What is a “CDM Coordinator"

The CDM co-ordinator (CDM-C) is the person who takes on responsibility for ensuring that the client and all the designers and contractors on the project carry out their functions with consideration for the health and safety of those who will build the structure and those who will maintain and use the structure once it is handed over.

The CDMC has his own list of responsibilities and he is also charged with assisting the client to comply with his own duties.

The CDMC is "the Clients friend and advisor" and is the one person in the desing team who is specifically looking at risk and hazard. 

CDMC's are constantly looking at ways to reduce risk, not only for the builders but for the end users of the structure and those charged with maintaining and eventually demolishing the structure. 

One important aspect of this job is to ensure that the builder does not push excessive burden of cost onto the client/maintainers of the structure. 

This could be done by omitting access for maintenance and leaving the arrangements to be sorted out after construction this could lead to the requirement to hire elevated working platforms twice a year to clean, maintain or inspect the structure. 

The cost of this over a 20 year lifespan of a building would far out weigh the cost of permanent access installation during construction, and as this is a safety issue which could then lead to inappropriate access equipment being used to reduce costs it is very much a part of the CDMC's role to look into these issues and to help the client to take an informed view.