Evans

Your question could be an exam question and one that could take several pages to answer!!

Personally I don't consider that e.g. the SWL of an overhead crane should be in a CDM Health and Safety File, but rather be in Operations and Maintenance Manuals though possibly with cross-reference between the HSF and O&M Manuals.

For many projects, there should be more than one HSF, as there are likely to be multiple structures as defined in CDM.

But the Regulations point to the purpose of the HSF being about future construction work, also as defined.

So, taking your overhead crane as an example, its purpose will rarely, if ever, be for construction work. 

This is a not untypical scenario where there is a strong argument for progressive handover of HSF(s) and O&M Manual(s).

Of course the O&M people can refuse to work but this may come at a financial cost.

So, this is about making sure that Contracts say what is to be provided for the purposes of CDM and its parent legislation and when.

Timely delivery of the HSF(s) has probably been the greatest single problem with CDM since its first 1994 iteration.

To add to the above.

I start collecting documents as the project progresses, looking at the programme it is not too difficult and the work is fresh in the minds of the contractors.  I keep hold of that info until I have it all or until the PD requires it.  If required earlier than that I can send what I have.  No point at all in me keeping hold of it.

 I get paid when I have sent it ha ha.