The Safety and Health Plan is a reference document for safety and health on a construction project. All construction professionals are, or should be, very familiar with it. In this article, we will highlight some of the most important aspects to consider regarding Safety and Health Plans.
Content of the Safety and Health Plan
The Safety and Health Plan for a construction project is a document that compiles the risks and preventive measures specific to the execution of the work to be undertaken. This document must be prepared taking into account the general principles applicable during the execution of a project, as set out in Article 10 of Royal Decree 1627/1997.
Relationship with the Safety Study or Basic Safety Study
The Safety and Health Plan must be based on the safety study or basic safety study previously prepared by the safety and health coordinator or competent technician appointed by the developer.
In this regard, according to Royal Decree 1627/97 on safety and health in construction works, the Safety and Health Plan must analyze, study, develop, and complement the provisions contained in the study or basic study, based on its own method of project execution. As mentioned, it must be carried out “In application of the safety and health study or, where applicable, the basic study.”
Alternative Prevention Proposals
However, this document also includes proposals for alternative prevention measures. These must be accompanied by “the corresponding technical justification, which cannot imply a reduction in the levels of protection provided in the study or basic study.” Likewise, “the proposals for alternative prevention measures will include their economic valuation, which cannot imply a reduction in the total amount”.
Recommended Structure of a Safety and Health Plan
Although the Safety and Health Plan must be based on the safety and health study, there is no obligation for the structure of both documents to coincide. The Safety and Health Plan, above all, must have a structure that makes it a useful and dynamic document. It is a document that should serve to plan, organize, and control activities affecting safety and health on the project.
Nevertheless, considering the issues raised in this article, it should include the different parties involved in the project and their obligations. Aspects such as work procedures, auxiliary work equipment, plans, budget, etc., should appear. A possible general structure to develop in the Safety and Health Plan would be the following:
- Preventive Report. This section would include, at a minimum, a description of the project. It should also include the prevention management system to be followed on the project, along with any necessary prevention procedures. These should cover aspects related to emergency response measures, actions prior to and during the execution of the work, and any deemed appropriate operational instructions and work methods.
- Economic Valuation. This part of the document will contain the measurements and the economic budget.
- Graphic Documentation. Finally, it is important to highlight the significance of graphic documentation in the Safety and Health Plan. This is the part of the document where plans, sketches, or descriptive sheets will appear. This information will be of great use for correctly implementing the preventive measures outlined in the report.
Who Prepares the Safety Plan
The preparation of a construction project’s Safety and Health Plan is the responsibility of each contractor. This means there will be as many safety plans as there are contractors. Furthermore, each contractor must provide their subcontractors and self-employed workers with the relevant part of the document.
As specified in Royal Decree 1627/97, “The Safety and Health Plan must be approved, before the start of the work, by the safety and health coordinator during the execution of the work.” In the case of a project where a safety and health coordinator is not required, approval will fall to the project management.
In public works, the Safety and Health Plan is approved by the public administration awarding the contract, following a favorable report from the Safety and Health Coordinator. In any case, the document will remain at the “permanent disposal of the project management”.
