The health and safety file is the information about a building that people will need to work on it safely in the future: residual risks, hazardous materials, and how to access, maintain, replace and dismantle things. In the UK it is required by CDM 2015 for projects with more than one contractor; it is prepared during the project and handed to the client, who keeps it for the life of the building.
At a glance
| Kept by | The client, for the life of the building |
| Prepared by | The principal designer (UK), with designers and contractors |
| Used by | Maintenance contractors, future designers, demolition contractors |
| Handed over | At completion, and updated after later work |
| Not the same as | The O&M manuals (how to operate) or the construction phase plan |
What it contains
- Residual risks that could not be designed out, and how to manage them.
- Hazardous materials used or found, and where (for example lead paint, treated timber).
- Structural information that affects alteration or demolition, such as transfer structures or prestressed elements.
- Access and removal: how to reach, isolate and replace plant and equipment.
- Services: where hidden services run, and isolation points.
It should contain only what is useful to someone planning future work. Copies of every certificate and every method statement make it longer, not safer.
How it is used on projects
- During design and construction, information is collected as decisions are made, not compiled at the end.
- With BIM, the useful parts are attached to the assets, spaces and elements they concern, so a technician sees the note when a work order is raised in the CAFM, as well as in the file itself.
- After handover, the client updates it after each project or change.
Variations
Outside the UK, similar duties exist under other names (for example a post-intervention file or building safety information). The principle is the same: pass on what future workers need to know.
Common mistakes
- One huge PDF that nobody opens when the work is planned.
- Generic statements ("asbestos may be present") instead of specific ones ("no asbestos; lead paint on steel in plant room 00.12").
- Compiled in the last week, after the people who know the answers have left.
- Not updated after later works, so it no longer describes the building.
Where to read more
- The UK Health and Safety Executive's guidance on CDM 2015 (the health and safety file).
- Your country's construction health and safety regulations for the equivalent document.
- Asset information requirements on the project, where safety information can be included as required data.