Monaghans - CLC SOP Auditing
Construction Site Operating Procedures Auditing
19th May 2020
Monaghans’ experienced H&S team are supporting our clients and their contractors & supply chain throughout the UK on auditing and monitoring the implementation of COVID-19 Site Operating Procedures (SOP) and Construction Phase Plans on site in accordance with CDM 2015 Regulations.
GOV.UK have on 11th May 2020 issued COVID-19 Secure Guidelines for sectors and this includes additional requirements for construction sites/working outdoors, vehicles and offices which will need to be reflected in the Construction Plan which should be audited and monitored. The results of the risk assessment should be published on a firm’s website if they have more than 50 staff and there are posters to be displayed on sites confirming compliance.
www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19
Additional guidance has also been published by ECA and BESA for M&E Construction Works:
https://builduk.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/ECA-and-BESA-Close-Proximity-Work.pdf
The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has subsequently published v4 of the SOP on 19th May, continuing to give contractors guidelines and advice for construction activity to enable sites to continue, re-open, or commence, safely through appropriate social distancing and other practical arrangements.
https://www.constructionleadershipcouncil.co.uk/news/site-operating-procedures-version-4-published
Sites now need to be audited to all relevant guidance and regulations. Monaghans can visit single or multi-sites and can either carry out COVID-19 SOP reassurance checks as part of an overall H&S Site Audit, or arrange a standalone COVID-19 SOP Audit:
- Categories – 5 key areas are covered: Travel, Welfare, Meetings & Briefings, Working on Site, and Logistics
- Scoring – A radar scoring map is produced to give a clear visual record of results and encourage continuous improvement. These can be easily monitored over successive visits whether weekly, fortnightly, or monthly to show trends and identify targets for improvement. This monitoring can form part of the client or contractor’s regular reporting under the project.
- How our auditing differs is the live, proactive scoring and monitoring:
- We avoid a generic tick list mentality by scoring numerically and based on photographic evidence
- We produce live reporting via iPad for immediate discussion with Site Manager before leaving site
- We proactively review site documentation including Construction Phase Plan, Site Inductions, Register and Diary to get actual evidence of the hierarchy of control though ERIC (Eliminate, Reduce, Isolate or Control) Risk Assessment as required by the CLC SOP v3
- We proactively test workforce attitudes with photographic evidence
- Risk Assessment – Under the May COVID-19 Secure guidance you are required to carry out a risk assessment and share it with your workforce. If possible, you should consider publishing the results on your website (GOV.UK expect all employers with over 50 workers to do so). A COVID-19 Secure notice should be displayed in your workplace to show you have followed this guidance.
- Enforcement – The May COVID-19 Secure guidance includes instruction on how employees or members of the public can raise concerns including escalation to the HSE or the enforcing authority. The HSE is the relevant enforcing authority for Public Health England (PHE) guidelines (other restrictions and advice may apply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland). If a site is not consistently implementing the measures set out by PHE, it may be subject to enforcement action so Monaghans’ auditing will help clients and contactors discharge their duties under CDM Regulations 2015.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like to discuss COVID-19 Secure Monitoring and Auditing in more detail, or CDM Services including Principal Designer, CDM-Advisor, or H&S Site Auditing. In the first instance please contact Alan Nock on 07788 395 603 or alan.nock@monaghans.co.uk.
Monaghans can also assist with planning for a safe and efficient reopening of your existing estate, for more information please see: