What’s the difference between a H&S file and O&M manuals?

There are the same, aren’t they? 

For many years these two services have been interchangeable with Clients, Contractors and even Principal Designers, when in fact, they are very different. 

The Health and Safety File (H&S file) is a legal requirement under Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. As part of any project, the H&S file should be set up at the start of the project and updated throughout. The Principal Designer is responsible for establishing and updating the H&S file. If the Principal Designer’s appointment concludes before the end of the project, then the Principal Contractor take the responsibility for finishing the H&S file and passing to the client when the project finishes. 

So, what goes into the H&S file?

It’s any information which is needed to plan and carry out future work safely and without risks. That could be associated with the end use of the building, cleaning, maintenance and even any risks with demolition or taking down. Within the regulations there is a mandate on what the Principal Designer should include in the H&S file. 

However, the level of detail should be proportionate to the risks. The file should not include things that will be of no help when planning future construction work such as pre-construction information, the construction phase plan, contractual documents, safety method statements etc. Again, this is often not followed, and many H&S files are overpopulated with irrelevant information. A good H&S file should be concise, easy to use, and clearly inform the client over any residual hazards within the building. 

So, what are O&M’s?

O&M’s are operation and maintenance manuals for the building and any infrastructure within or associated with the building. This is not a legal requirement, but a contractual one. Therefore, each O&M manual/package may contain different information dependent on what the client wants, the materials used in the building and the level of detail required. There is no legal structure for the O&M manuals. Within the O&M manuals you should expect to find information on testing and commissioning, warranties and manufacturers literature. It is the responsibility of the Principal Contractor to collate this information from the individual contractors involved in the project. The O&M manuals will then go back to the client at the end of the project. 

Some of the information asked for in the collation of the O&M’s will be needed for the H&S file, which is where maybe some of the confusion takes place. The Principal Designer has no legal input into the O&M information, only the H&S File. However, the Principal Contractor must legally give the relevant information for the H&S file to the Principal Designer. 

At the end of a project the client will be given two items:

• H&S file – completed by the Principal Designer (legally required)

• O&M Manuals – completed by the Principal Contractor (contractually required) 

Many Principal Contractors and Principal Designers often underestimate the time involved in getting the two sets of documents together, particularly if they have left it last minute in the project. Experience has taught us that the more planning has taken place, then the higher the quality and content of both the H&S file and the O&M manuals. They shouldn’t be anything to be scared of, but support is available if you need it. 

For further advise or consultation on the above, please don’t hesitate to contact Laura.