Part 5: What clients do not have to do!

Accompanying the Regulations is an Approved Code of Practice (ACoP) prepared by the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) and approved by the Secretary of State.

An ACoP gives practical advice on how to comply with the law, has a special legal status and can be referred to in the event of a prosecution.

The ACoP says: "Clients are not required or expected to:

"(a) plan or manage construction projects themselves; or

"(b) specify how work must be done, for example requiring a structure to be demolished by hand. Indeed they should not do so unless they have the expertise to assess the various options and risks involved. (They should, of course, point out particular risks that would inform this decision.)

"(c) provide welfare facilities for those carrying out construction work (though they should co-operate with the contractor to assist with his arrangements);

"(d) check designs to make sure that regulation 11 has been complied with;" (regulation 11 outlines the duties of designers)

"(e) visit the site (to supervise or check construction work standards);

"(f) employ third party assurance advisors to monitor health and safety standards on site (though there may be benefits to the client doing so);

"(g) subscribe to third party competence assessment schemes (though there may be benefits from doing so)."