The PSDP's Role in Managing Design Risk: Eliminating Hazards Before Construction Begins

The PSDP's most important contribution to construction safety happens before a single sod is turned.

Why Design Risk Matters

The most effective way to make a construction project safe is to remove hazards at the design stage, before any work begins on site. A structural engineer who specifies precast concrete beams instead of in-situ concrete eliminates the need for formwork and the associated risks of working at height. An architect who designs a roof with permanent access hatches and anchor points removes the need for contractors to improvise access solutions during maintenance. A civil engineer who routes a drainage run away from existing underground services eliminates the risk of striking a live cable or gas main.

These decisions are made at the drawing board, not on the construction site. The Project Supervisor Design Process (PSDP) is the person responsible for ensuring that designers make these decisions systematically and record the residual risks that cannot be designed out, so that contractors can manage them safely during the construction phase.

The Legal Framework

The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2013 place specific duties on the PSDP in relation to design risk management. Regulation 8 requires the PSDP to coordinate the implementation of the general principles of prevention during the design process. The general principles of prevention, set out in Schedule 3 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, require that hazards are avoided, risks that cannot be avoided are evaluated, and risks are combated at source.

Regulation 9 requires the PSDP to prepare a Preliminary Health and Safety Plan (PHSP) for the project. The PHSP must include information about the project that is relevant to health and safety, including information about any design decisions that have implications for the construction phase. The PHSP is handed to the PSCS before the construction phase begins, so that the PSCS can develop the Construction Phase Safety and Health Plan.

Regulation 10 requires the PSDP to prepare a Safety File for the project. The Safety File records information about the completed structure that will be needed by anyone carrying out future maintenance, repair, or demolition work. It includes information about the materials used, the structural form, the location of services, and any residual hazards that future workers need to be aware of.

Coordinating Designers

On most construction projects, there are multiple designers involved: architects, structural engineers, civil engineers, mechanical and electrical engineers, and specialist designers for items such as facades, lifts, and fire suppression systems. Each designer makes decisions that can affect the safety of construction workers and future maintenance workers.

The PSDP's role is to coordinate the work of all these designers so that they consider health and safety as an integral part of the design process. This requires the PSDP to be engaged from the earliest stages of the project, before the design is fixed and before the opportunity to eliminate hazards has passed.

In practice, this means the PSDP should be involved in design team meetings, should review design proposals for health and safety implications, and should challenge designers when they have not considered the health and safety implications of their decisions. The PSDP should also ensure that designers communicate with each other about the health and safety implications of their respective designs, so that conflicts and cumulative risks are identified and addressed.

The Design Risk Register

A design risk register is a practical tool for managing design risk. It records the hazards identified during the design process, the design decisions made to eliminate or reduce those hazards, and the residual risks that must be managed during the construction phase. The design risk register is a living document that is updated as the design develops and as new hazards are identified.

The design risk register should be prepared by the PSDP in consultation with the designers and should form the basis of the Preliminary Health and Safety Plan. It should be structured so that the PSCS can easily identify the residual risks that need to be addressed in the Construction Phase Safety and Health Plan.

Common Design Risks in Irish Construction

Certain design risks arise repeatedly on Irish construction projects. Working at height is the most common cause of fatal injury in the Irish construction industry, and many of these fatalities are associated with roof work, facade work, and maintenance access. Designers can reduce these risks by specifying permanent access solutions, designing structures that can be constructed from the ground or from stable platforms, and avoiding designs that require workers to work at height in exposed conditions.

Structural instability during construction is another significant design risk. Structures that are stable in their completed form may be unstable during construction, particularly where temporary works are required. Designers should consider the construction sequence and should provide information about temporary works requirements in the design documentation.

Underground services are a persistent hazard on Irish construction sites. Designers should obtain up-to-date service drawings and should route new works to avoid existing services where possible. Where services cannot be avoided, designers should specify safe methods for working in the vicinity of services and should include this information in the Preliminary Health and Safety Plan.

Conclusion

The PSDP's role in managing design risk is one of the most valuable contributions that can be made to construction safety. The decisions made at the design stage determine the hazards that construction workers will face on site. A PSDP who engages early, coordinates designers effectively, and maintains a thorough design risk register can eliminate hazards that would otherwise cause serious injury or death during the construction phase.