O&M and H&S File Guide
What is the difference and what should be in each one
Operations and Maintenance (O&M) information and the Health and Safety File are often discussed together at handover, but they serve different purposes and support different decisions across a building’s life.
Confusion between the two is common. When responsibilities are unclear or records are merged into a single handover pack, critical information becomes hard to find, difficult to trust, and risky to rely on.
This guidance explains, in plain English, what each document set is for, what should be included, and how they should work together without duplication.
Why two document sets exist
The O&M manual exists to support the safe operation and maintenance of the building in day to day use.
It enables practical decisions such as:
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How systems operate and are controlled
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What must be inspected, tested and serviced
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What commissioning evidence proves systems perform as intended
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What maintenance regimes, warranties and certificates apply
The Health and Safety File exists to support the safe planning and delivery of future work.
It is a statutory record under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 and is intended to inform:
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Future construction, maintenance and refurbishment work
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Alterations, penetrations and changes that could introduce risk
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Demolition or significant intrusive activity
A simple rule helps avoid confusion.
If information enables safe operation and maintenance, it belongs in the O&M manual.
If it enables safe planning of future works, it belongs in the Health and Safety File.
If it supports both, it should be stored once and clearly cross referenced.
Responsibilities and handover
Clear responsibility is essential if information is to remain usable.
Health and Safety File
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Curated under the responsibility of the Principal Designer
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Populated with residual risk information and key design decisions from designers and specialists
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Handed to the client as a live record for future works
O&M manual
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Coordinated and collated by the Principal Contractor
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Supplied with technical content from the supply chain
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Accepted by the client or operator as the basis for safe operation and compliance
The person assembling the folders is rarely the person who holds the evidence. Defining responsibilities early avoids late data chasing and incomplete records.
What goes where
The two document sets should be clearly separated, each with its own index.
Health and Safety File typically includes
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Residual risks that remain after design and construction
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Key design decisions that affect future work
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Significant hazards and how they should be managed
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Locations of hidden services and safety critical elements
O&M manual typically includes
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System descriptions and operating guidance
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Commissioning results and test evidence
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Planned maintenance and statutory inspection requirements
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Asset registers, certificates, warranties and supplier information
Where records are relevant to both, one authoritative source should be used, with references rather than duplicate copies.
Fire safety and Regulation 38
Fire safety information is one of the clearest tests of handover quality.
The Health and Safety File should explain what must not be undermined by future works.
The O&M manual should explain what must be inspected, tested and maintained during occupation.
Regulation 38 is satisfied when the Responsible Person receives sufficient information to operate and maintain the building safely, supported by clear as built records, commissioning evidence and maintenance requirements.
Why this matters
Poorly structured O&M and Health and Safety information leads to:
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Uncertainty for building operators
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Repeated surveys and avoidable cost
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Risk carried forward into future projects
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Weak evidence when scrutiny arrives from regulators, insurers or dutyholders
Good information is not paperwork. It is part of the building’s safety infrastructure.
Download the full Operations & Maintenance and Health & Safety File guide
This page provides an overview only.
The full Operations & Maintenance and Health & Safety File guide sets out:
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Detailed responsibilities and acceptance checks
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Clear examples of what belongs where
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Sector specific considerations
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Practical collation and stewardship guidance
Download the full guidance to understand what good looks like and how to organise information so it remains usable throughout a building’s life.
Our approach
NBR guides are published to support clarity, consistency, and confidence across the property sector.
They reflect publicly available legislation and statutory guidance and are intended to support understanding and good practice. They are not legal advice and should always be read alongside the latest guidance published by the Building Safety Regulator and GOV.UK.
Where information is treated with care, structure, and accountability, safety management becomes predictable, defensible, and sustainable.
More building safety guidance
Explore our full Knowledge Hub for guidance on Safety Cases, risk management, dutyholder responsibilities, and Building Safety Regulator expectations.