Construction compliance guide
A section-by-section walkthrough using a fictional construction phase plan. See what good looks like, what bad looks like, and how to draft a CPP against CDM 2015 section requirements for competent review.
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Start free →A construction phase plan (CPP) is the document that sets out how health and safety will be managed during the construction phase of a project. It is required under CDM 2015 — Regulation 12(1) where there is more than one contractor, or Regulation 15(5) where you are the only contractor — and it must be in place before the construction site is set up.
The CPP is not the same as a RAMS, although the two documents are related. A RAMS covers a specific activity or task. The CPP covers the entire project — how the site will be managed, who is responsible for what, what the site rules are, where the welfare facilities are, and what to do in an emergency. Think of the CPP as the overarching management plan for the project, and the RAMS as the detailed risk assessment and method statement for each individual activity within it.
Regulation 12(2) requires the CPP to set out the health and safety arrangements and site rules, plus specific measures for any applicable work listed in Schedule 3. HSE guidance provides useful practical headings. The detail should be proportionate to the project and its risks. The examples below show what useful content looks like.
The examples below are annotated extracts. To read a full, completed CPP as a PDF — genuine product output, generated for the fictional demo project used across our samples — view the sample documents, or create your own from the free CPP template.
The project description section should give anyone reading the CPP a clear picture of the project. It should include: the site address, a description of the existing property and surroundings, the scope of work, the expected programme (start date, duration, key milestones), and any site-specific constraints.
“The project involves the construction of a single-storey rear extension to a 1930s semi-detached house at 42 Oak Road, Swindon SN2 4AB. The property is occupied during the works. Vehicular access is via a shared driveway (3.2m wide) with the neighbouring property at No. 44. Rear garden access is through a 900mm side gate — no plant wider than 800mm can reach the rear. A 2.4m close-boarded fence separates the rear garden from the primary school playing field to the south. The project is expected to run for 10 weeks from 12 May 2025. Key milestones: groundworks complete by week 2, superstructure by week 6, watertight by week 8, handover by week 10.”
“Construction of a rear extension at the above address.”
This tells you nothing about the site. It does not mention access constraints, neighbouring properties, whether the property is occupied, or how long the work will take. It does not give the project team enough information to plan the work.
The worked example above shows the shape. The sample documents are genuine The Site Book output, generated for the fictional demo project used across our samples — create yours from your job details.
The management structure section identifies who is responsible for what on the project. Record the client, the contractor or contractors, and any designers. Where more than one contractor is involved, also record the principal designer and principal contractor. Include useful contact details and clear responsibilities for the people involved.
“Client: Mr and Mrs J. Williams, 42 Oak Road, Swindon SN2 4AB. Project structure: ABC Building Ltd is the only contractor. The domestic client duties pass to ABC Building Ltd under regulation 7(1)(a). No principal designer or principal contractor appointment is required on this single-contractor project. Contractor: ABC Building Ltd, contact Dave Smith (Site Manager), 07700 900123. Designer: XYZ Structural, contact Sarah Jones, 07700 900456. ABC Building Ltd checks the skills, knowledge, training and experience needed for each task, and provides suitable supervision, information and site induction.”
“The management structure will be as required under CDM 2015.”
This says nothing. Who is in charge on site? Who do you call in an emergency? Who has first aid training? Without names, contact details, and clear responsibilities, this section is not useful.
For domestic projects, the client duties follow the project structure. With only one contractor, they pass by default to that contractor. Where there is more than one contractor they pass by default to the principal contractor instead, or, where there is more than one contractor, to a principal designer if the domestic client agrees in writing that the principal designer will fulfil them. Where there is more than one contractor and no formal appointment, regulation 7(2) deems the designer in control of pre-construction to be the principal designer and the contractor in control of construction to be the principal contractor. Record the actual duty holders in the CPP.
The site rules section establishes the standards of behaviour and safety that apply to everyone working on the project. These should be specific to the site, not a list of generic platitudes.
“All health and safety rules must be followed at all times. PPE must be worn as required. No unauthorised access.”
What rules? What PPE? What counts as unauthorised access? Generic site rules are not site rules at all — they are empty statements that give no practical guidance.
The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 and Schedule 2 of the CDM Regulations require welfare facilities on every construction site. The CPP should describe exactly what is provided, where it is located, and who is responsible for maintaining it.
Schedule 2 calls for suitable toilets, washing facilities with clean hot and cold, or warm, water (running water so far as reasonably practicable), drinking water and rest facilities. Provide drying and changing facilities where the work and the Schedule 2 conditions make them necessary. On a domestic job, suitable facilities in the property may be used by agreement.
