RAMS & CPP for Commercial Fitout
What compliance documents you need for shop fitting, office refurbishment, and commercial interior work — and how The Site Book handles it for you.
What compliance do you need?
Commercial fitout work has some of the strictest compliance requirements in construction. Building managers, managing agents, and commercial clients all expect comprehensive documentation before you're allowed on site. CDM 2015 applies in full, and commercial clients have additional duties compared to domestic clients.
Do you need a CPP?
Yes. A Construction Phase Plan is essential for commercial fitout. It should cover coordination with building management, permit-to-work procedures, fire safety during the works, dust and noise management, and how you'll maintain safe access for building occupants throughout.
Do you need RAMS?
RAMS are mandatory on virtually all commercial fitout projects. The building management will review and approve your RAMS before issuing a permit to work. They need to cover all your activities on site, from strip-out through to final fix and snagging.
Common hazards
- Working alongside building occupants and the public
- Dust and noise control in occupied buildings
- Asbestos in older commercial buildings (ceiling tiles, pipe lagging)
- Working at height — suspended ceilings, mezzanines, shopfronts
- Fire safety — maintaining escape routes during works
- Electrical hazards from existing services and new installations
- Manual handling of shopfitting materials and fixtures
- Coordination of multiple trades in tight spaces and timescales
How The Site Book handles it
Describe your project — "restaurant fitout, ground floor unit, occupied building" — and The Site Book creates your RAMS and CPP automatically. It identifies commercial-specific hazards including occupied building considerations, permit-to-work requirements, and multi-trade coordination.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need RAMS for a commercial fitout?
- Yes. RAMS are essential for commercial fitout work. The client, managing agent, or building management will almost certainly require RAMS before you're allowed on site. This applies to shop fitting, office refurbishment, restaurant fitout, and any other commercial interior work.
- What CDM duties apply to commercial fitout projects?
- Commercial fitout projects must comply with CDM 2015. The commercial client has specific duties (unlike domestic clients) including appointing a principal designer and principal contractor on multi-contractor projects. A Construction Phase Plan is mandatory, and the project may be notifiable to the HSE depending on its duration and workforce size.
- Do I need a permit to work in a commercial building?
- Most commercial buildings require a permit-to-work system for construction activities. This typically covers hot works, working at height, electrical isolation, and any work that triggers fire alarms or affects building services. Your RAMS and CPP will usually need to be approved by the building management before a permit is issued.
- What about working in occupied commercial buildings?
- Working in occupied buildings adds extra considerations — dust and noise control, maintaining fire escape routes, coordinating with building occupants, securing the work area from the public, and managing deliveries through shared loading bays. Your CPP should address all of these.
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