The Health and Safety Executive has delayed implementation of the revised Construction (Design and Management) regulations by up to six months.

The CDM regulations, which govern safety in construction design, will now be introduced in spring next year instead of October this year to give officials more time to finalise the regulations and prepare the industry for changes. This follows a three-month industry consultation on proposed changes to the regulations.

Stephen Williams, HSE chief inspector of construction, said:

"The HSE and its partners believe we are well on the way to producing a set of replacement regulations that will achieve those objectives, but we would be selling ourselves short if we rushed the proposals through."

The HSE intends to make a draft of the code available three months in advance of the regulations coming into force.

Stephen Ratcliffe, chief executive of the Construction Confederation, said: "We recognise the importance of getting these changes right."

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