Project Supervisor Design Process (PSDP)
PSDP accreditation from the RIAI. Paul McNally is an accredited PSDP having completed the required training to act in this capacity. This is an additional service to the role of architect, the main function being to co-ordinate Risk Assessments during the design process and to produce the Preliminary Health and Safety Plan for the project.
Under new law, this service is due to be required for domestic projects later in this year, which will lead to additional costs to clients for the additional work required. Until now the Irish government had interpreted the EU legislation in this area only to apply to non-domestic commercial projects, but this has been challenged by Europe and the new requirements will soon apply.
Further information from the HSA is available here
See below from the RIAI;
SAFETY, HEALTH AND WELFARE AT WORK (CONSTRUCTION) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS 2012
This Statutory Instrument changes the definition of “client” in the regulations. Up to now private domestic clients did not have to appoint Project Supervisors but on 23rd November Minister Bruton signed Statutory Instrument 461 of 2012 which changes all that, virtually all construction projects, big and small, from hospitals to domestic renovations will need Project Supervisors. Possibly because this was the time of the budget the far reaching implications of this amendment were not picked up by the media.
The HSA and the Irish Governments had argued in the EU Court that the imposition of this requirement to appoint Project Supervisors was too onerous for domestic clients but to no avail. The EU directed the Irish Governments to amend their Safety Regulations to fall in line with the rest of Europe. Unless one is very familiar with H+S Law the implications of these amendments would not be immediately apparent.
All projects including maintenance and repair work, if the work is greater than 30 days or 500 hours, if there is a particular risk or if there is more than one contractor (in this context contractor can mean sub-contractor or even a different trade) then a PSDP and a PSCS must be appointed by the building owner, or commissioner of the works. This amendment, SI 461 of 2012, comes into effect on June 1st2013.
The RIAI was not invited to make any submission on this amendment to the Regulations; there was little point anyway, as the amendment was specifically directed by the EU Court. On foot of this the Minister asked the H.S.A. to look at the entire Regulations SI 504 of 2005. The H.S.A. duly did so and proposed draft regulations in November 2012. The RIAI responded and many of our suggestions were adopted by the H.S.A. and the new comprehensively revised Regulations are with the Board of the H.S.A. and are expected to be signed in by the Minister shortly.
The RIAI will publish an advice note on this when the Regulations are signed in and guidance notes are published by the HSA.
PSDP accreditation from the RIAI is critical if you considering hiring an architect to act in this capacity.
You can contact us about PSDP services at 021 2429455 or email us here