“Portaloo located in the front garden, serviced weekly by Easy Loos Ltd (contract ref. EL-7892). Hand-washing station with hot water located adjacent to portaloo, soap and paper towels replenished daily by site supervisor. Welfare cabin (6m × 2.4m) positioned in rear garden with electric heater, microwave, kettle, fridge, table, and seating for four. Drying room: welfare cabin rear section with wall-mounted heater and coat hooks. Drinking water: 5-gallon dispenser in welfare cabin, refilled as required. Client has agreed access to the ground-floor WC during inclement weather — boots to be removed before entering the property.”
“Welfare facilities will be provided in accordance with the regulations.”
Where is the toilet? Where do people eat? Where can they wash? This does not tell workers where the welfare facilities are or how they will use them.
The emergency procedures section should cover every foreseeable emergency that could occur on the project. This includes medical emergencies, fire, structural collapse, contact with live services, chemical spills, and severe weather. For each type of emergency, the CPP should describe the response procedure, the responsible person, and the contact details for emergency services.
“Appointed first aider: Dave Smith (First Aid at Work certificate, expires March 2027). First aid kit location: welfare cabin, checked weekly by site supervisor. Fire assembly point: public footpath outside No. 40 Oak Road. Fire extinguisher: one foam, one CO2, located inside welfare cabin. Nearest A&E: Great Western Hospital, Marlborough Road, Swindon SN3 6BB (2.8 miles, approximately 8 minutes by car). In the event of a serious injury: make the area safe, call 999, apply first aid, notify Dave Smith immediately. Do not move a casualty with suspected spinal injury. In the event of striking a gas main: move people away from the area, call National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 from a safe place, avoid ignition sources and follow the emergency service’s advice.”
“In the event of an emergency, call 999 and follow the emergency procedures.”
What procedures? Where is the assembly point? Who is the first aider? Where is the first aid kit? This is worse than useless — it gives the impression that emergency planning has been done when it has not.
The site-specific risks section is where the CPP links to your individual RAMS. It should identify the main risks associated with the project and explain how they will be managed. This is not the same as a full risk assessment — the detail lives in the RAMS for each activity. The CPP provides an overview of the key risks and points the reader to the relevant RAMS for detail.
For our example project (single-storey extension at 42 Oak Road), the site-specific risks section might cover:
Each risk should reference the RAMS that covers it in detail. For example: “Excavation: see RAMS-001 Groundworks. Working at height: see RAMS-003 Roofing. Structural steelwork: see RAMS-002 Steel Installation.” This creates a clear link between the overarching CPP and the task-specific RAMS.
Where there is more than one contractor, the principal contractor must plan, manage, monitor and coordinate the construction phase. Where there is only one contractor, regulation 15(2) requires that contractor to plan, manage and monitor the work under its control. Describe how the work will be monitored and how safety information will be shared on site.
Monitoring arrangements might include: daily site inspections by the site supervisor, weekly scaffold inspections, weekly toolbox talks, a near-miss reporting system, periodic safety audits, and inspection records for plant and equipment. The CPP should state who is responsible for each type of monitoring, how often it happens, and how the results are recorded.
Communication is equally important. The CPP should describe: how new arrivals are inducted, how changes to the plan are communicated (e.g. updated RAMS briefings), how subcontractors receive site rules and emergency procedures, how incidents and near misses are reported, and how the client is kept informed. On a domestic project, this might be as simple as: “Site supervisor carries out a daily walk-around inspection and records findings in the site diary. Weekly progress update given to the client each Friday afternoon. Toolbox talk held every Monday morning covering the week’s key risks.”
If an F10 notification is required, it is a separate regulation 6 duty. Recording or linking its reference in the CPP may help project management, but an F10 reference is not a required CPP field.
A bad CPP is easy to spot. It reads like a compliance textbook rather than a project management document. Here are the telltale signs:
If readers cannot tell which site the CPP relates to without reading its cover, the plan is not providing the project-specific detail they need. A useful CPP helps people manage the actual work and risks rather than simply filling generic sections.
The legal requirements are the same in Great Britain — CDM 2015 applies equally to domestic and commercial projects. However, the HSE recognises that the level of detail should be proportionate to the scale, complexity and risks of the project.
A domestic project typically has one contractor (or a main contractor with a few subcontractors), a straightforward management structure, and a relatively contained set of risks. Its CPP should cover the project-specific essentials: description, who is in charge, site rules, welfare, emergency procedures, key risks, and how you will monitor the work.
A commercial project with a principal contractor, multiple subcontractors, and a principal designer will need a more detailed CPP. It will include: a comprehensive management organogram, detailed coordination arrangements between trades, traffic management plans, crane and lifting plans, phasing and sequencing information, permit-to-work procedures, detailed environmental management (noise, dust, waste), stakeholder communication plans, and arrangements for managing the interface with occupied parts of the building.
