A health and safety file (the same thing as a safety file) — what it is, what's inside, and the law behind it.
Yes. “Health and safety file”, “safety file” and “safety file” all refer to the same thing — the complete set of health and safety documents for a construction project, kept on site as the record of how risk is being managed. The terms are used interchangeably across the industry.
A complete file includes the health and safety policy, the legal appointments, the construction health and safety plan, risk assessments and method statements for the high-risk activities, inspection checklists and registers, induction and toolbox-talk records, incident and emergency procedures, and the COIDA Letter of Good Standing — with trade-specific documents added for the actual work.
The health and safety file sits under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993 and the Construction Regulations 2014. Principal contractors, clients and inspectors use it as the single reference point for a project's safety compliance — and most sites won't let a contractor start without one.
Site-specific hazard identification, risk rating and controls.
Read more GuideReady-to-run safety briefings that keep your crew and file compliant.
Read more GuidePlant, scaffold, ladder and fire-equipment checks, recorded.
Read more GuideThe documented safe-work methods for every high-risk task.
Read more GuideWhat an audit checks — and how a proper file passes it.
Read more GuideThe OHS Act and Construction Regulations 2014, explained.
Read moreWe build a site-specific safety file for every trade and deliver to every town in South Africa.
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