Aipedia: Principal designers and building safety

AI-drafted pre-construction information

Aipedia, by the Apex broking team · Last reviewed 2026-10-27

AI can draft pre-construction information quickly, but CDM 2015 requires a principal designer to pass on the information relevant to this site, not a generic list. A missed hazard can lead to injury, an HSE investigation and a civil claim.

Part of: AI in principal design and building safety

In short

Under CDM 2015 reg 11(6) the principal designer assists the client in providing pre-construction information and passes it promptly to designers and contractors. Under reg 12 the PD prepares a health and safety file appropriate to the project. AI tools can draft both, but tend to produce familiar hazards and miss site-specific ones, such as survey exclusions or adjoining structures. HSE enforces CDM. A PD using AI should start from the site, carry survey limitations through word for word, and have someone who knows the project review every section.

How AI is used for pre-construction information

Pre-construction information (PCI) and the health and safety file are among the most template-driven documents a CDM principal designer produces. AI tools are being used to draft PCI packs from a project brief, pull hazards from site survey reports, and assemble health and safety file content from manufacturer data and design reports.

This can save hours on routine sections. The problem is that the value of PCI lies in what is specific to the site: the buried services, the fragile roof, the adjoining structure, the asbestos survey limitations. An AI draft built on generic patterns tends to produce the familiar hazards and miss the unusual ones. The AI for principal designers overview covers how this fits with other PD uses of AI.

The duties that apply

CDM 2015 reg 11(6): the PD must assist the client in providing the PCI required by reg 4(4), and provide PCI promptly and in a convenient form to every designer and contractor appointed or being considered for appointment.
Reg 11(3): the PD must identify and eliminate or control foreseeable risks, so far as reasonably practicable.
CDM 2015 reg 12(5) to (10): the PD prepares a health and safety file appropriate to the characteristics of the project, keeps it reviewed and updated, passes it to the principal contractor if the PD appointment ends early, and to the client at the end of the project.

HSE enforces CDM 2015. Apex's guide to CDM principal designer PI covers the wider PI position for CDM PDs.

What can go wrong

Illustrative scenario. A PD on a refurbishment of an occupied office uses an AI tool to draft the PCI from the client's brief and a standard template. The draft covers working at height, manual handling and dust, but the refurbishment and demolition asbestos survey had excluded a ceiling void, and that limitation is not carried into the PCI. A contractor disturbs material in the void. HSE investigates, and the PD's PCI is examined to see what was known and passed on.

How PI usually responds

PI is designed for civil claims. If a contractor or client claims the cost of delay or remediation caused by deficient PCI, a PD's PI would usually respond as a negligence claim, subject to the wording. Criminal fines from a CDM prosecution are generally not insurable, and whether a policy pays legal costs of responding to an HSE investigation depends on its terms. There is no statutory PI requirement for PDs, so check that your policy describes the CDM PD role.

Practical controls

Start from the site, not the template: list the site-specific hazards first.
Carry survey limitations and exclusions into the PCI word for word.
Have a person who knows the project review every AI-drafted section.
Remove generic content that adds nothing for the reader.
Keep a record of what was issued to whom and when.
Link PCI to the design risk register (see AI design risk registers).
On home projects, check the template fits (see AI templates on domestic projects).
Plan how the health and safety file will be handed on (see AI-drafted handover documents).

How Apex helps

Apex arranges PI for CDM principal designers. A broker can check how your policy responds to claims arising from PCI and health and safety file content, and what it says about regulatory investigation costs.

Sources

Frequently asked

Is the PD responsible for providing pre-construction information?

The client must provide PCI under CDM 2015 reg 4(4). The PD must assist the client in doing so and provide PCI promptly and in a convenient form to designers and contractors under reg 11(6).

Can AI draft the health and safety file?

It can help assemble content, but reg 12 requires the file to be appropriate to the characteristics of the project and kept up to date. Generic content can bury key information, so a person should review what goes in and what stays out.

Does PI cover HSE fines?

Fines are generally not insurable. Some policies may contribute to legal costs of responding to an investigation, depending on the wording. Civil claims for losses caused by deficient PCI would usually fall under PI, subject to the policy terms.

Check your PI covers how you use AI

Tell us about your firm and the work you do. A broker will review how your current PI treats AI-assisted work, or arrange new cover. No fee for a quote. Or call 0117 325 0027.

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Apex Insurance Brokers Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England and Wales, company number 07014570. This page is general information about how AI is used in the profession and how insurance may respond. It is not legal, regulatory or insurance advice on your circumstances, and it does not guarantee that cover will be available or on what terms.