Construction Safety Glossary: 38 Terms (United Kingdom)

Asbestos refurbishment and demolition survey: An intrusive survey that must find and identify asbestos containing materials, including those hidden in the building fabric, before refurbishment or demolition. It involves destructive inspection and must be carried out by a competent surveyor. Buildings built or refurbished before 2000 should be assumed to contain asbestos. Source: HSE: Arrange an asbestos survey.
CDM (NI) 2016: The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016, which came into effect on 1 August 2016. They do the same job in Northern Ireland as CDM 2015 does in Great Britain. Clients of notifiable projects notify HSENI. Source: HSENI: Construction (Design and Management) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016.
CDM 2015: The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, the main law for managing health and safety on construction projects in Great Britain. It applies to all construction work, including domestic projects, and gives duties to clients, designers, principal designers, principal contractors and contractors. Northern Ireland has CDM (NI) 2016. Source: HSE: CDM 2015 frequently asked questions.
CISRS: The Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme, the industry recognised training and card scheme for scaffolders. Source: CISRS home page.
Client: Under CDM 2015, any person for whom a construction project is carried out. Clients have their own duties, including notifying HSE of notifiable projects. A domestic client is one having work done that is not in the course of a business, and their duties normally pass to the contractor or principal contractor. Source: Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, regulation 2.
Competent person: Someone with the skills, knowledge and experience to recognise hazards and help put sensible controls in place. HSE says you can appoint yourself, one or more of your workers, or someone from outside your business. Some duties must be carried out by a competent person, such as planning lifts under LOLER and the thorough examination of MEWPs. Source: HSE: Appoint a competent person.
Construction phase plan: The plan that sets out the health and safety arrangements and site rules while construction work is carried out. It is drawn up before the site is set up by the principal contractor, or by the only contractor on a single contractor project. It should be proportionate to the job, and a simple plan is usually enough for small works. Source: Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, regulation 12.
Contractor: Anyone who directly employs or engages construction workers or manages construction work. Contractors must plan, manage and monitor their own work, check their workers are competent, provide supervision and welfare, and give a site induction if the principal contractor has not. Source: HSE: CDM 2015, contractors.
COSHH: The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, which require employers to assess and control the risks from hazardous substances. It covers products used at work as well as dusts, fumes and vapours created by the work. The COSHH assessment must be recorded if you have 5 or more employees. Source: HSE: COSHH assessment.
CPCS: The Construction Plant Competence Scheme, run by NOCN Group, which provides skills cards for plant operators in construction. It issues a Red Trained Operator Card and a Blue Competent Operator Card, which shows the holder is competent to operate a particular category of plant. CPCS is the plant partner card scheme of CSCS. Source: CPCS: Construction Plant Competence Scheme.
CSCS: The leading skills certification scheme in the UK construction industry, whose cards show that a worker has the appropriate training and qualifications for their job on site. Holding a CSCS card is not a legal requirement. It is up to the principal contractor or client whether a card is needed to get on site. Source: CSCS: About CSCS and CSCS cards.
Designer: An organisation or individual whose business involves preparing or changing designs for construction projects, or arranging for others to do it. Designers must eliminate foreseeable health and safety risks where they can, control those they cannot, and pass on information so others can meet their duties. Source: HSE: CDM 2015, designers.
F10 notification: The notice a client gives to HSE before the construction phase of a notifiable project begins. A project is notifiable if work will last longer than 30 working days with more than 20 workers at the same time at any point, or exceed 500 person days. The notice must be displayed in the site office where workers can read it. Source: Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, regulation 6.
Hierarchy of control: The order in which controls should be considered, from most to least effective: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, then PPE. HSE says PPE should be the last resort. Source: HSE: Managing risk using PPE.
Hot works permit: A permit to work for jobs that produce heat, sparks or flame, such as welding. HSE says precautions include clearing combustible materials, having suitable fire extinguishers and keeping a careful watch throughout the work. A permit system can help manage the fire risk on larger projects. Source: HSE: Process fire risks in construction.
HSE: The Health and Safety Executive, the regulator for workplace health and safety in England, Scotland and Wales. HSE inspectors can serve improvement notices to make a business put a breach right, and prohibition notices to stop an activity that risks serious personal injury. Source: HSE: Differences between prohibition and improvement notices.
HSENI: The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland, which promotes and enforces health and safety at work standards in Northern Ireland. Clients notify HSENI of notifiable construction projects under CDM (NI) 2016. Source: HSENI home page.
LOLER: The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998, which apply to anyone who owns, operates or controls lifting equipment. Every lift must be properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised and carried out safely. Much lifting equipment also needs periodic thorough examination. Source: HSE: LOLER overview.
Method statement: A document that describes in a logical sequence exactly how a job will be carried out, including all the control measures. It is often generated from the risk assessment and used to explain the safe system of work to the people doing it. It is not required by law for most activities, except that demolition and structural alteration arrangements must be recorded in writing. Source: HSE: Construction, managing health and safety (method statements).
