What are the CDM 2015 duties for electricians?

Under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, electricians may have duties as: a designer (if they specify cable types, circuit designs, or containment routes — in which case they must consider buildability, maintenance access, and future flexibility in their designs); a contractor (if they directly employ or manage workers on a notifiable project — in which case they must have a construction phase plan, ensure workers have relevant skills and training, and co-operate with the principal contractor); or a worker (they must follow H&S instructions, report hazards, and co-operate with site H&S management). For notifiable projects (more than 30 working days with more than 20 workers simultaneously, or more than 500 person-days), a principal designer and principal contractor must be appointed. The principal contractor co-ordinates H&S on site; the principal designer manages pre-construction H&S information.

What should a RAMS for electrical work include?

A Risk Assessment and Method Statement for electrical work should include: the activity being assessed (e.g. cable installation in a ceiling void); the hazards identified (e.g. working at height, dusty environment, proximity to existing live conductors, manual handling of heavy cable drums); the persons at risk (e.g. operative, other trades working in the area, members of the public); control measures for each hazard (e.g. MEWP or stepladder with three-point contact, dust mask, voltage verification before starting work, cable drum unroller to reduce manual handling strain); the residual risk level after controls; PPE required; emergency procedures; and the name of the person responsible for ensuring the controls are in place. RAMS must be reviewed and signed by the worker before starting the activity.

When is a Permit to Work required for electrical work?

A Permit to Work (PTW) is a formal documented system required when: working on or near live conductors that cannot be made safe by isolation alone; working in confined spaces; working at height on complex structures; or working in environments with fire or explosion risk. In hospitals, data centres, and industrial facilities, clients often mandate PTW systems for all electrical work regardless of live working status. A PTW specifies the exact area of work, the isolations made and verified, the controls in place, the authorised workers, and the duration of the permit. Work cannot start until the permit is issued and the worker has signed it. At the end of work, the permit must be signed off and the permit issuer must verify the area is safe before re-energisation.

How do I get CHAS accreditation?

To obtain CHAS accreditation: (1) Register on the CHAS portal at chas.co.uk; (2) Select the appropriate accreditation level (Worksafe for sole traders, CHAS Standard for small contractors); (3) Submit your health and safety policy, employer's liability insurance certificate, public liability insurance certificate, and risk assessments for your key activities; (4) A CHAS assessor reviews your submission and may request additional information or amendments; (5) On approval, you receive a CHAS certificate valid for 12 months. Fees start from approximately £300 for sole traders and increase for larger businesses. Renewal is required annually. Many clients accept other SSIP (Safety Schemes in Procurement) member schemes (Safe Contractor, Constructionline, Acclaim) in place of CHAS.

Do I need a health and safety policy as an electrician?

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 requires employers of five or more employees to have a written health and safety policy covering: your general policy on H&S; the organisation (who is responsible for what); and the arrangements (how you will achieve your policy objectives). Sole traders with no employees are not legally required to have a written policy, but having one significantly improves your credibility with main contractors and clients, and is required for CHAS, Safe Contractor, and Constructionline accreditation. Review and re-sign your policy at least annually.

What is ISO 45001 and do I need it?

ISO 45001 is the international standard for Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems. It replaces the previous OHSAS 18001 standard. Certification demonstrates that you have a systematic, audited approach to managing H&S in your business — not just individual policies and procedures but an integrated management system. It is required by some public sector framework contracts, NHS procurement frameworks, and large private sector clients above certain contract value thresholds. Obtaining ISO 45001 requires a gap analysis, implementation of any missing system elements, an internal audit, and a third-party certification audit by an accredited body (BSI, Bureau Veritas, Lloyd's Register, and others). Cost typically ranges from £2,000 to £8,000 for implementation and certification depending on business size.

What must I report under RIDDOR as an electrical contractor?

The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) require you to report to the HSE: any worker death arising from a work-related accident; specified injuries to workers (fractures, amputations, loss of sight, serious burns, and others listed in RIDDOR); any injury requiring hospitalisation for more than 24 hours; occupational diseases (including certain skin conditions and hand-arm vibration syndrome); and dangerous occurrences (near misses that could have caused death or specified injury). Reports are made online via the HSE website. You must also keep records of all reportable incidents for at least three years. Failure to report is a criminal offence under health and safety law.

