The documents
What is an F10 notification?
Short answer
An F10 is the notice a client gives to HSE before a notifiable construction project begins. A project is notifiable under regulation 6 of CDM 2015 if the construction work is scheduled to last longer than 30 working days and have more than 20 workers working simultaneously at any point, or to exceed 500 person days. It is submitted through HSE's online form, and on a notifiable project a copy has to be displayed where site workers can read it.
The thresholds
Regulation 6(1): a project is notifiable if the construction work on a construction site is scheduled to last longer than 30 working days and have more than 20 workers working simultaneously at any point in the project, or exceed 500 person days.
The first limb is an and. Both halves must be true together. A four month job with a crew of six passes the 30 day test and fails the 20 worker test, so it is only notifiable if it also exceeds 500 person days.
Run the arithmetic on your project.
Who notifies
The client, under regulation 6. HSE's guidance notes that in practice the client may ask someone else to notify on their behalf, which is common: a principal designer, a principal contractor or a consultant will often complete the form.
On a domestic project regulation 7(1) moves the regulation 6 duty onto the contractor, or the principal contractor where there is more than one, or the principal designer where there is a written agreement. So on domestic work the duty is usually the builder's, not the homeowner's.
Submitting is not the same as holding the duty. Somebody completing the form for you does not move the legal duty. It stays where regulations 6 and 7 put it.
How it is submitted
Through HSE's online F10 form. HSE no longer processes paper forms and does not accept notification by email or post. The notice has to be given as soon as is practicable before the construction phase begins, and updated if the particulars change.
On a notifiable project a copy of the notice must be displayed in a comprehensible form where it can be read by any worker engaged in the construction work.
What notification does not change
This is the commonest misunderstanding in small project CDM. Notification is a separate test from everything else. A project can be notifiable and simple, or not notifiable and complex. In particular:
- Whether a principal designer must be appointed depends on the number of contractors, not on notifiability.
- Whether a construction phase plan is needed does not depend on notifiability either.
- A health and safety file follows the more than one contractor test, not the F10 threshold.
Most domestic projects need a principal designer, a construction phase plan and a health and safety file, and are nowhere near notifiable.
Sources
- CDM 2015, regulation 6: notification legislation.gov.uk
- CDM 2015, regulation 7: application to domestic clients legislation.gov.uk
- HSE: how to notify a project (F10) hse.gov.uk
- Managing health and safety in construction, L153 HSE guidance on the Regulations
Check the threshold
The free checker does both tests, shows the arithmetic, and tells you plainly whether the project is likely to be notifiable.
Open the F10 checker →Not sure yet? read about the F10 service.