and safety professional before relying on this plan. This is not legal advice. Template licence: MIT.