Health & Safety File: contents, responsibilities and handover

Original CDMlogic guide · updated 5 October 2026 · Great Britain CDM / England Building Regulations where stated

What is the Health & Safety File?

The CDM Health & Safety File retains project information that people need to consider for safe future construction work, such as maintenance, refurbishment or demolition. It should explain the relevant building conditions and remaining risks clearly enough for the next team to use.

Under CDM 2015, a file is required for projects involving more than one contractor. It is not the construction phase plan or a general archive of everything produced during the project.

Who prepares it, and who keeps it?

The CDM Principal Designer prepares the file during the pre-construction phase and reviews and updates it as the project progresses. The Principal Contractor supplies relevant construction information. Other designers and contractors contribute information needed for the file through the project’s agreed coordination arrangements.

If the Principal Designer’s appointment ends before the project finishes, the file passes to the Principal Contractor, who continues its review and update. At completion, the Principal Designer, or Principal Contractor in that situation, hands it to the client. The client keeps it available for those who need it for future work and passes it to the new owner when disposing of their interest in the structure.

What information belongs in the file?

Select information for its relevance to future health and safety. Depending on the project, consider:

• A concise description of the work actually carried out.
• Significant remaining hazards and information about how they were addressed.
• Key structural principles, relevant load limits and structural constraints.
• Hazardous materials used or known to remain, with their location and relevant information.
• Information needed for safe removal or dismantling of installed equipment.
• Health and safety information about equipment provided for cleaning or maintenance.
• The location and nature of significant services, including relevant markings or identification.
• Relevant as-built drawings and information about safe access to the structure.

A label such as “as-built” does not establish accuracy. Identify the source, revision, scope and any limitations, and obtain the appropriate review for the information’s intended use.

What should you leave out?

General project correspondence, contractual documents, routine construction method statements and the full PCI pack do not belong in the file simply because they exist. An operations and maintenance manual may contain relevant information, but including the whole manual without signposting can obscure what the next team needs.

Use an index and clear references. Keep the useful future-safety information easy to find, readable and proportionate to the work.

Worked example: a changed maintenance arrangement

Fictional project: refurbishment introduces plant in a location different from the original design. The file coordinator asks the relevant contributors for the final equipment location, reviewed maintenance-access information, pertinent structural limitations and references to the final drawings.

A practical handover review

1. Agree the file structure, format and contributors early in the project.
2. Track relevant information while design and construction changes are happening.
3. Check references against the final work and resolve missing or conflicting information.
4. Identify any remaining limitations clearly and communicate them to the client.
5. Record the issued version, recipient and arrangements for keeping and accessing the file.

How CDMlogic supports the record

CDMlogic provides a Health & Safety File tracker with owners, review dates, status and linked evidence. It helps keep contributions and handover actions visible. The team prepares and reviews the actual file; software does not automatically produce a complete or compliant handover.

Use the PCI checklist to identify useful existing information at the start, and the design risk worked example to connect design decisions to information others may need.

Official source: HSE L153, regulation 12 and Appendix 4: the health and safety file.

Continue your project review

• Health & Safety File contents and handover guide
• Worked design risk register example
• CDM software for architects
• CDM Principal Designer software
• Pre-construction information checklist
• Design risk register guide
• CDM and Building Regulations Principal Designer roles
• CDM workflow for architectural practices

General workflow information, not a project-specific determination. Check current official guidance and obtain appropriate professional advice for your project.