Frequently Asked Questions

CDM 2015 (Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015) is the main set of regulations for managing health, safety and welfare in construction projects in the UK. It applies to all construction work and places duties on clients, designers, principal designers, principal contractors, and contractors. CDM 2015 replaced CDM 2007 and applies to projects of all sizes, from domestic extensions to major infrastructure.

Under CDM 2015, multiple duty holders share responsibility. The client must make suitable arrangements for managing a project. The principal designer leads on pre-construction health and safety. The principal contractor plans, manages and monitors the construction phase. Individual contractors must plan, manage and monitor their own work. For domestic projects, duties fall on the contractor if there is no formal client appointment.

The CDM coordinator role was removed in CDM 2015. Instead, a principal designer must be appointed for projects with more than one contractor. For single-contractor projects, the contractor takes on the principal contractor duties. There is no minimum project size threshold — CDM 2015 applies to all construction work.

A construction phase plan is a document that sets out the health and safety arrangements and site rules for the construction phase. The principal contractor must prepare it before the construction phase begins. It must be proportionate to the risks and complexity of the project, covering site rules, emergency procedures, welfare arrangements, and how health and safety will be managed.

Essential CDM 2015 documents include: a construction phase plan, pre-construction information, risk assessments, method statements (RAMS), the health and safety file, welfare provisions evidence, site induction records, toolbox talk records, and any permits to work. The specific documents needed depend on your role as duty holder and the project complexity.

A comprehensive site diary should record: weather conditions, workforce numbers and trades on site, deliveries received, plant and equipment on site, visitors, instructions received, variations and changes, health and safety observations, progress against programme, any delays or disruptions, and photographs. It serves as a contemporaneous record that can be used as evidence in disputes.

Formal site inspections should be conducted weekly at minimum, with daily informal checks. Scaffold inspections must be done every 7 days and after any event that could affect stability. Excavation inspections are required at the start of each shift. Lifting equipment needs thorough examination every 6-12 months depending on type. High-risk activities may require continuous monitoring.

A snag list (also called a defect list or punch list) is a document that identifies defects, incomplete work, or items that do not meet the required standard during or after construction. It is typically compiled during the pre-handover inspection and lists each defect with its location, description, and who is responsible for rectification. Snag lists are a critical part of quality control.

An effective toolbox talk should be: relevant to the current work activities, short (10-15 minutes), interactive with questions and discussion, recorded with attendee signatures, delivered at the start of the shift or before high-risk activities, and followed up to check understanding. Topics should rotate and cover both general safety and task-specific hazards. Use real examples and recent incidents where possible.

RAMS stands for Risk Assessment and Method Statement — it is a combined document. A risk assessment identifies hazards and evaluates risks. A method statement describes the safe system of work step by step. Together they form RAMS. In practice, most UK construction sites use combined RAMS documents rather than separate risk assessments and method statements, as the risk assessment directly informs the method statement.

Yes, FORGE Command is designed to work fully offline on construction sites where internet connectivity is poor or non-existent. All features including site diary entries, audit checklists, and the regulations library work without a connection. Data syncs automatically when you reconnect to the internet.

FORGE Command is a one-time purchase of £39.99. There are no monthly subscriptions, no per-user fees, and no hidden costs. You pay once and the app is yours forever, including all future updates.

FORGE Command is available on iOS (iPhone and iPad), Android, and as a web application. Your data syncs across all platforms, so you can log entries on your phone on site and review them on your desktop in the office.

Yes, FORGE Command generates professional PDF reports from your audit checklists and site diary entries. These reports include your company branding, GPS location stamps, timestamps, photographs, and all recorded data. They can be emailed directly from the app or saved for your records.

Absolutely. FORGE Command was specifically designed for UK small and medium construction businesses. Unlike enterprise tools like Procore or Fieldwire that cost thousands per year and require extensive setup, FORGE Command is ready to use immediately with no training needed. The one-time £39.99 price makes it accessible to sole traders, small contractors, and growing firms.