As the bulk of the information we are required to include in our H&S files is held within the O&M manuals (and to avoid duplicating information), is it an acceptable practice to include the H&S file itself within the O&M manuals, with references and links etc? I understand that these are two distinct documents, however a colleague and I see this as a practical solution and have noted a couple of examples of this where this has been done, with the combined file “O&M manual incorporating the H+S file”. Is there any industry guidance suggesting this is OK?

Thanks.

Your industry?

A safety file for a product is not the same as a safety file for a construction similarly an O&M for a product is not the same as that for a building

JPB

Nowhere in CDM does it say that the Health and Safety File(s) should be one or more separate documents.

However CDM (and supporting guidance in L153) does say what the purpose of the HSF is - essentially a repository of information that will be useful for those planning and executing any future work on a "project" associated with a "structure", both words in quotes being defined in CDM so that "project" tells you that means "construction work" and not e.g. routine maintenance of plant. 

So, possibly the best way of looking at this, is what the relevant client and their Principal Designer will need to see and share come the next project, with documentation suitably signposted so that they are not looking for needles in haystacks.

NOTE - for many larger projects there may be more than one client as defined in CDM, not necessarily all paying for the work being done. Each will need suitable legacy documentation.

So, as example an engineering construction project might be a pipeline with infrastructure at each end and possibly at at intermediate locations. To get approval to cross land the person who wants to build the pipeline might need to agree to alter the access to a landowner's property. Perhaps the diversion or extension of a permanent road - itself a "structure". So that landowner is a "client" as defined in CDM and needs HSF information.

So, somebody on the project should be thinking about who all the stakeholders who will be responsible for maintenance of the assets delivered or altered as part of the project and decide what information they will need.