H&S GUIDE

Health and Safety for Electrical Contractors: CDM 2015, RAMS, and CHAS

CDM 2015 duties for electricians, how to write RAMS for commercial electrical work, Permit to Work systems, CHAS and Safe Contractor accreditation, ISO 45001 overview, and RIDDOR accident reporting — everything UK electrical contractors need for commercial H&S compliance.

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15 min readUpdated 2026-05-18Andrew Moore, Founder of Elec-Mate

Written and reviewed by Andrew Moore, founder of Elec-Mate, against BS 7671:2018+A4:2026, IET Guidance Note 3 and the IET On-Site Guide.

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Key Takeaways

1The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015) impose specific legal duties on electricians working on construction projects — as designers (if they have design responsibility), contractors, or workers. Understanding your role under CDM is a legal obligation, not a choice.
2A Risk Assessment and Method Statement (RAMS) is required before starting any non-trivial electrical activity on a commercial site. RAMS must be specific to the activity and site, reviewed by the worker before starting, and signed to confirm understanding.
3CHAS (Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme) is the most widely required pre-qualification H&S credential for commercial electrical work in the UK. Without it, most main contractors will not add you to their supply chain.
4The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 requires every employer of five or more people to have a written health and safety policy. Sole traders and partnerships below this threshold are not legally required to have a written policy but should have one for commercial credibility.
5ISO 45001 (Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems) is increasingly required for public sector framework contracts and NHS procurement. It represents a significant investment but opens procurement opportunities closed to unaccredited contractors.

01 · H&S Guide

CDM 2015 Duties for Electrical Contractors

The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015) are the principal health and safety regulations for the UK construction industry. They apply to all construction work, including electrical installation, and impose duties on every party involved — clients, designers, contractors, and workers.

Electrician as designer — if you make any design decisions (cable type selection, circuit layouts, containment routes), you have designer duties under CDM 2015. You must consider buildability, safe access for maintenance, and future flexibility during the design process, and provide pre-construction information relevant to your design.
Electrician as contractor — if you employ or manage workers on a construction project, you are a contractor under CDM 2015. You must: plan, manage and monitor the work under your control; ensure workers have the right skills, knowledge, and training; comply with any construction phase plan; and co-operate with the principal contractor.
Notifiable projects — a project is notifiable to the HSE if it will last more than 30 working days with more than 20 workers simultaneously, or exceed 500 person-days of construction work. On notifiable projects, a principal designer and principal contractor must be appointed. The notification is the client's responsibility, but contractors should ensure it has been done.
Construction phase plan — the principal contractor must produce a construction phase plan before any construction work begins. As an electrical subcontractor, you must comply with the plan and contribute information about your activities to it.

CDM 2015 compliance is not optional — HSE inspectors carry out regular site inspections and can issue improvement notices, prohibition notices, or prosecute in cases of serious breach. Fines for CDM breaches can run to hundreds of thousands of pounds.

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02 · H&S Guide

RAMS — Risk Assessment and Method Statement

A Risk Assessment and Method Statement (RAMS) is the foundational H&S document for any electrical activity on a commercial site. It demonstrates that you have thought systematically about the hazards involved in your work and have planned how to manage them. Main contractors require approved RAMS before you can start work.

Risk Assessment — identifies each hazard associated with the activity, assesses the likelihood and severity of harm, identifies who is at risk, and specifies control measures that reduce the risk to an acceptable level. Use the hierarchy of controls: eliminate, substitute, isolate, control, PPE (in that order of preference).
Method Statement — describes the sequence and method of work, step by step. It translates the risk assessment controls into a practical procedure. Workers must read and sign the method statement before starting work.
Activity-specific RAMS — common activities requiring separate RAMS include: cable installation and termination; working at height (on ladders, MEWPs, scaffolding); working in confined spaces; work on or near live conductors (live working RAMS); installation of consumer units and distribution boards; testing and commissioning; and use of power tools.
Review and sign-off — RAMS must be reviewed by workers before starting the activity, not simply filed. Many sites require workers to sign a RAMS briefing sheet. Keep signed copies as a record.

