The obligation
Designers must prepare and provide a safe design report (construction safety report) to the commissioning PCBU, covering hazards, risks and controls for the structure's lifecycle, for onward provision to the principal contractor.
The WHS Regulation (SA) requires designers to provide a construction safety report to the PCBU who commissioned the design, to be passed to the principal contractor. The Code of Practice: Safe Design of Structures specifies what information the report should contain, including hazard identification, risk assessments, recommended controls and residual risks for construction, operation, maintenance and demolition phases. Best practice is to address all lifecycle stages.
- What
- Designers must prepare and provide a safe design report (construction safety report) to the commissioning PCBU, covering hazards, risks and controls for the structure's lifecycle, for onward provision to the principal contractor.
- Source
- safeworkaustralia.gov.au
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safe design report
construction safety report
designer
principal contractor
Official sources
Frequently asked questions
Which WHS law does this come from?
Safe design report — mandatory information provision is a WHS requirement set out in Safe design of structures (SA). It is made under Work Health and Safety Act 2012 (SA). The relevant provision is Safe design of structures > Safe design report § 4.
What does this WHS obligation require?
Safe design report — mandatory information provision is a WHS obligation under Safe design of structures (SA). In short, Designers must prepare and provide a safe design report (construction safety report) to the commissioning PCBU, covering hazards, risks and controls for the structure's lifecycle, for onward provision to the principal contractor.
What changed recently?
Safe design report — mandatory information provision was last updated on 26 August 2026.
