8 Mistakes Clients Make When Appointing a PSDP (and How to Avoid Them)
When you are beginning a construction project, appointing your Project Supervisor Design Process (PSDP) is a crucial decision to get right. Your PSDP will be responsible for managing health and safety on your site during the design stage, so it is imperative that you can trust them to handle the position and ensure that the first stages of your build run smoothly.
Your PSDP will establish the importance of health and safety procedures throughout the design stage, and will identify and address the potential risks before work on your site begins. Many clients do not realise the importance of this role, and this leads them to make mistakes, which – of course – can be costly financially and in terms of delays to the project and potential damage to your reputation. Having an awareness of the common mistakes made when appointing a PSDP can help you to make informed choices and give your project the best chances of success.
Common PSDP Mistakes
Here are the top errors made by clients when appointing a PSDP, and how you can avoid them:
1. Delaying your appointment. Problems often occur when clients wait too long to appoint a PSDP in the design stage. If the process has started and decisions are being made, it’s already too late to appoint a PSDP, and you should go back to the drawing board! Health and safety considerations are imperative to the success of your project, and identifying risks is a key part of the design process. You should ensure that you appoint your PSDP as soon as possible, right at the beginning of the pre-design discussion stage, so that you can seamlessly integrate health and safety planning from the very beginning.
2. Misunderstanding the role. When clients misunderstand the PSDP role, this can lead to confusion and problems in the design and build process. The PSDP role is specific and focuses on coordinating safety during the design process, rather than across the site or during construction. This is crucial to address risks before the construction phase begins, and it is vital to understand the scope of the role. If you are unsure of the exact responsibilities of the PSDP, you should ask potential candidates to explain their role and the responsibilities it carries.
3. Not checking experience. An inexperienced PSDP can be a liability in the design phase of your project, and it is very important to find out what level of experience your PSDP has. Talk with your PSDP and check out their references to ensure that they have managed complex projects in similar sectors before, and ensure that you ask for examples and testimonials from previous clients. Ensure that the answers and examples you are given relate directly to the team you will be working with, rather than different individuals within a company.
4. Choosing cost savings over safety. When you are managing a building project, your budget will be a major part of every decision you make. However, choosing your PSDP based purely on price can end up costing you dearly! A PSDP who does not have the experience or resources to deliver the outcomes you need will not end up being a cost-effective choice for your project, and you should consider value rather than simply the price provided. Take the time to look at evidence of experience and ensure that your PSDP has a good knowledge of the relevant regulations.
5. Ignoring your designers. A successful project relies on different parties working together cohesively, and this can only happen in the design stage when your designer or designers are on board. Health and safety during the first stages of the design process relies on teamwork between architects, engineers and all others involved in the design, and this enables all potential risks to be identified and mitigated. Your PSDP should be involved in design meetings and work well with all members of your design team.
6. Undervaluing the role. Many clients fall at the first hurdle by underestimating the importance of the PSDP role and treating it as a simple box-ticking exercise rather than a crucial consideration for their project. If the full scope of the PSDP is not understood, this role may not be utilised to its full potential, and this means that a higher level of risk may apply to your project. You should view your PSDP as a critical part of your project, working alongside them to drive up health and safety standards and improve efficiency throughout the design stage.
7. Communicating poorly. Poor communication can have a big impact throughout your project, and this is more likely to cause serious problems when it happens at an early stage. You should ensure that you have clear communication with your PSDP and your designers so that all safety issues can be addressed. You should have clear procedures that include regular meetings throughout the design phase to ensure that everyone is on the same page and that risks are identified as early as possible.
8. Lack of resources. Ensuring that your project is a success is not easy, but you can optimise the likelihood of positive outcomes at every turn when you have adequate resources at every stage. If you do not have sufficient resources for your project, you’ll be more likely to face problems and hurdles along the way, and this may compromise your safety standards. It is vital to ensure that you have the resources in place to support your PSDP throughout the project, and that you review this on a regular basis to maintain the highest safety standards throughout the design phase.
At ASM, we know that having the right people on your team can make all the difference to your project outcomes, and appointing the right PSDP will help to protect all those working on your project, as well as your reputation. Look out for experience, good communication and collaboration, and always remember to follow up on those references!
Extensive Health and Safety Training at ASM
Here at ASM, we offer Health and Safety training to protect your business and your team. We provide specialist training for high-risk roles, as well as standardised courses such as Safe Pass and Basic First Aid. We can tailor our training to suit you, so call our experienced team today to find out more.
