Core curriculum topic: Health, safety and wellbeing

To help you gain the skills you need to practise architecture now and in the future as a RIBA Chartered Member, we have defined 10 mandatory core curriculum topics to address through CPD.

The topic Health, safety and wellbeing helps you understand your legal, professional and ethical duties in relation to construction site and workplace safety and wellbeing. The topic also covers developing and managing appropriate strategies, processes, tools and systems, as designers, Principal Designers, architects, business and employers.

Health, safety and wellbeing (incorporating the Health and Life Safety mandatory competence knowledge schedule*)

This competency potentially covers:

Background

The Grenfell Tower tragedy, the Edinburgh Schools Inquiry and the review of the building safety regulatory regime all revealed the need to raise general levels of professional competence in relation to building safety. The RIBA mandatory competence in health and life safety and this associated knowledge schedule have been developed to help ensure RIBA Chartered Architects are safe when visiting sites and that they are competent to design buildings that are safe to construct, inhabit, use and maintain.

*Preparing to visit site

Site surveys and research
Plan of work
Site occupation and vacant sites
Clothing, equipment and personal protective equipment
Weather conditions
First aid

*Undertaking site visits

Lone working
Personal site safety
Person responsible for control of the site
Induction and orientation
Site behaviour, communication and emergencies
Safety signage
Navigating around site, vehicles and mobile plant
Inspecting construction work
Post site visit activity

*Site hazards

Site assessment
Site contamination
Falls from height
Slips and trips
Unsafe Structures
Excavations
Enclosed spaces
Confined spaces
Respiratory hazards (dust and fumes)
Noise
Hazardous substances
Fire safety
Manual handling
Geological, man-made landscape or hydrological features
Flora and fauna

*Design risk management

Advising clients
Principles of design risk management
General principles of prevention
Hazard awareness and risk identification
Significant hazards and risks
Communication and co-ordination (including meetings, residual risk registers, drawings and models)

*Statute, Guidance and Codes of Conduct

Statute and the regulatory environment (legislation under the Building Act and Health and Safety at Work Act)

o The Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare)
Regulations 1996

o The Management of Health and Safety at Work
Regulations 1999

o The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

o Work at Height Regulations 2005

o Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act
2007

o Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012

o Personal Protective Equipment Regulations 2002

o Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous
Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR)

Statutory and non-statutory guidance

o Approved Documents

o British, European and International Standards

o Professional guidance

o Trade and product guidance

Codes of conduct

*CDM Regulations

Duty Holders – their roles and responsibilities
Regulation 8 – General duties
Regulation 9 – Designer duties
Regulation 11 – Principal Designer duties
Differences for domestic’ projects
Absolute and qualified duties in CDM 2015
Understanding of the concept of “so far as is reasonably practicable” (SFARP) and its application
Pre-Construction Information- deliverables
Notification of HSE by client
Construction Phase plan
Pre-construction information and the health and safety file

Building Safety

Building Safety Dutyholders
Building Safety Competence
Higher Risk Buildings and Gateways
Construction Product Regulations

* Principles of Fire Safety Design

Ignition, development and spread of fire
Fire performance of construction materials
Design for fire safety
Fire safety information (Regulation 38 of the Building Regulations)

The RIBA has published a Health and Safety Guide to improve standards and help members prepare for this Mandatory Competence test.

Practice management

Employers’ and employees’ responsibilities
Risk assessments
Fire safety strategy and legislation
Electrical safety
COSHH
First aid
Lone working
Staff safety out of office – on site (CSCS) and/or surveying
Mental health and wellbeing
Visiting the site safely; provision and use of PPE

Health, safety and wellbeing accreditation systems

RIBA Health and Safety Test
Safety schemes in procurement including CHAS, SSIP, SMAS
Considerate Constructors
Safe Contractor
CSCS card scheme
BS OHSAS 18001 – to be replaced by ISO 45001
Occupational health and safety management systems (2018)
WELL Building Standard

Find CPD on this topic

You must take two hours of CPD on this topic every year.

Find RIBA accredited CPD on Health, safety and wellbeing through RIBA Academy.

Related courses include:

Podcasts, videos, articles, and other offers can also contribute towards your CPD requirements.