As we've discovered in our recent series looking at changes to the Construction Design and Management regulations, the Principal Designer plays a crucial role when it comes to influencing how risks to health and safety are managed throughout a project. Now the Association for Project Safety 
want to hear your inspirational stories of best practice at the ninth National CDM Awards.
The awards take place this October and there's still time to submit your entries after the original deadline was extended to midnight on Friday, 24 June 2016. Here, Richard Wilks, President of the APS, explains why they chose to extend the deadline and why he's so keen to see examples of inspirational good practice from Principal Designers...
Could you be the Principal Designer of the Year?
Consistently raising standards in the Design and Construction Health and Safety Risk Management sector requires a collaborative process from across the whole of the industry. As such, we need to ensure everyone who wants to take part in the APS National CDM Awards has the chance to do so, as the awards offer a really great opportunity to help shape and share good practice.
The National CDM Awards showcase the outstanding work happening in our industry and provide the opportunity to improve standards and set the benchmark for excellence in Health and Safety Risk Management. By extending the deadline for further submissions until later this month we are hoping to maximise the benefit to everyone involved in the awards and to all professionals affected by Design and Construction Health and Safety Risk Management.
Essentially, this means if you haven’t already entered, it’s not too late to do so. In addition – in the interest of fairness – if you have already completed an entry, you have the opportunity to change, update and resubmit it.
We were delighted by the number of entries already submitted into the awards by the original deadline and I’d like to take this opportunity to ask you to consider submitting examples of your work, if you haven’t already done so. Your work champions better buildings, communities and the environment through architecture, working to improve the design quality of public buildings, new homes and new communities.
The judges are looking for an individual or firm that embodies all of the duties this role entails but also goes that little bit further to further the principles of the regulations.
As such, I’d particularly like to take this opportunity to urge you to consider entering the Principal Designer of the Year 
category at the National CDM Awards.
As a Principal Designer, you have an important role in influencing how risks to health and safety are managed throughout a project, ensuring the project is delivered in a way that secures the health and safety of everyone affected by the work. You plan, manage, monitor and coordinate health and safety in the pre-construction phase, working with any other designers to eliminate foreseeable health and safety risks to anyone affected by the work, as well as taking steps to reduce or control potential issues.
This is exactly what the Principal Designer of the Year award seeks to recognise and celebrate. The judges are looking for an individual or firm that embodies all of the duties this role entails but also goes that little bit further to further the principles of the regulations. The winner of this category will be able to show how they were fully engaged and added value to the whole process, demonstrate understanding of design risk management, buildability and maintainability issues and involvement in industry wide initiatives.
Of course, the role of a Principal Designer only came into effect from April 2015. However, you should not feel that with just over a year’s experience under your belt, you don’t have the credentials to be an award winner. At APS, we know there is some excellent work happening by Principal Designers in the industry across the UK, and we’re keen to see your case studies.
As a Principal Designer, you play a vital role in health and safety, working to ensure that all construction workers return home safely each and every day. By entering your work into the National CDM Awards, you’re showcasing examples of inspirational good practice while providing others in the industry with a benchmark of excellence to work towards, helping to drive up standards and improve the Design and Construction Health and Safety Risk Management sector – this is your chance to celebrate success.
You can download the entry form from the APS website and are required to return completed submissions (or re-submissions) to Laura Hardie at APS by 24 June 2016. I wish you the very best of luck.
