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What do I have to do? Advice for employers

2. Health and safety management


Council Directive 92/57/EEC highlights the coordination required by the various parties at the project preparation stage and during construction.

Project preparation phase
  • Good standards of safety and health on a construction project start with the decisions made by the client. It is at this stage that the safety and health climate of a project is established. It is important to select contractors that are able to carry out the work competently.

  • Sufficient time should be given for the planning process. The designer, safety and health coordinator and contractor should be appointed as early as possible. This should enable the project design to be discussed and to ensure that the specification and schedule of works for the project is as safe as possible.

  • Hazards should be eliminated whenever possible, and risks from hazards that cannot be eliminated should be reduced. If they are significant, information should be provided on residual risks.

Construction phase
  • Managers need to ensure that the work is planned, organised, controlled, monitored and reviewed. All persons at work should be trained and competent, and consulted on safety and health matters. There should also be coordination on health and safety issues between the different employers carrying out work.

Post-construction (maintenance) phase
  • All buildings should be designed to allow maintenance work to be carried out safely. The same principles of safety management that applied during the construction also apply here. Information from the client about the structure is important. Take into account the presence of non-workers who may be present and affected by maintenance work.