UK construction compliance guide
What is a construction phase plan, and what should it include?
A construction phase plan is the document required by CDM 2015 that sets out the health and safety arrangements, site rules and specific risk-control measures for the construction phase of a project. One is required for every construction project, must be drawn up before the site is set up, and is prepared by the principal contractor (or the contractor on a single-contractor job).
Written by Thomas Featherstone, NEBOSH IGC-qualified and IOSH Managing Safely trained · Reviewed July 2026
Who writes it, and when
On a project with more than one contractor, the principal contractor draws up the construction phase plan. On a single-contractor project, the contractor prepares it. Either way it must exist before the construction phase begins, and it should be a living document - reviewed and updated as the work, the site or the risks change, not written once and filed.
It is not a form to fill in for its own sake. A good plan is proportionate: short and focused for a small job, fuller for a large or high-risk one. If you are unclear on the dutyholder roles behind this, see our guide to CDM 2015.
What to include in a construction phase plan
| Section | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Project description | A description of the project, key dates, the address and the details of the client, principal designer, principal contractor and other dutyholders. |
| Management of the work | The health and safety arrangements for the construction phase: how the work will be planned, managed and monitored, and how dutyholders will coordinate and communicate. |
| Site rules | The rules that apply on site - access and egress, PPE, permits, deliveries, welfare, first aid and emergency arrangements - and how they are made known to everyone on site. |
| Arrangements for controlling significant risks | The specific measures for the significant health and safety risks on this project, drawn from the risk assessments and method statements for the work. |
| Schedule 3 particular risks | Where the work involves any of the ten 'particular risks' listed in Schedule 3 of CDM 2015, the plan must set out the specific measures for them (see the list below). |
The Schedule 3 particular risks
Where any of these applies to your project, the construction phase plan must set out the specific measures for it. This is the list from Schedule 3 of CDM 2015:
- Work that puts workers at risk of burial under earthfalls, engulfment in swampland, or falling from a height, where the risk is particularly aggravated by the nature of the work, the processes used, or the environment.
- Work that puts workers at risk from chemical or biological substances constituting a particular danger to health or safety, or involving a legal requirement for health monitoring.
- Work with ionising radiation requiring designated controlled or supervised areas.
- Work near high voltage power lines.
- Work exposing workers to the risk of drowning.
- Work on wells, underground earthworks and tunnels.
- Work by divers with a system of air supply.
- Work by workers in caissons with a compressed air atmosphere.
- Work involving the use of explosives.
- Work involving the assembly or dismantling of heavy prefabricated components.
How it relates to your RAMS
The construction phase plan sits above your risk assessments and method statements. RAMS control the risks of individual tasks; the plan pulls the significant risks and their controls together and describes how the whole construction phase is managed and coordinated. A plan that simply staples the RAMS together has missed the point - it should show how the site is run, not just what each activity involves.
Construction phase plan FAQs
Common questions
What is a construction phase plan?
A construction phase plan (sometimes called a CPP) is the document required by CDM 2015 that records the health and safety arrangements, site rules and specific risk-control measures for the construction phase of a project. It is the plan for how the build will be carried out safely.
When do I need a construction phase plan?
For every construction project covered by CDM 2015 - including small and single-contractor domestic jobs. It must be drawn up before the construction phase begins and the site is set up.
Who writes the construction phase plan?
On a project with more than one contractor, the principal contractor draws it up. On a single-contractor project, the contractor prepares it. It should be developed with input from the people doing the work and kept up to date as the project changes.
How long does a construction phase plan need to be?
There is no set length. It should be proportionate to the size and risk of the project - a short, focused plan for a small job, and a fuller plan for a large or high-risk one. What matters is that it genuinely covers the arrangements, site rules and the significant risks, not that it hits a page count.
Is a construction phase plan the same as a risk assessment or RAMS?
No. Risk assessments and method statements (RAMS) assess and control the risks of specific activities. The construction phase plan sits above them and sets out how the whole construction phase is managed, drawing the significant risks and their controls together in one place.
Do I have to keep the construction phase plan?
Yes. It should be available throughout the construction phase and kept as part of your project records. Where there is more than one contractor, relevant information also feeds into the health and safety file handed to the client at the end.
Official sources
- HSE - The construction phase plan
- HSE L153 - Managing health and safety in construction (guidance)
- CDM 2015 Schedule 3 (legislation.gov.uk)
This is a plain-English summary for UK SMEs, not legal advice, and does not replace the current HSE guidance or professional judgement on a specific project. Always check the latest guidance on hse.gov.uk and take advice where you are unsure.
Build it, review it, issue it
Draft, review and issue the construction phase plan per project
Featherstone Safety Hub builds the construction phase plan against each project alongside the RAMS, inspections, inductions and permits it draws on, with a draft-review-approve workflow and versioning so the current plan is always the one on site. It supports your record keeping; approvals and CDM duties stay with you. 14-day free trial, no card required.