Workplace Safety and Health Guidelines on Design for Safety

The Workplace Safety and Health (Design for Safety) Regulations 2015 emphasize the importance of collaboration among stakeholders such as developers, designers, and contractors to ensure safety throughout the lifecycle of any structure. From the planning and design phases through to construction, operation, maintenance, and eventual demolition, the regulations aim to minimize risks to safety and health.

The key objectives of the regulations include:

• Assigning responsibility for workplace safety and health (WSH) to those who create potential risks, such as designers and planners.
• Promoting sustained improvements in workplace safety by encouraging better coordination among stakeholders, ensuring risks are identified and managed early in the design and planning stages.
• Enhancing the management and planning of safety and health risks across every phase of a construction project, from its initial design to the ongoing maintenance of the completed structure.

By focusing on managing WSH risks upstream—before construction begins—the regulations seek to prevent hazards and reduce accidents throughout the construction and maintenance phases of a structure’s life. This proactive approach improves safety outcomes for workers and ensures that structures, once completed, remain safe for those who use and maintain them.

This training course will provide participants with an understanding of their duties under the DfS Regulations and equip them with the knowledge to work together effectively. By fostering better collaboration among all involved parties, stakeholders will learn how to design and construct safer buildings that meet regulatory standards and provide safe workplaces for future users and workers.

The course is essential for stakeholders in construction and design, offering guidance on meeting legal obligations and implementing best practices for safety throughout the lifecycle of a building or structure.