Higher-risk buildings in design and construction Dutyholders
The Act allows for a new dutyholder regime to be incorporated across the lifecycle of higher-risk buildings. This is based on the principle that the person or entity that creates a building safety risk should, as far as possible, be responsible for managing that risk.
	Many aspects of the regime, as described below, will be taken forward through secondary legislation. The description here is intended to provide an overall explanation of how the Government intends to use the powers in this Act in England.
	When buildings are designed, constructed or refurbished, those involved in the commissioning, design, construction or refurbishment process will have formal responsibilities for compliance with building regulations. These provisions will apply to all work to which building regulations apply, and these dutyholders will include those appointed under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015). The main dutyholder roles under CDM 2015 are:
	Client - Any person or organisation for whom a construction project is carried out, including as part of their business.
	Principal Designer - Appointed by the Client under CDM 2015, when there is more than one contractor working on the building project. Role is to plan, manage, monitor and coordinate the pre-construction phase, when most design work is carried out. The Principal Designer is in control of the pre-construction phase.
	Principal Contractor - Appointed by the Client under CDM 2015, when there is more than one contractor working on the building project. Role is to plan, manage, monitor and co-ordinate the construction phase. The Principal Contractor is in control of the construction phase.
	Designer - Carries on a trade, business or other undertaking in connection with which they prepare or modify a design or instruct any person under their control to prepare or modify a design
	Contractor - Manages or controls construction work (e.g. building, altering, maintaining or demolishing a building or structure). Anyone who manages this work or directly employs or engages construction workers is a contractor.
	Dutyholder roles may be fulfilled by either an individual or an organisation/legal entity. A dutyholder can hold more than one role in a building project. The Principal Designer will be a designer and will therefore also have designer duties; and the Principal Contractor will also be a contractor and will therefore also have contractor duties.
	The Act also confers power to introduce general duties in relation to planning and managing work to which building regulations are applicable, to ensure compliance with the requirements of building regulations. This is to ensure that dutyholders engage with the requirements and the safety and performance outcomes they are trying to secure, and do not view building regulations as a tick-box exercise.