Health and safety

It is of primary importance for surveyors to take responsibility for the health and safety of themselves and those under their duty of care. All professionals should be familiar with the current edition of the RICS professional standard Surveying safely and adhere to the principles.

Residential property managers should also be familiar with Health and safety for residential property managers. This provides practical guidance around health and safety management for most types and configurations of residential properties.

Legal responsibilities for health and safety may arise for a surveyor providing health and safety advice and/or who is considered to be in control of a building or workplace. This will include advice given to owners, landlords and tenant/occupiers.

The main statutory provisions in the UK are:

Specific regulations to be aware of include (but are not limited to):

Good health and safety management means applying appropriate and proportionate controls for risk and injury in a way that supports business and ensures legal compliance.

Health and safety obligations and responsibilities arise in both criminal and civil law. Breaching legislation carries criminal penalties, including a fine and/or imprisonment.

Health and safety requirements for residential buildings are stringent, primarily because they provide living and sleeping spaces for occupiers. It is our legal, ethical and moral duty as surveyors to keep users of residential buildings safe from harm.

This section is maintained by Jen Lemen of Property Elite.