Maximise the efficiency of advice on your duties as a construction ‘Client’?
Site Waste Management Plans (SWMP) are legally required for all construction projects with a value of £300,000 or more. A SWMP records the amount and type of waste produced on a construction site and how it will be reused, recycled or disposed.
A key aim of the Regulations is to improve materials resource efficiency. This will save costs - up to 1.5% of construction value can be saved on a project by reducing wastage (WRAP).
There are distinct parallels between the SWMP Regulations and the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations. The SWMP Regulations place the initial responsibility for the production of the SWMP plan with the Client and the CDM Regs place strong duties on ‘Clients’.
However, under the CDM Regs CDM Coordinators (CDMC) are appointed to advise and assist Clients; whereas under the SWMP Regs the source of advice and assistance is not defined.
For most projects a CDMC will be present, assisting and advising the Client on the appointment of competent contractors, the adequacy of management arrangements and the proper coordination of the health and safety aspects of design. The CDMC will facilitate good communication and cooperation between project team members.
As much of the requirements for effective site waste management falls within the basic skills set of a competent CDMC, a significant saving can be gained by having your CDMC also assist you with your Client duties in the preparation of the SWMP.
By combining the two roles there are some obvious ‘added value’ benefits:
- The effectiveness and delivery of both services will be optimised
- Allows greater monitoring of site health and safety and waste management on behalf of the Client
- Greater efficiency in collecting /ensuring distribution of pre construction information for both duties
- Undertaking the vetting of Construction Phase plans under CDM and SWMPs at the same time, especially as Principal Contractors often combine both into a single point of reference.
- Site visits to monitor the SWM plan will allow the Construction Phase plan to be reviewed and monitoring of the collection of information for the file to be undertaken
- Single point of contact for the Client
Turner & Townsend has both CDMC and SWMP capability and therefore we provide our Clients with the opportunity for project cost savings, greater efficiency and improved effectiveness by combining CDMC and Site Waste Management duties.
Have you committed to halve your waste to landfill?
The construction industry is responsible for some 120 million tonnes of construction, demolition and excavation waste every year. Since its launch in 2008 more than 200 organisations have signed up to the ‘Halving Waste to Landfill’ voluntary initiative. Have you?