Use the Elec-Mate RAMS generator to produce professional, activity-specific RAMS quickly. Building a library of approved RAMS that can be customised for each site and contract is the most time-efficient approach for electricians working on multiple commercial sites.

03 · H&S Guide

Permit to Work Systems

A Permit to Work (PTW) is a formal documented system used to manage high-risk activities where the normal risk assessment and method statement process provides insufficient control. In electrical work, PTW systems are mandatory in many regulated environments.

When PTW is required — live working where energised conductors must be accessed (only where de-energisation is not reasonably practicable); work in confined spaces; electrical work in explosion-risk areas (ATEX zones); work in hospitals, data centres, or other facilities where power interruption carries life-safety or operational risk; and any high-voltage work.
PTW components — a valid PTW specifies: the exact equipment or area of work; all isolations made and verified (proved dead by a suitably rated test instrument before work commences); earthing applied where required; the names of authorised workers; the duration of the permit; the controls required; and the sign-off process for returning equipment to service.
Safe isolation procedure — for all electrical work, follow the safe isolation procedure before touching any conductor: identify the correct isolation point; isolate and lock off (use a lock and hasp system); prove dead at the point of work using a suitably rated approved voltage indicator; and test the voltage indicator before and after use (on a known live source). This procedure must be followed even when a PTW is in place.

The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 (Regulation 14) permits live working only where it is "unreasonable in all the circumstances" to work dead. "Unreasonable" is a very high bar — the HSE's guidance makes clear that live working should be the exception, not the norm.

04 · H&S Guide

CHAS Accreditation for Electrical Contractors

CHAS (Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme) is a Safety Schemes in Procurement (SSIP) member scheme and is the most widely recognised H&S pre-qualification credential in UK construction. It is accepted by over 50,000 buyers as evidence of H&S competence.

CHAS assessment criteria — your H&S policy and management arrangements; risk assessment procedures; method statement procedures; employer's liability insurance (minimum £5m); public liability insurance (minimum £2m, though many clients require £5m or £10m); accident reporting procedures; worker training and competency records; and sub-contractor management.
SSIP mutual recognition — CHAS is an SSIP member scheme, meaning assessments are mutually recognised across all other SSIP member schemes (Safe Contractor, Constructionline Health and Safety, Acclaim, and others). If you hold a current CHAS certificate, you can apply for other SSIP schemes at a reduced fee using the dossier route.
Annual renewal — CHAS certificates must be renewed annually. Set a renewal reminder 60 days before expiry. A lapse in CHAS certification can result in being removed from client supply chain registers until renewed.

05 · H&S Guide

Safe Contractor Accreditation

Safe Contractor (operated by Alcumus) is an alternative SSIP H&S accreditation widely accepted by facilities management contractors, retail sector clients, housing associations, and NHS trusts. Some clients specify Safe Contractor rather than CHAS.

Assessment process — similar to CHAS, Safe Contractor assesses your H&S policy, risk assessment procedures, insurance evidence, training records, and accident reporting procedures. The assessment can be conducted online with document upload or via an on-site audit for higher-risk categories.
Verify database — Safe Contractor is part of the Alcumus Verify platform, used by many FM contractors and housing associations to check subcontractor pre-qualification status in real time. Registration on Verify exposes your credentials to a wider pool of potential clients.
Which scheme to choose — if you are targeting national main contractors and public sector work, CHAS combined with Constructionline Gold is the strongest combination. If you are targeting FM, housing, and retail clients, Safe Contractor may be more appropriate. Many established electrical contractors hold both.

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06 · H&S Guide

ISO 45001 — Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems

ISO 45001 is the international standard for Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems (OH&SMS). It replaced OHSAS 18001 in 2018 and is the most comprehensive H&S management certification available to electrical contractors.

What ISO 45001 requires — a documented OH&S management system covering: leadership commitment; worker participation; hazard identification and risk assessment; operational controls; emergency preparedness; performance evaluation; and continual improvement. The standard uses the same Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) framework as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.
Who needs it — ISO 45001 is required for some public sector procurement frameworks, NHS supply chains above certain value thresholds, and large private sector framework contracts. If you are targeting this tier of work, ISO 45001 is a necessary investment. For smaller commercial and domestic work, CHAS is sufficient.
Integrated management systems — many electrical contractors pursuing ISO 45001 also obtain ISO 9001 (quality management) and ISO 14001 (environmental management) simultaneously, since the three standards share a common framework. An integrated management system (IMS) is more efficient to implement and maintain than three separate systems.

