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Free CDM health and safety file template

Free CDM 2015 health and safety file template (PDF-ready). Covers Regulation 12 duties, as-built records and residual risks. Download free.

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Updated 26 Oct 2026

CDM 2015 Health & Safety File

Regulation 12 - Health and safety file for the completed structure.

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0 of 18 checks

Description of Work Carried Out

1Brief description of the construction work completed
2Nature and extent of any demolition work undertaken

Residual Hazards & Risks

3Residual hazards and how they have been dealt with (e.g. buried services, fragile materials)
4Hazards associated with future maintenance, repair or renovation

Key Structural Principles

5Key structural design principles and safe working loads
6Pre-stressed or post-tensioned elements and locations
7Retaining wall and basement waterproofing details

Hazardous Materials

8Location and type of hazardous materials used or left in situ
9Asbestos register or confirmation of asbestos-free status

Cleaning & Maintenance Information

10Safe methods for cleaning windows, facades and at-height surfaces
11Maintenance access provisions (anchor points, cradles, walkways)
12Planned preventive maintenance schedules and frequencies

As-Built Drawings Register

13As-built architectural drawings (reference numbers and locations)
14As-built structural drawings (reference numbers and locations)
15As-built M&E services drawings (reference numbers and locations)

Services Information

16Locations and details of buried services and utilities
17Fire safety systems installed (alarms, sprinklers, compartmentation)
18Specialist equipment manuals and operating instructions

Compiled By (Principal Designer)

Signature

Print name

Date

Received By (Client)

Signature

Print name

Date

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Jarrod Milford

Jarrod Milford

Co-Founder & Commercial Director

Updated 26 October 2026
Also see:Compliance and inspections →Best inspection software →MapTrack vs SafetyCulture →

Short answer

A CDM health and safety file holds what a later project will need to know about a finished structure: as-built drawings, materials, services and isolation points, residual hazards and maintenance access. Regulation 12(5) of CDM 2015 requires the principal designer to prepare it, and regulation 4(5) requires the client to keep it available. It is built during the project and passed to the client at the end.

Checked against CDM 2015 (Current revised version as at 2026-10-26 (legislation.gov.uk, no outstanding effects listed)) on by the MapTrack templates team. How we check templates

Key takeaways

  • The MapTrack CDM health and safety file template contains 18 checks across 7 sections. Sections covered: Description of Work Carried Out, Residual Hazards & Risks, Key Structural Principles, Hazardous Materials, Cleaning & Maintenance Information, As-Built Drawings Register, Services Information.
  • The file is tied to the principal designer role, which CDM 2015 regulation 5 requires when more than one contractor works on a project.
  • If a non-domestic client fails to appoint a principal designer, the client takes on that role's duties; for domestic clients, regulation 7 applies instead.
  • At the end of the project the principal designer, or the principal contractor where there is none, passes the file to the client (regulation 12(10)).
  • A client who sells their interest in the structure hands the file to the buyer and explains what it is for (regulation 4(7)).

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Used by construction, mining and field service teams

Saunders InternationalMineral ResourcesSupagasHacer GroupMetro TunnelUltrabuilt

What is a CDM health and safety file template?

A CDM health and safety file is a document, or collection of documents, that records information about the completed construction project that is likely to be needed during any subsequent construction work, including maintenance, renovation, refurbishment or demolition. Under CDM 2015 Regulation 12(5) and (6), the principal designer must prepare, review, update and revise the health and safety file during the pre-construction and construction phases. Regulation 4(5) places a duty on the client to ensure the file is prepared, is appropriate to the project, and is kept available for inspection by anyone who may need it for future works. The file is handed to the client at project completion and must be kept and made available for the life of the structure.

The health and safety file is not a project safety management document; it is a legacy record for future use. It contains as-built drawings, details of the structure and materials used, information about utilities and services, details of maintenance facilities and access equipment designed into the structure, and records of residual hazards that could not be eliminated by design. Without an adequate health and safety file, future designers, contractors and building managers lack the information needed to plan safe maintenance and construction work on the completed structure. This can lead to foreseeable incidents during routine maintenance or future refurbishment, and places the original client in breach of their CDM duties.

