The Safety File: What It Must Contain and Who Is Responsible for It
Understand what a Safety File must contain under the Construction Regulations 2013, who prepares it, and what happens to it when a project is complete.
# The Safety File: What It Must Contain and Who Is Responsible for It ## What Is the Safety File? The Safety File is a record of information about a completed structure that will be needed by anyone who carries out construction work on it in the future. Its purpose is to ensure that the hazards associated with maintaining, altering, or demolishing the structure are known and can be managed safely. The requirement for a Safety File comes from the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2013. Regulation 14 of those Regulations requires the Project Supervisor for the Design Process (PSDP) to prepare a Safety File for every project to which the Regulations apply. The Safety File is not a record of how safely the project was managed during construction. It is a forward-looking document: a resource for future duty-holders who will work on the structure after it is complete. --- ## When Is a Safety File Required? A Safety File is required for every construction project to which the 2013 Regulations apply. The Regulations apply to all construction work in Ireland, including new build, refurbishment, alteration, demolition, and maintenance work. There is no minimum size threshold for the Safety File requirement. Even a relatively modest project, such as the refurbishment of a commercial premises or the construction of a small industrial unit, requires a Safety File if a PSDP has been appointed. In practice, a PSDP must be appointed where: - The construction phase is likely to last longer than 30 working days and have more than 20 workers simultaneously on site at any point, or - The volume of work is likely to exceed 500 person-days, or - The work involves particular risks listed in Schedule 1 of the 2013 Regulations Where a PSDP is required, a Safety File is required. The two go together. --- ## Who Is Responsible for the Safety File? The PSDP is responsible for preparing and maintaining the Safety File throughout the project. This is one of the PSDP's core statutory duties under Regulation 14 of the 2013 Regulations. In practice, the PSDP does not prepare the Safety File alone. The PSDP collects and co-ordinates information from designers, the PSCS, contractors, and specialist subcontractors, and assembles it into a coherent document. The PSDP is responsible for ensuring that the information is complete, accurate, and presented in a format that will be useful to future duty-holders. The PSCS has a duty to contribute to the Safety File by providing relevant information about the construction methods used, the materials installed, and any as-built changes to the design. Contractors and specialist subcontractors are required to provide the PSCS with the information needed for this purpose. On completion of the project, the PSDP must hand the Safety File to the client. The client then becomes responsible for keeping the Safety File safe and making it available to anyone who carries out future construction work on the structure. --- ## What Must the Safety File Contain? The 2013 Regulations do not prescribe a specific format for the Safety File, but they do require it to contain information that will be needed for future construction work on the structure. The HSA's guidance on the 2013 Regulations provides a useful framework for understanding what this means in practice. A well-prepared Safety File for a construction project will typically contain the following categories of information. ### As-Built Drawings and Specifications The Safety File should include drawings that accurately reflect the structure as it was actually built, not simply the original design drawings. Where changes were made during construction, the as-built drawings must reflect those changes. For a building, this will typically include architectural drawings, structural drawings, and mechanical and electrical drawings. For civil engineering projects, it will include drawings of the completed structure, including any underground services, drainage, and foundations. ### Structural Information The Safety File should include information about the structural design of the building or structure, including: - The design loads and the basis of the structural design - The location and specification of structural elements, including columns, beams, load-bearing walls, and floor slabs - Any structural limitations that future designers or contractors need to be aware of, such as maximum imposed loads or restrictions on making openings in walls - The location of any post-tensioned concrete or other structural systems that require special care during future alterations ### Services Information The Safety File should include comprehensive information about the building services installed in the structure, including: - The location and routing of all underground and concealed services, including electrical cables, gas pipes, water pipes, drainage, and telecommunications infrastructure - The specifications of the services installed - The location of isolation points, valves, and switches - Any hazardous materials used in the services installation This information is particularly important for future maintenance and alteration work, where workers may need to locate and isolate services before carrying out work nearby. ### Hazardous Materials The Safety File should identify any hazardous materials incorporated into the structure, including: - Asbestos-containing materials (even in new buildings, certain products may contain trace amounts of asbestos) - Lead-based paints or coatings - Timber treatments or preservatives - Any other materials that present a risk to health during future maintenance or demolition For older buildings being refurbished, the Safety File should include the results of any asbestos surveys carried out before or during the project. ### Maintenance and Access Requirements The Safety File should include information about how the structure should be maintained safely, including: - The location and specification of any permanent access equipment, such as roof access hatches, fixed ladders, and anchor points for fall arrest systems - The maintenance requirements for plant and equipment installed in the building - Any specific safety precautions required for routine maintenance tasks - The location of any confined spaces within the structure ### Demolition Information Where the structure is likely to be demolished in the future, the Safety File should include information that will assist in planning the demolition safely, including the structural system, the location of any post-tensioned elements, and the presence of any hazardous materials. --- ## Common Deficiencies in Safety Files In practice, Safety Files are frequently incomplete or inadequate. The most common deficiencies include: | Deficiency | Why It Matters | |---|---| | As-built drawings not updated to reflect construction changes | Future contractors cannot rely on the drawings to locate services or structural elements | | Services information incomplete or inaccurate | Workers carrying out future maintenance may strike buried services | | Hazardous materials not identified | Future workers may be exposed to asbestos or other hazardous substances without warning | | Structural limitations not documented | Future alterations may inadvertently compromise structural integrity | | Safety File not handed over to client on completion | The information is lost; future owners have no record | --- ## What Happens to the Safety File After Completion? On completion of the project, the PSDP must hand the Safety File to the client. The client must then: - Keep the Safety File in a safe place - Make the Safety File available to any person who carries out or plans to carry out construction work on the structure - Update the Safety File if further construction work is carried out on the structure If the building is sold, the Safety File should be transferred to the new owner as part of the conveyancing process. The Safety File should be treated as a permanent record that stays with the building throughout its life. --- ## The Safety File and Future Construction Work The practical value of a well-prepared Safety File becomes clear when future construction work is planned. Before any maintenance, alteration, or demolition work begins, the duty-holders on the new project should review the Safety File to understand the hazards associated with the structure. A PSDP appointed for a future project should use the Safety File as a starting point for the Preliminary Health and Safety Plan for that project. The information in the Safety File about hazardous materials, structural limitations, and concealed services is directly relevant to the planning of future work. --- If you need a PSDP to prepare a Safety File for your project, or if you have inherited a building without a Safety File and need advice on what to do, Safety Check can help. We provide PSDP services to clients and contractors across Leinster and all of Ireland. [Contact us](/contact) to discuss your project.