The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2013 – S.I. No. 291 of 2013 – 1st August 2013, lays down duties on designers and clients. One such client duty is the appointment of a Project Supervisor Design Process (PSDP).

The Construction Regulations defines when a Project Supervisor Design Phase is required. For lighting projects there are two scenarios which may catch out the client, where the work involves a particular risk or where there is more than one contractor involved in the project.

Many lighting contractors use sub-contractors for civil work or for traffic management. In this instance the client has a statutory duty to appoint in writing a competent person to the role of Project Supervisor Design Process. The designer has a statutory duty to inform the client of the need to appoint a Project Supervisor Design Process if one has not been appointed.

The role of the Project Supervisor Design Process is to either review the client’s preliminary health and safety plan or to prepare one at the earliest opportunity. The role also involves collating method statements and reviewing design assessment forms and ensuring that all particular risks have been identified and dealt with and to produce a safety file once the project is completed.

The Project Supervisor Design Process should not make design decisions. A designer may act as Project Supervisor Design Process, but there should be clarity between both roles. Design decisions are made by designers as a separate function to that of Project Supervisor Design Process.

The Project Supervisor Design Process is not responsible for construction methods, nor for general health and safety of people working on site or affected by site works. Rather it is the role of the contractor and the Project Supervisor Construction Stage (PSCS).

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