"Constant source of frustration": CIOB tackle CDM 2015 confusion with new survey

The CIOB has launched a short survey for the built environment to answer how far the regulations are effective in today’s construction landscape.

Representing over 50,000 professionals in the built environment sector, the CIOB says that there is a “sense of feeling” across the industry that are “room for improvements.”

The royal chartered body said this is particularly in light of how the regulations fit with new safety legislation such as the Building Safety Act 2022, which has been introduced since the CDM regulations were formed.

CDM 2015 regulations are the main set of legal requirements for managing health, safety, and welfare on construction projects in the UK. Photograph: iStock

Ben Powell, Chair of CIOB’s Health, Safety & Wellbeing Advisory Panel, said: “We hear that for many people, including designers, contractors and clients, the current CDM regulations are a constant source of frustration with varying degrees of understanding over who is responsible for what. There are also questions around the effectiveness of the regulations when we still see so many incidents involving falls from height for example."

“Therefore, just over a decade on from the regulations being introduced, we think it’s important to gather some quantitative data on how they’re being interpreted and applied throughout projects, and where appropriate how they could evolve to reflect the construction landscape in 2026.”

CDM 2015 regulations are the main set of legal requirements for managing health, safety, and welfare on construction projects (regardless of size or duration) in the UK.

They define the legal duties for everyone involved – from the client who pays for the work to the labourers on site – to ensure that projects are planned and carried out safely.

CIOB intends to use the findings of the survey to develop recommendations for the HSE and policy makers on how and where the current CDM regulations can be improved.

The survey closes on April 30 2026, and can be found here