CDM/General/TBT-CDM-005

Health and Safety File

CDM & Legal Framework › General › Health and Safety File

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The Health and Safety File is a document containing information about health and safety risks that must be managed during future maintenance, repair, or demolition.
CDM 2015 requires the principal designer to prepare the file, with contributions from contractors throughout the construction phase.
The file is handed to the client at project completion and must be kept available for anyone carrying out future work on the structure.
Contents include as-built drawings, details of hazardous materials, structural information, and locations of hidden services.
Information about asbestos, lead paint, post-tensioned elements, and contaminated ground must be recorded in the file.
Details of temporary works left in place, such as ground anchors or buried structures, must be included.
The file must be proportionate to the project — a simple domestic extension requires less information than a major infrastructure project.
Contractors must provide relevant information from their work activities to the principal designer for inclusion in the file.
The file benefits future workers by alerting them to hazards they cannot see — hidden services, structural limitations, and residual contamination.
Failure to prepare and hand over the Health and Safety File is a breach of CDM 2015 and constitutes a criminal offence.

Protect future workers	The file warns future maintenance workers about hidden hazards they would otherwise discover the hard way — sometimes fatally.
Legal requirement	CDM 2015 mandates the file's preparation and handover — failure to comply is a criminal offence carrying unlimited fines.
Residual hazards	Post-tensioned cables, asbestos remnants, buried services, and structural limitations remain dangerous for the building's entire lifespan.

Don't

Contribute relevant health and safety information from your work to the principal designer.
Record the location of hidden services, structural elements, and hazardous materials.
Document any asbestos, lead, or contaminated materials remaining in the structure.
Include details of any temporary works left in place such as ground anchors.
Provide as-built drawings showing the actual constructed positions of key elements.
Ensure the file is proportionate to the project size and complexity.
Hand the completed file to the client at project completion or handover.
Keep information accurate and up to date throughout the construction phase.
Include details that would help someone carrying out future maintenance safely.
Treat the file as a valuable safety document, not a paperwork burden.

DON'T withhold information that should be included in the Health and Safety File.
DON'T fail to record the location of hidden services and structural elements.
DON'T omit details of hazardous materials remaining in the completed structure.
DON'T forget temporary works left in place — they must be documented for future reference.
DON'T submit drawings that do not reflect the actual as-built construction.
DON'T make the file unnecessarily complex — keep it proportionate to the project.
DON'T fail to hand the file to the client at completion — this is a legal duty.
DON'T provide inaccurate information — the file must be reliable for future users.
DON'T leave out details that could prevent injury to future maintenance workers.
DON'T treat the file as an afterthought — build it throughout the project.

See also: CDM 2015 Awareness | Construction Phase Plan Awareness

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