Which parties must the Principal Contractor liaise with?

• A. Subcontractors and suppliers.
• B. Client and principal designer.
• C. Local residents.
• D. Insurance broker.

Answer: (B)

The key idea here is coordination of health and safety across design and construction under CDM requirements. The Principal Contractor must liaise with the Client, who funds and sets the project’s objectives, ensuring safety requirements are understood and that information on safety expectations is shared. They also must liaise with the Principal Designer, who leads the design phase and identifies hazards. By staying in touch with the Principal Designer, the Principal Contractor can obtain essential design-related information to plan safe construction work, integrate required controls into the construction phase plan, and address any design risks that affect on-site safety.

Subcontractors and suppliers, local residents, and an insurance broker may interact with the project, but they are not the formal duty-holders the Principal Contractor is required to liaise with for ensuring safety coordination across design and construction.