Safety
Safety in Design (SiD)

Safety in Design (SiD)

Integrating Safety in Design for a safer, smarter build

What

Manage and Mitigate Safety Risk Across the Asset Lifecycle

We have specialist Safety in Design expertise across buildings, structures and major infrastructure projects. We effectively manage safety design risk across the entire asset lifecycle to save cost, reduce harm and optimise performance.

Why

Why Safety in Design Matters?

Many end users, maintainers, operators, builders, designers, and commissioners struggle with poor design impacting health and safety. Addressing risks early allows all stakeholders projects to optimise performance.

How

How We Deliver Safety in Design Excellence?

We collaborate with a cross section of key stakeholders early in design to eliminate risk to truly understand each design element and potential impact across the asset lifecycle.

FAQs

1. What is Safety in Design (SiD)?

Safe design is the integration of hazard identification, risk assessment and control methods early in the design process to eliminate or minimise risks to health and safety throughout the construction and life of the structure being designed.

The designer should consider the design and its intended purpose, materials to be used, possible methods of construction, maintenance, operation and demolition and identify risks and control these risks through elimination, substitution, isolation, engineering, administration or personal protective equipment (PPE).

2. Why is Safety in Design important?

Effective Safety in Design (SiD) enables proactive management risk and can assist with:

Ill-health and injuries
User experience
Cost reduction
Innovation and shared learning
Legal risks
Productivity during design, construction, operation, use, maintenance, and end of life
Damage to property and the environment, and the attendant costs
Health, wellbeing and productivity of workers

Eliminating hazards – this is often cheaper and more practicable to achieve at the design or planning stage than managing risks later in the lifecycle, e.g., retrofitting health and safety solutions.

3. When should Safety in Design be applied?

Safety in Design should be applied as early as possible, ideally during:

Concept and feasibility stages
Detailed design and engineering
Procurement and modification phases

Early intervention is far more effective and cost-efficient than making changes later.

4. What are the key steps in the Safety in Design process?

A typical SiD process includes:

Identifying hazards associated with the design
Assessing risks across the lifecycle
Eliminating risks where possible
Implementing controls using the hierarchy of control
Documenting decisions and residual risks

This aligns with risk management principles embedded in standards like ISO 45001.

5. Who receives Safety in Design information?

It is a WHS legal requirement for the designer to provide a safety report to the person who commissions the work (PCBU). In addition to this, anyone who receives a copy of your design should also receive your safe design information. Safe Work Australia advise that you would be required to issue your safe design information with your plans to persons such as the client, certifier, Council and the builder.

There is often a confusion between roles, given the number of potential stakeholders involved with coordinating Safety in Design.

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Risk & Strategy

Safety in Design (SiD)

Summary of Duties Factsheet