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Benefits of using this CDM health and safety file template

  • Regulatory compliance: fulfil the client duty under CDM 2015 Regulation 4(5) and the principal designer duty under Regulation 12(5) to ensure a health and safety file is prepared and maintained.
  • Future safety: provide future designers, contractors and maintenance teams with the information they need to plan safe methods of work on the completed structure.
  • Residual risk records: document hazards that could not be eliminated by design, such as fragile roofing materials, asbestos left in situ, structural limitations and concealed services, so future workers are forewarned.
  • As-built accuracy: record the structure and materials as actually constructed, rather than as originally designed, capturing any changes made during the construction phase.
  • Maintenance planning: include details of maintenance access provisions, fall protection anchorage points, cleaning cradle systems and other facilities designed into the structure for safe ongoing maintenance.
  • Asset transfer: when a building is sold, leased or transferred, the health and safety file accompanies the structure and ensures the new owner or occupier has the safety information needed for their duties.

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What to include in a CDM health and safety file template

This CDM health and safety file template covers 8 key areas:

  • Project summary: project name, site address, client, principal designer, principal contractor, date of completion, brief description of the construction work carried out.
  • As-built drawings: final drawings showing the structure as actually constructed, including structural, architectural, mechanical, electrical and drainage layouts, with revision dates.
  • Structure and materials: details of the structural form, key materials used (including any hazardous materials left in place), loading assumptions, fire resistance ratings and any design constraints.
  • Services and utilities: location and specification of all services, including gas, electricity, water, drainage, telecoms, fire alarm, sprinkler and mechanical ventilation systems, with isolation points marked.
  • Residual hazards: a register of hazards that could not be eliminated by design, such as fragile roof materials, asbestos-containing materials left in situ, confined spaces, concealed structural elements and restricted access areas.
  • Maintenance and access provisions: details of permanent access equipment, fall arrest anchorage points, cleaning cradle tracks, roof access hatches, ladder access points and any maintenance requirements for building-specific systems.
  • Specialist equipment records: installation, commissioning and test certificates for lifts, escalators, pressure systems, lightning protection, fire suppression systems and any other equipment requiring periodic inspection.
  • Environmental and planning constraints: records of planning conditions, listed building restrictions, environmental designations, contaminated land remediation certificates and any ongoing monitoring requirements.

How to use this CDM health and safety file template

  1. Establish the health and safety file structure and format at the start of the project, in agreement with the client and principal designer.: Agree the file format (paper, digital PDF, building information model or asset management system) with the client during the pre-construction phase. Define the file contents based on the project scope and the information that will be needed for future maintenance and construction. Use a contents list aligned with the CDM 2015 requirements and the HSE guidance in L153.
  2. Collect and compile information progressively throughout the construction phase, including as-built drawings, material specifications, test certificates and commissioning records.: Do not leave file preparation until the end of the project. As each work package is completed, collect the relevant as-built drawings, product data sheets, test certificates and commissioning records from the contractor responsible. The principal designer should coordinate this collection, but the principal contractor should support by requiring contractors to submit information as a condition of their engagement.
  3. Document all residual hazards that could not be eliminated by design, including their location, nature and the precautions required for future work.: Review design risk assessments and method statements to identify residual hazards. For each one, record the hazard type, exact location, the reason it could not be eliminated, and the precautions that future workers will need to take. Common examples include fragile roofing, asbestos left in situ, structural voids, concealed pre-stressed or post-tensioned elements, and restricted headroom areas.
  4. Review and update the file before handover to ensure it is complete, accurate and proportionate to the project.: Before practical completion, the principal designer should review the file against the agreed contents list and confirm that all required information has been received. Check that as-built drawings reflect the final constructed condition, not the original design. Remove superseded information and ensure the file is clearly organised and easy to navigate for someone who was not involved in the original construction.
  5. Hand the completed health and safety file to the client and confirm they understand their duty to keep it available for future use.: At the end of the project, the principal designer must pass the health and safety file to the client. If the principal designer's appointment ends before the project does, the file passes to the principal contractor, who keeps it up to date and hands it to the client instead (Regulation 12(8) to (10)). Record the handover date and obtain the client acknowledgement of receipt. Advise the client that they must keep the file for the life of the structure, make it available to anyone who needs it for future construction work, and update it if further construction work is carried out.