MEWP: A mobile elevating work platform, used to raise people to work at height. HSE expects operators to have attended a recognised training course and hold a card or certificate listing the MEWP categories they can operate. The machine must be thoroughly examined at least every 6 months, and there must be a practised plan for rescuing someone from the platform. Source: HSE: Mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs).
MHSWR 1999 (Management Regulations): The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, which set the general duty to assess risks in Great Britain. Regulation 3 requires the risk assessment and its review, and regulation 3(6) requires a written record when there are 5 or more employees. Northern Ireland has its own equivalent regulations. Source: Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, regulation 3.
NNLW (notifiable non-licensed work): Asbestos work that does not need a licence but does carry extra duties: notifying the work before it starts, medical surveillance and record keeping. Workers need medical examinations at least every 3 years while they do NNLW, and health records must be kept for 40 years. Source: HSE: Notifiable non-licensed asbestos work.
NPORS: A registration scheme for plant and equipment operators, with training and testing based on National Occupational Standards. For construction, NPORS issues cards carrying the CSCS logo: a red Trained Operator Card valid for 2 years for those working towards their (S)NVQ, and a blue Competent Operator Card valid for 5 years for those who hold it. Source: NPORS: Registration for plant operators.
PASMA: The not for profit association for the mobile access tower industry. PASMA provides and oversees the industry standard training scheme for mobile access towers, and offers an online tool to check a PASMA card. Source: PASMA home page.
Permit to work: A formal written system stating exactly what work is to be done, when, and which parts are safe. HSE gives hot work such as welding, entry into vessels, cutting into pipework carrying hazardous substances and work needing isolation as examples where a permit may be needed. Source: HSE: Permit to work systems.
Principal contractor: The contractor the client appoints to control the construction phase of a project with more than one contractor. They prepare the construction phase plan before the construction phase begins, coordinate the work, consult workers, provide welfare and make sure workers get a site induction. Source: HSE: CDM 2015, principal contractors.
Principal designer: The designer the client appoints in writing to take control of the pre-construction phase when more than one contractor will work on a project. They plan, manage and monitor health and safety before construction, gather pre-construction information and keep the principal contractor informed of risks. If no principal designer is appointed, the client must carry out those duties. Source: HSE: CDM 2015, principal designers.
Principles of prevention: The general principles in Schedule 1 of the Management Regulations that employers must follow when choosing controls. They include avoiding risks, combating risks at source, replacing the dangerous with the less dangerous, and giving collective protection priority over individual protection. Source: Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, Schedule 1.
PUWER: The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, which place duties on people and companies who own, operate or control work equipment. Work equipment means any machinery, appliance, apparatus, tool or installation used at work, including tools workers bring themselves. Source: HSE: PUWER overview.
RAMS: Short for risk assessment and method statement, a document pack commonly provided by UK contractors before starting work. The term is industry practice and does not appear in law. The legal duties behind it are the risk assessment under the Management Regulations and, for some work such as demolition, written arrangements before work begins. Source: HSE: Construction, managing health and safety (method statements).
RIDDOR: The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013, which require certain work related incidents to be reported to the enforcing authority. These include deaths, specified injuries, injuries causing more than 7 consecutive days off normal duties, some occupational diseases and listed dangerous occurrences. Northern Ireland has RIDDOR (NI) 1997. Source: HSE: Types of reportable incidents (RIDDOR).
Risk assessment: A suitable and sufficient look at the risks your work creates for your workers and anyone else affected, so you can decide what controls are needed. Every employer and relevant self-employed person must make one. Employers with 5 or more employees must record the significant findings. Source: Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, regulation 3.
SDS (safety data sheet): A document from the supplier of a chemical product giving information that helps users assess its risks. Suppliers must provide an up to date safety data sheet for products classed as dangerous for supply. HSE says a safety data sheet is not a risk assessment, but it helps you make your own. Source: HSE: Chemical safety data sheets.
Site induction: A site specific briefing every worker must be given, highlighting the particular risks on that site and the site rules. Under CDM 2015 the principal contractor normally gives it, and a contractor must make sure their own workers get one if the principal contractor has not. Source: HSE: Site rules and induction.
Temporary works: Engineered solutions used to support or protect a structure, plant, excavation or access during construction, such as excavation shoring, props, falsework and scaffolds. HSE says there are no specific legal rules on how they are managed, but appointing a Temporary Works Coordinator is an effective way to do it. Source: HSE: Temporary works.
Toolbox talk: A short presentation to the workforce on a single aspect of health and safety. HSE lists ongoing briefings such as toolbox talks among the arrangements to consider as part of site induction. Source: HSE: Toolbox talks.
WAHR (Work at Height Regulations 2005): The regulations that control work where a person could fall and be injured. Among other things, they require a construction working platform from which someone could fall 2 metres or more to be inspected at least every 7 days, with a report provided within 24 hours. Source: Work at Height Regulations 2005, regulation 12.
Welfare facilities: The minimum facilities every construction site must provide: toilets, washing facilities, drinking water, changing rooms and lockers, and somewhere to rest. They are listed in Schedule 2 of CDM 2015 and must be available from the start of the work. Source: Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, Schedule 2.

Construction safety terms explained