Principal contractor

PC

The contractor appointed by the client under CDM 2015 to plan, manage, monitor and coordinate the construction phase where more than one contractor is involved.

The principal contractor runs the site. Under CDM 2015 regulation 13 they plan, manage and monitor the construction phase so that it is carried out without risks to health or safety, taking account of the general principles of prevention; they draw up the construction phase plan before the work starts and keep it current; they organise cooperation between contractors and coordinate their work; they ensure every worker has a suitable site induction; they prevent unauthorised access; they provide welfare facilities throughout; they consult and engage with workers; and they provide the principal designer with the information needed for the health and safety file.

In practice the principal contractor is the main contractor on a traditional project, and it is the principal contractor's systems that the subcontractors work within: the RAMS review before start, the induction, the permit system, the site rules, the traffic management, the weekly inspections and the incident reporting. A subcontractor who takes on a project with another trade working alongside them can find they are the principal contractor without having thought about it; the appointment should be in writing from the client, and if it is not, the client holds the duties.

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