How to compile a construction Health & Safety File

A Health & Safety File is the pack of documents a contractor must keep on site and hand to the client for a construction project in South Africa. It is required under Construction Regulation 7 of the Construction Regulations 2014 (OHS Act, 1993), and clients will not let work start without it. Here is how to compile one, step by step.

1Gather your company & statutory documents

Collect your COIDA Letter of Good Standing, public liability insurance, CIDB registration, tax clearance and company registration. These prove your business is registered and covered before you set foot on site.

2Make the legal appointments in writing

Appoint your CEO 16(1), construction manager 8(1), supervisor 8(2), risk assessor, health & safety officer, first aider, SHE representative and fall protection planner — each in a signed letter of appointment as required by the OHS Act and Construction Regulations 2014.

3Write your OHS policy and health & safety plan

Sign an OHS policy and prepare a site-specific health & safety plan in terms of Construction Regulation 7, addressing how you will manage safety for this project, plus your emergency, fall-protection and PPE arrangements.

4Do the risk assessments and method statements

Prepare a baseline risk assessment (Construction Regulation 9) and task-specific risk assessments for each activity — excavation, mobile plant, work at height, water supply and so on — with hazards, risk ratings and control measures, backed by method statements.

5Compile medicals, competencies and inductions

Include a valid medical certificate of fitness and the relevant competency certificates for every worker and operator, plus your site induction and toolbox-talk records.

6Set up your registers

Add the incident/injury register, PPE issue register and inspection registers for plant, ladders, electrical and fire equipment — kept and updated on site.

7Index, assemble and submit

Assemble everything in order with a contents page and hand the compiled file to the client before work begins. Keep it current for the duration of the works.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Using generic risk assessments that don't match the actual scope of work
•Expired COIDA Letter of Good Standing or medical certificates
•Appointments that aren't signed or don't reference the correct regulation
•Missing the site-specific health & safety plan (Reg 7)
•No registers kept and updated on site

Do it in minutes, not days

CertSure generates the appointment letters, policies, plans and registers, builds a risk assessment from your scope, and pulls in your operators' and fleet compliance — compiled into one submission-ready PDF.

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FAQs

Is a Health & Safety File a legal requirement?

Yes. Under Construction Regulation 7 of the Construction Regulations 2014 (OHS Act, 1993), the principal contractor must keep and maintain a Health & Safety File on site. Clients require it before construction work may start.

How long does it take to compile a safety file?

Manually it can take days of drafting and chasing documents. With software like CertSure, the standard documents and risk assessment are generated and the file is compiled into one PDF in minutes.

Who is responsible for the safety file?

The principal contractor compiles and maintains it, with legal appointees responsible for their sections. The client's agent may audit it before and during the works.