The Site Book supports both. Its CPP wizard asks about your project type and adjusts the level of detail accordingly — a lightweight CPP for domestic work and a comprehensive CPP for commercial projects, both tailored to your specific job.
Common questions about construction phase plans and their structure.
There is no fixed length requirement. The completed content must be proportionate to the project and understandable to the people who use it; neither a short nor a long page count by itself decides whether the plan is adequate.
Where there is more than one contractor on the project, the principal contractor must draw up the CPP or arrange for it to be drawn up under regulation 12(1). Where there is only one contractor, that contractor has the equivalent duty under regulation 15(5). The plan must be in place before the construction site is set up. On a multi-contractor project, regulation 12(4) requires the principal contractor to review, update and revise it as the project develops. A sole contractor should revisit the plan when work or risks change under its wider regulation 15(2) duty; regulation 15(6) imports the regulation 12(2) content requirement only.
People sometimes use ‘health and safety plan’ as a general description, but the current CDM 2015 term is construction phase plan. Regulation 12(2) sets the CPP content: health and safety arrangements, site rules, and specific measures for any Schedule 3 risks that apply. If someone asks for a health and safety plan, confirm whether they mean the CPP and which project information they need.
Yes. CDM 2015 applies to all construction work in Great Britain, including domestic projects. Northern Ireland has separate CDM 2016 rules. If you are the only contractor on a domestic extension, regulation 15(5) requires you to draw up or arrange a CPP. Where there is more than one contractor, the principal contractor has that duty under regulation 12(1). The HSE expects the CPP to be proportionate to the scale, complexity and risks of the project. A domestic CPP might focus on key areas like site management, welfare arrangements, emergency procedures, and the main risks, without the full management structure detail you would need for a large commercial site.
If HSE finds that a required CPP is missing or inadequate, it may take enforcement action according to the risks and circumstances. On a project with more than one contractor, the principal contractor's duty to draw up or arrange the CPP is under regulation 12(1). Where there is only one contractor, that duty is under regulation 15(5), with regulation 15(6) applying the regulation 12(2) content requirements. Enforcement can include notices or prosecution, but the outcome is not automatic. Without a CPP, the project lacks its required health and safety planning document.
The Site Book publishes a completed construction phase plan you can read as a PDF on its samples page. It is genuine product output, generated end-to-end for the same fictional demo project used across all the samples (Averlow Wharf — Block C, a residential new-build in London) — so you see every section covered in this guide filled in with site-specific content, and no customer data is exposed. If you want a starting point for your own job rather than a reading example, the free CPP template page creates a project-specific plan from your project details instead of handing you a blank document to fill in. Both are free to view.
A template is a reasonable starting point, but it must be thoroughly tailored to your specific project. The biggest problem with CPP templates is that people fill in the project name and address and leave everything else generic. A CPP that says ‘welfare facilities will be provided as required’ is meaningless — it needs to say where the portaloo is, where the drying room is, what the hand-washing arrangements are. Similarly, ‘emergency procedures will be in place’ needs to specify the assembly point, the nearest A&E, the first aider, and the procedure for each type of emergency. The Site Book creates a project-specific CPP from your description, so you get a tailored document without starting from scratch.
| Section | Reg 12(2) requirement or L153-guided content | Example content |
|---|---|---|
| Project description | Description of the project | Scope, address, start + end dates, client |
| Key dates + programme | Programme | Gantt or milestone list, phase boundaries |
| Management arrangements | Management structure for H&S | Named client, contractors and designers; add PD and PC where more than one contractor is involved |
| Site rules | Health and safety rules on site | PPE policy, permit-to-work, smoking, access hours |
| Risk management | Arrangements for managing significant risks | RAMS register, permit-to-work system, inspection cadence |
| Welfare arrangements | Welfare provision | Toilets, washing, drinking water and rest; changing or drying facilities where required |
| Emergency procedures | Emergency arrangements | Fire, medical, evacuation, nearest A&E, site address for 999 |
“The plan must record the arrangements for managing the significant health and safety risks associated with the construction phase of a project.”
The Site Book creates professional Construction Phase Plans structured around CDM 2015 from your project details.
See how it works →A plain-English guide to construction phase plans under CDM 2015.
How CDM 2015 applies to domestic clients and their projects.
When and how to notify the HSE about your construction project.
Download a free construction phase plan template for your project.
Stop copy-pasting generic templates. The Site Book’s CPP wizard builds a tailored construction phase plan from your project description. No credit card required.