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How often should you complete this plan?

The health and safety file is developed progressively throughout the project and is handed to the client at project completion. It is not a periodic document with a fixed review cycle. However, the principal designer should review the file at key project milestones, such as the completion of major work packages, to ensure information is being collected on schedule. After handover, the client must update the file whenever further construction, maintenance or refurbishment work is carried out on the structure that changes the information in the file. If the building is sold or transferred, the file must be passed to the new owner. The client should review the file periodically, typically every three to five years, to confirm it remains accessible, legible and up to date.

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Frequently asked questions

A CDM health and safety file is a record of information about a completed construction project that is likely to be needed for future construction work on the same structure, including maintenance, renovation and demolition. It is required under CDM 2015 Regulation 12(5) and must be prepared by the principal designer, who the client must appoint where there is, or will be, more than one contractor. The file typically contains as-built drawings, structural and material details, services locations, residual hazard records, maintenance access provisions and specialist equipment certificates.

The principal designer is responsible for preparing, reviewing, updating and revising the health and safety file throughout the project. If the client fails to appoint a principal designer where one is required, the client must fulfil the principal designer duties (Regulation 5(3)). The client has a separate duty under Regulation 4(5) to ensure the file is prepared, is appropriate and is kept available for future use. The principal contractor should support the principal designer by requiring contractors to submit as-built information and relevant records as work packages are completed.

The health and safety file must be handed to the client at or before the end of the project, typically at practical completion. The principal designer should aim to have a substantially complete file ready for handover at practical completion, with any minor outstanding items delivered during the defects liability period. The client must then keep the file for the life of the structure and make it available to anyone who needs it for future construction or maintenance work.

When a building or structure is sold, leased or transferred, the client must pass the health and safety file to the person who acquires the client's interest in the structure so they can fulfil their own duties as client for any future construction work. If the file cannot be located or has not been maintained, the new owner should consider commissioning surveys and assessments to recreate the essential safety information, particularly asbestos surveys, structural assessments and services records.

Yes. CDM 2015 does not prescribe the format of the health and safety file. It can be a physical folder, a digital PDF collection, a record within a building information model (BIM) or an entry in an asset management system. The key requirement is that the file is accessible, legible and can be made available to anyone who needs it for future works. Digital files should be stored in a format that will remain readable over the life of the structure, with appropriate backup and access controls. MapTrack supports digital document management that can house the health and safety file alongside ongoing asset and inspection records.

Hazards that could not be eliminated by design and that future workers need to know about, such as fragile roof materials, asbestos-containing materials left in place, confined spaces, structural voids, concealed pre-stressed or post-tensioned elements, and restricted access or headroom. For each one, record the hazard type, its exact location, why it could not be eliminated and the precautions future workers will need to take.

No. It is a legacy record for future use, not a document for managing safety during the build. It holds the information likely to be needed for later construction work on the structure, including maintenance, refurbishment and demolition: as-built drawings, details of the structure and materials, services and utilities, maintenance access designed into the building, and the residual hazards that could not be designed out.

Progressively, from the pre-construction phase through to handover, not at the end. Regulation 12(5) of CDM 2015 requires the principal designer to prepare the file during the pre-construction phase, and regulation 12(7) requires the principal contractor to give the principal designer relevant information during the project. As each work package is completed, collect its as-built drawings, product data sheets, test certificates and commissioning records. Making that a condition of engagement for each contractor helps the file be close to complete at handover.

Applicable regulatory standards

This template is a starting point. Check the current requirements that apply to your equipment, work and location. The template alone does not establish compliance.

  • The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015

    Edition: Current revised version as at 2026-10-26 (legislation.gov.uk, no outstanding effects listed)

    The principal designer prepares, updates and hands over the file; the client keeps it available and passes it on if it sells the structure.

