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CDM 2007 – Safety in Design for Pile Foundations and Embedded Retaining Walls

Designers of pile foundations and embedded retaining walls can contribute tremendously to safer working conditions on any project that they are involved with by: -

• minimizing hazards as part of the design process;
• engaging in effective communication with other members of the project team.

These designers possess particular skills of foresight and vision, usually borne out of experience, which can be used to bring about beneficial changes to the culture of the foundations sector of the construction industry and improve conditions for everyone involved throughout the complete lifecycle of any structure. It is important to realize that engineering skills must be underpinned with an understanding of how design decisions can affect the health and safety of people during construction, use, maintenance, re-use or demolition.

This guidance note is aimed at designers of pile foundations and embedded retaining walls to help them fulfill their responsibilities, using advice from appropriate and suitably competent sources as necessary.

This document and the associated list of possible hazards relates to the consideration of risk management during the design process as distinct to risk management during the execution of civil engineering works. This combined aide memoir has been produced to assist designers but given the unique nature of each individual project can not be considered exhaustive. The designer must consider the issues relevant to every new situation when engaging in the risk management process.

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