Description

Building designs can affect the health and safety of workers constructing, maintaining and demolishing buildings.

This is recognised in the Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA), which was introduced in 2015. It sets out the principles, duties and rights in relation to work health and safety. Although the HSWA focuses on the design of workplaces rather than domestic dwellings, it is important legislation to keep in mind when designing any type of building.

Health and safety by design is the process of using design to manage health and safety risks throughout the life cycle of a structure, plant, substance or other product. In the context of designing a building, this means considering the health and safety risks throughout the construction, lifetime use, maintenance, and demolition and disposal of a building.