Ndekugri, I; Ankrah, N A and Adaku, E (2022) The design coordination role at the pre-construction stage of construction projects. Building Research & Information, 50(4), pp. 452-466. ISSN 0961-3218
Abstract
The importance of the concept of prevention through design (PtD) to the alleviation of the problem of poor health and safety (H&S) management in the construction industry is widely acknowledged. It has been adopted in the regulatory framework for H&S in the UK construction industry through the Construction Design and Management Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015) which place on the project client obligations with emphasis on coordination of H&S at the pre-construction stage of the project by a client-appointed 'Principal Designer' (PD). Unfortunately, research into the implementation of CDM 2015 into actual practice at the pre-construction stage has been patchy. The paper reports, with respect to the PD role, on part of research undertaken to respond to this gap. It involved surveys of clients and practitioners via fourteen focus group discussion sessions with over eighty participants to develop knowledge and understanding of the PD role. The research issues included: appointments to the role; structures for discharge of the role; day-to-day functions of the PD; remuneration arrangements; and common challenges regarding the PD.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | collaboration; design; health and safety; risk management |
| Index terms: | coordination, prevention, construction industry, implementation, risk management, designer, pre-construction, regulation, practitioner, collaboration, construction project, survey, health and safety, focus group, project client |
| Subjects: | sociology, industry analysis, political science, management, health safety and environment, production management, financial risk, contractual arrangements, project delivery, risk assessment, profession, data collection methods, practitioner |
| Topics: | Risk Management, Roles and Professions, Stakeholder Management, Procurement, Governance, Cost Management, Health and Safety, Research Practice, Project Management, Organizational Design |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTE |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here