    • reg 12(5): The principal designer must prepare a health and safety file with information likely to be needed in any later project.
    • reg 4(5): The client must ensure a construction phase plan is drawn up and the principal designer prepares a health and safety file.
    • reg 12: Construction phase plan and health and safety file duties of the principal contractor and principal designer.
    • reg 4(7): A client disposing of its interest in the structure hands the health and safety file to the new owner and makes sure they understand it.
    • reg 5(1): Where more than one contractor works, or is reasonably foreseeable, on a project, the client must appoint a principal designer and principal contractor in writing.
    • reg 5(3): If the client fails to appoint a principal designer, the client must carry out the principal designer duties in regulations 11 and 12.
    • reg 12(6): The principal designer must review, update and revise the health and safety file to take account of the work and any changes.
    • reg 12(10): At the end of the project the principal designer, or the principal contractor if there is none, passes the health and safety file to the client.

    legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives)

  • Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

    Edition: Current revised version as at 2026-10-26 (legislation.gov.uk)

    General duties to employees and others that the file helps future duty holders meet.

    • s 2: General duty of employers to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of their employees.
    • s 3: General duty of employers and the self-employed to persons other than their employees who may be affected by their work.

    legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives)

  • The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999

    Edition: Current revised version as at 2026-10-26 (legislation.gov.uk)

    Risk assessment for later work on the structure draws on the residual hazards the file records.

    • reg 3: Employers and relevant self-employed persons must assess risks; employers with five or more employees must record significant findings and any groups especially at risk.

    legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives)

Each source was read at its publisher and the page checked on 26 October 2026. The publisher's current text is the authority.

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<div style="max-width:480px;font-family:system-ui,-apple-system,'Segoe UI',Roboto,sans-serif;border:1px solid #E5E7EB;border-radius:12px;padding:20px;background:#ffffff;">
  <p style="font-size:12px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0.05em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#071D49;margin:0;">Free template</p>
  <p style="font-size:18px;font-weight:700;color:#071D49;margin:6px 0 0;">CDM health and safety file template</p>
  <ul style="margin:12px 0 0;padding-left:18px;color:#374151;font-size:14px;line-height:1.6;">
    <li style="margin:4px 0;">Project summary: project name, site address, client, principal designer, principal contractor, date of completion, brief description of the construction work carried out.</li>
    <li style="margin:4px 0;">As-built drawings: final drawings showing the structure as actually constructed, including structural, architectural, mechanical, electrical and drainage layouts, with revision dates.</li>
    <li style="margin:4px 0;">Structure and materials: details of the structural form, key materials used (including any hazardous materials left in place), loading assumptions, fire resistance ratings and any design constraints.</li>
    <li style="margin:4px 0;">Services and utilities: location and specification of all services, including gas, electricity, water, drainage, telecoms, fire alarm, sprinkler and mechanical ventilation systems, with isolation points marked.</li>
    <li style="margin:4px 0;">Residual hazards: a register of hazards that could not be eliminated by design, such as fragile roof materials, asbestos-containing materials left in situ, confined spaces, concealed structural elements and restricted access areas.</li>
    <li style="margin:4px 0;">Maintenance and access provisions: details of permanent access equipment, fall arrest anchorage points, cleaning cradle tracks, roof access hatches, ladder access points and any maintenance requirements for building-specific systems.</li>
  </ul>
  <p style="font-size:13px;color:#6B7280;margin:14px 0 0;padding-top:12px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;">Free <a href="https://www.maptrack.com/templates/cdm-health-safety-file-template" style="color:#071D49;font-weight:600;text-decoration:none;">CDM health and safety file template</a> by MapTrack</p>
</div>

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The MapTrack CDM health and safety file template contains 18 checks across 7 sections.

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MapTrack CDM health and safety file template, https://www.maptrack.com/templates/cdm-health-safety-file-template
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MapTrack. (2026). CDM health and safety file template [Checklist template]. Retrieved from https://www.maptrack.com/templates/cdm-health-safety-file-template

Free to reuse with credit under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. If you’d rather link straight to it, the page is https://www.maptrack.com/templates/cdm-health-safety-file-template.

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