Major Infrastructure & Civil Engineering

Safety in The Right Hands

Major infrastructure projects demand more than health and safety compliance. They require strong leadership, effective coordination and a clear understanding of how risk changes as a project moves from design and enabling works through construction, commissioning and handover. Arco Safety provides specialist Health, Safety and CDM support for complex infrastructure and civil engineering projects across the UK.

We work alongside Clients, Principal Designers, Principal Contractors, contractors and project teams to help create environments where work can be delivered safely, efficiently and with confidence.

Our approach is practical. We don't believe good health and safety is measured by the amount of paperwork a project produces. It is measured by how effectively risks are understood, communicated and controlled where the work actually happens. Safety in The Right Hands.

0333 224 7593

Health & Safety Support for Complex Projects

Infrastructure projects rarely involve a single activity, contractor or risk.

They involve interfaces.

Multiple contractors. Changing work fronts. Temporary works. Heavy plant. Lifting operations. Excavations. Electrical systems. Work at height. Logistics. Simultaneous operations. Public interfaces. Commissioning activities. Programme pressures.

Individually, these risks may be familiar.

It is the interaction between them that often creates the greatest challenge.

Arco Safety helps project teams identify those interfaces early, establish clear standards and maintain effective control as the project develops.

We provide independent, experienced support that helps leadership understand not only whether systems are in place, but whether those systems are actually working.

Planning or delivering a major infrastructure project? Speak to Arco Safety about CDM, HSE and project assurance support.

0333 224 7593

Managing High-Risk Construction Activities

Major infrastructure and civil engineering projects can expose workers, contractors and the public to significant risk.

Our consultants provide support across activities including:

• Excavations & Groundworks — support with excavation planning, temporary support systems, underground services, access, plant interfaces and safe systems of work.
• Temporary Works — helping project teams establish effective temporary works arrangements, coordination, inspection and control.
• Lifting Operations — review and assurance of lifting plans, crane operations, appointed person arrangements, lifting accessories and complex lifting activities.
• Work at Height — support for scaffolding, MEWPs, temporary access, fall prevention, rescue arrangements and other work-at-height activities.
• Plant & Vehicle Management — helping projects manage the interaction between pedestrians, mobile plant, delivery vehicles and construction operations.
• Electrical Safety — supporting electrical installation, temporary electrical systems, isolation arrangements, energisation and safe working practices.
• Confined Spaces — reviewing entry arrangements, risk controls, emergency procedures and rescue planning.
• Demolition & Structural Alteration — supporting the planning and control of demolition, dismantling and structural modification activities.
• Construction Logistics — reviewing site access, deliveries, traffic management, storage, lifting zones and interfaces between contractors and operational environments.

0333 224 7593

Independent Project Assurance

Sometimes leadership needs more than another inspection. It needs an accurate picture of what is actually happening. Arco Safety can provide independent HSE assurance across projects, contractors or programmes of work.

Our reviews can examine:

• CDM compliance
• Leadership and accountability
• Contractor management
• Site standards
• Risk management
• RAMS quality and implementation
• Permit systems
• Temporary works
• Lifting operations
• Work at height
• Electrical safety
• Occupational health
• Incident and near-miss management
• Workforce engagement
• Safety culture
• Organisational drift
• Corrective action close-out

We don't simply identify deficiencies. We help establish what needs to change, who is responsible and how improvement will be measured.

Need an independent view of your project? Arco Safety can assess what your management system says should be happening against what is actually happening on site.

0333 224 7593

Supporting the Entire Project Lifecycle

Concept → Design → Mobilisation → Construction → Commissioning → Handover

Health and safety should not begin when construction starts.

Arco Safety can support projects from early concept and design through procurement, mobilisation, construction, commissioning and final handover.

Early involvement allows us to help Clients and project teams establish clear expectations from the outset rather than trying to correct problems once construction is underway.

0333 224 7593

Who We Work With

Our Major Infrastructure & Civil Engineering support is suitable for:

• Infrastructure owners and operators
• Developers
• Tier 1 contractors
• Principal Contractors
• Civil engineering contractors
• Engineering organisations
• Utilities
• Energy and power projects
• Rail and transport infrastructure
• Highways and associated infrastructure
• Industrial developments
• Data centre infrastructure
• Major construction programmes
• Complex engineering projects

Whether Arco Safety is providing independent assurance to the Client or embedded support to a Principal Contractor, our role remains the same: help the people responsible for the project understand risk and make better decisions.

0333 224 7593

Experienced Where It Matters

Major projects require consultants who are comfortable working within complex project environments.

Arco Safety brings experience gained supporting major construction, infrastructure, industrial and engineering projects in the UK and internationally.