ISO 45001 certification is maintained through annual surveillance audits and a full recertification audit every three years. Choose an accredited certification body (UKAS-accredited for UK credibility) — BSI, Bureau Veritas, SGS, and Lloyd's Register are among the most recognised in the construction sector.

07 · H&S Guide

Health and Safety Policy for Electrical Contractors

A health and safety policy is the foundation of your H&S management system. It demonstrates your commitment to managing H&S and sets the framework for all your other H&S procedures and arrangements.

Policy statement — a signed statement from the most senior person in the business (sole trader, director, or partner) committing the organisation to: providing a safe working environment; complying with H&S legislation; consulting with workers on H&S matters; and continually improving H&S performance. Review and re-sign at least annually.
Organisation — who in your business is responsible for what: H&S management responsibilities by role; the name of your competent person for H&S (which can be yourself if you have relevant training and experience); and how you consult with workers (safety representatives, toolbox talks, briefings).
Arrangements — your specific procedures for: risk assessment and method statements; accident reporting under RIDDOR; fire safety; first aid provision; manual handling; working at height; asbestos awareness; electrical safety (safe isolation); PPE provision and use; training and competency assessment; and sub-contractor management.

08 · H&S Guide

Accident Reporting — RIDDOR

The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) require employers (including self-employed sole traders) to report certain workplace accidents, diseases, and dangerous occurrences to the HSE. Failure to report is a criminal offence.

What to report — worker deaths (immediate report); specified injuries (amputation, fractures other than fingers/thumbs/toes, loss of consciousness, serious burns covering more than 10 per cent of the body); worker incapacitation for more than seven consecutive days; occupational diseases including carpal tunnel syndrome, vibration white finger, and occupational deafness; and dangerous occurrences (near misses that could have caused specified injury or death).
How to report — via the HSE website (riddor.gov.uk). Deaths and specified injuries must be reported immediately by phone or online. Over-seven-day incapacitation must be reported within 15 days. Keep a record of all reports for at least three years.
Accident book — maintain an accident book (or equivalent record) for all work-related incidents, including those that do not require RIDDOR reporting. Your CHAS and ISO 45001 assessors will check your accident records as part of the assessment process.

09 · H&S Guide

H&S Documentation Tools for Electricians

Maintaining current, professional H&S documentation is time-consuming but essential for commercial work. The right tools reduce the administrative burden and improve the quality of your submissions.

AI-Generated RAMS

Generate professional, activity-specific RAMS using the Elec-Mate AI assistant. Describe the activity and site conditions; the AI produces a draft RAMS aligned with current legislation and best practice. Review, customise, and export to PDF for submission. Build a library of approved RAMS for your most common activities. See also the subcontracting guide for how RAMS fit into your pre-qualification documentation.

H&S Policy and Procedure Templates

Access professional H&S policy templates and procedure documents through Elec-Mate. Customise to your business and maintain a library of current, signed documents ready for CHAS, Safe Contractor, and Constructionline submissions.

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Frequently Asked Questions About H&S for Electrical Contractors

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Health and Safety for Electrical Contractors: CDM 2015, RAMS, and CHAS

Key Takeaways

CDM 2015 Duties for Electrical Contractors

Get the BS 7671 A4:2026 Cheat Sheet — free

RAMS — Risk Assessment and Method Statement

Permit to Work Systems

CHAS Accreditation for Electrical Contractors

Safe Contractor Accreditation

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ISO 45001 — Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems

Health and Safety Policy for Electrical Contractors

Accident Reporting — RIDDOR

H&S Documentation Tools for Electricians

AI-Generated RAMS

H&S Policy and Procedure Templates

Build professional H&S documentation with Elec-Mate

Frequently Asked Questions About H&S for Electrical Contractors

What are the CDM 2015 duties for electricians?

What should a RAMS for electrical work include?

When is a Permit to Work required for electrical work?

How do I get CHAS accreditation?

Do I need a health and safety policy as an electrician?

What is ISO 45001 and do I need it?

What must I report under RIDDOR as an electrical contractor?

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