Towards a unified approach – Guidance for applying CDM2015 to offshore wind

In the absence of industry-specific safety regulations, UK offshore wind farms must be developed in compliance with the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015).

The guidance behind CDM 2015 has been developed and optimised for more traditional construction projects like housing, schools and hospitals. It is less well suited to more complex energy projects, which leaves its application to offshore wind open to interpretation.

It is the responsibility of developers of offshore wind projects to demonstrate regulatory compliance. This technical paper sets out how we believe CDM 2015 should be interpreted for such projects. We present a framework and associated guidance for what developers need to do to achieve the intent of the regulations and demonstrate assets are safe.