We understand the expectations placed on Clients, Principal Contractors and supply-chain partners operating within demanding project environments.

More importantly, we understand that successful HSE management requires the ability to work with everyone from boardroom to site workforce.

Because safety cannot exist only in a management system.

It has to work where the work happens.

0333 224 7593

Major Infrastructure & Civil Engineering Health & Safety FAQs

Does CDM 2015 apply to infrastructure and civil engineering projects?

Yes. Where a project includes construction work falling within the scope of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, the relevant CDM duties apply. This includes many infrastructure, civil engineering, construction, demolition, maintenance and engineering activities.

The scale of a project does not determine whether CDM applies. Instead, the nature of the work and the project arrangements determine the duties that need to be fulfilled.

When does an infrastructure project need a Principal Designer?

Where a construction project involves, or is likely to involve, more than one contractor, the Client must appoint a Principal Designer with control over the pre-construction phase and the appropriate skills, knowledge, experience and organisational capability for the project.

The Principal Designer plans, manages, monitors and coordinates health and safety during the pre-construction phase.

When is a Principal Contractor required under CDM 2015?

Where a construction project involves more than one contractor, the Client must appoint a Principal Contractor.

The Principal Contractor has responsibility for planning, managing, monitoring and coordinating health and safety during the construction phase.

Can Arco Safety support an existing Principal Contractor?

Yes. Arco Safety can work alongside an existing Principal Contractor and project leadership team, providing specialist HSE advice, site assurance, audits, inspections, contractor reviews, RAMS assurance, incident investigation and additional HSE resource.

Our role can be tailored to the project's requirements and existing management structure.

Can Arco Safety provide independent HSE assurance for a Client?

Yes. Independent assurance can help Clients understand whether the health and safety arrangements established for a project are operating effectively in practice.

Arco Safety can review areas including CDM compliance, leadership, contractor management, risk controls, site standards, high-risk activities, safety culture and corrective-action management.

What are the main health and safety risks on civil engineering projects?

The risk profile depends on the project, but common areas include excavations, temporary works, lifting operations, heavy plant, vehicle movements, work at height, electrical systems, confined spaces, demolition, underground and overhead services, construction logistics and interfaces between different contractors.

Major projects can create additional risk through the interaction between these activities.

Effective coordination is therefore just as important as controlling inpidual hazards.

Can Arco Safety support a project from design through to completion?

Yes.

Arco Safety can provide support across the project lifecycle, including concept, pre-construction, design, procurement, mobilisation, construction, commissioning and handover.

Early involvement can provide greater opportunity to eliminate or reduce risks before they become construction issues.

Does Arco Safety provide infrastructure HSE support across the UK?

Yes.

Arco Safety supports construction, infrastructure, engineering and industrial projects across the UK, with additional capability to support projects internationally where required.

What is independent HSE project assurance?

Independent HSE project assurance provides Clients and senior project leadership with an objective assessment of whether agreed health and safety arrangements are working effectively.

Rather than looking solely at documentation, Arco Safety considers the relationship between management systems, leadership, contractor behaviour and what is actually happening where the work is being carried out.

The objective is to identify weaknesses, emerging risks and opportunities for improvement before they develop into more significant problems.

Why use Arco Safety for a major infrastructure project?

Arco Safety combines practical construction and HSE experience with a straightforward approach to risk management.

We believe effective health and safety should support successful project delivery rather than create unnecessary bureaucracy.

We work with Clients, Principal Designers, Principal Contractors, contractors and project teams to understand risk, strengthen controls and provide leadership with greater confidence that what should be happening is actually happening.

0333 224 7593

Safety in The Right Hands

We believe effective health and safety should enable good projects—not get in their way.

It should provide leadership with confidence.

Give project teams clarity.

Give contractors consistent expectations.

And give the people carrying out the work confidence that risks are being properly managed.

That is what Safety in The Right Hands means to us.

0333 224 7593

Infrastructure Safety Questions, Answered

What CDM support do you give infrastructure clients?

CDM compliance reviews, client dutyholder support, pre-construction information, competence assessments, design risk management, Principal Designer support, Construction Phase Plan reviews, Health and Safety File support and CDM project audits.

Which high-risk activities do you cover?

Excavations and groundworks, temporary works, lifting operations, work at height, plant and vehicle management, electrical safety, confined spaces, demolition and construction logistics.

Can you support just one phase of a project?

Yes. We can support individual phases or provide HSE support through the whole lifecycle, from design and enabling works to commissioning and handover.

Can you give us an independent view of our project?

Yes. Our independent HSE assurance compares what your management system says should be happening with what is actually happening on site.