Health and Safety File

A health and safety file is a comprehensive document that contains all safety-related information, records, and procedures for a specific project or workplace. You will normally find it in the onsite office or die H&S Officer of a construction site.

It ensures compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHS Act) and other relevant regulations, promoting a safe working environment.

1. Setting up a health and safety system: You can handle health and safety on the job site with a health and safety file.
2. Contacts and Tenders: If you want to work on a building site, many contracts or tenders say you need to have a health and safety file. You won’t be able to get these big contracts or awards without this file

Any employer or contractor involved in construction or high-risk industries in South Africa needs a safety file.

High risk inudstries would be construction, manufacturing and chemicals.

This includes small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in sectors where workplace safety is critical to prevent accidents and ensure compliance with OHS requirements.

A safety file is typically prepared by the employer or contractor responsible for the workplace or project.

Often, this task is delegated to a qualified Safety, Health, and Environment (SHE) professional who ensures that all safety regulations and guidelines are met. 

This includes training and educating the workers on the contents of the file.

A safety file for construction must include documents proving legal compliance and project-specific safety controls. In South Africa, the safety file requirements include:

• Appointment letters (e.g. First Aider, Safety Officer)
• Risk assessments
• Incident and accident reports
• Registers (PPE, tools, machinery)
• Health & safety policy
• Safety plan

It’s a legal requirement for construction sites under the Construction Regulations of the OHS Act.

You can explore the contents of a Health and Safety file here.

To compile a health and safety file South Africa, follow these steps:

1. Start with a safety file index
2. Add your legal appointments
3. Include a health & safety policy
4. Add risk assessments and safety plans
5. Insert required registers and inspection records
6. Ensure ongoing updates during the project

Company Partners provides fully compliant safety files tailored for your industry.

A valid health & safety policy must:

1. Be in writing if you employ more than 20 workers
2. Be signed by top management
3. Show commitment to health and safety
4. Outline duties of employer and employees
5. Be reviewed regularly

This is a legal requirement under Section 7 of the OHS Act in South Africa.

The HSE policy in South Africa refers to a company’s Health, Safety, and Environmental policy, which outlines how it will protect its workers, the public, and the environment. According to the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), Act 85 of 1993, every employer must ensure a safe workplace. This means having a written health & safety policy if you have more than 20 employees, clearly showing your commitment to managing workplace risks and responsibilities.