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Construction Regulations 2014 Compliance Checklist

HSE Compliance Resources · ZeroLapse

The Construction Regulations 2014, made under the OHS Act, apply to every contractor on a construction site — principal contractor and every subcontractor with employees on site. They require site-specific health and safety documentation to exist before work starts, not to be assembled after an inspector asks for it. Here's what needs to be in place.

Before work begins

Health and Safety Plan. The principal contractor must have one covering the whole project, per Regulation 7 — not a generic template, a plan specific to this site.
A safety file per contractor. Every contractor with employees on site, including subcontractors, must open and maintain their own safety file before their work starts.
Legal appointments in writing. Site supervisor, safety officer, first aiders, and other required roles need signed, dated appointment letters — not just a verbal understanding of who's responsible.
Baseline risk assessment. A site-wide risk assessment covering the general hazards of the project, done before task-specific assessments.
Medical fitness certificates. All employees must have a "fit for work" medical certificate (Annexure 3) before starting on a construction site.

Ongoing, throughout the project

Task-specific risk assessments and safe work procedures. Updated as new activities start, not written once at the beginning.
Fall protection plan. Required for any work where someone could fall 2 metres or more, compiled by a competent person and kept site-specific.
Inspections of scaffolding, temporary works, ladders, and excavations. Regular, recorded, not just done once at setup.
PPE issued and logged. Not just handed over — recorded, with a way to track replacement.
Incident reporting and recordkeeping. Every near-miss and incident logged, with corrective actions recorded before anything is marked closed.
Subcontractor safety files verified. The principal contractor is responsible for confirming every subcontractor actually has a compliant file — not just assuming they do.

The common failure point isn't any single item on this list — it's keeping all of it current at once. A safety file that was complete on day one but hasn't been updated as the project moved into new phases is exactly what an auditor or Department of Employment and Labour inspector is trained to spot.

Keep every appointment, certificate, and PPE record current automatically

ZeroLapse tracks legal appointments, training certificates, and PPE against every employee and role — with automatic alerts before anything lapses, so your site documentation stays audit-ready without manual chasing.

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This article is general information for South African employers and isn't legal advice. Requirements vary by project and site — consult the Department of Employment and Labour or a qualified HSE professional for guidance specific to your business.