What Goes Into a Compliant Health & Safety File
A Health & Safety File is more than a folder of paperwork — it is the project's record of how risk is being managed, who is accountable for what, and what happens if something goes wrong. Below is a practical checklist of the core sections every compliant file should include.
1. Health & Safety Specification and Plan
The client's Health & Safety Specification, and the principal contractor's Plan in response, setting out how the project will be managed from a safety perspective.
2. Legal appointments
Signed appointment letters for the 16.1 and 16.2 appointees, construction manager, supervisors, SHE representatives and any other required roles, together with an up-to-date organogram.
3. Risk assessments and method statements
The baseline risk assessment for the site, plus task-specific risk assessments and method statements for higher-risk activities — reviewed and updated as the project progresses.
4. Training and induction records
Proof that every worker on site has received a site-specific induction, and that appointees and specialists hold the relevant training and certification for their roles.
5. Inspection registers
Regular inspection records for scaffolding, ladders, lifting equipment, electrical installations, PPE and any other equipment relevant to the site.
6. Incident and emergency procedures
An incident and near-miss register, together with emergency procedures, evacuation plans and first-aid arrangements specific to the site layout and risks.
Keeping the file alive
The biggest risk to a Health & Safety File is not what's missing on day one — it's what stops being updated once construction is underway. A file that was compliant at handover but hasn't been touched since is one of the most common findings in site audits. Building in regular maintenance from the start avoids this entirely.
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