Gleeson Safety Services

Who is a “designer”?

Under the regulations you are a designer if you are engaged in preparing drawings, particulars, specifications, calculations and bills of quantities in relation to a project. Designer Duties are specified below.

The term designer includes:

• architects and engineers contributing to, or having overall responsibility for the design
• building services engineers designing details of fixed plant
• surveyors specifying articles or substances or drawing up specifications
• contractors carrying out design work as part of a design and build project
• anyone with authority to specify, or alter the specification or designs to be used for the structure
• designers of temporary works or specialist suppliers designing formwork and falsework
• interior designers, shop fitters and landscape architects; and
• specialist suppliers, specialist contractors or sub-contractors with design input

Designers must:

• Identify any hazards that their design may present during construction and subsequent maintenance;
• Where possible, eliminate the hazards or reduce the risk e.g. can roof-mounted equipment be placed at ground level or can guardrails be provided to protect workers from falling?
• Communicate necessary control measures, design assumptions or remaining risks to the PSDP so they can be dealt with in the safety and health plan;
• Co-operate with other designers, PSDP and PSCS;
• Take account of any existing safety and health plan or safety file;
• Comply with directions issued by the PSDP or PSCS;
• Where no PSDP has been appointed, inform the client that a PSDP must be appointed.