The DfS Register, Explained
The DfS Register is the working record of a project's design-risk review process — not a box-ticking form filed away at the end, but a live reference that should stay useful long after Temporary Occupation Permit.
A DfS Register collects the Design Risk Records, review minutes and residual-risk information generated through the DfS review process. It should be kept current throughout design and construction, made available for lawful inspection, and handed to the Developer in an up-to-date state at project completion.
What a DfS Register may contain
Design Risk Records
Foreseeable design risks identified during review meetings, with design residual risks clearly indicated.
Meeting minutes / review notes
A record of who attended each DfS review meeting, what was discussed and what was decided.
Residual-risk information
Risks that could not be reasonably eliminated through design, together with the control measures identified for them.
Action tracking
The status of outstanding design-risk actions, and records of follow-up reviews called to close them out.
Why it must remain current
A DfS Register that is only completed retrospectively, or treated as a formality assembled just before handover, loses most of its value. Its purpose is to keep the project team — and later the building's owners, operators and maintainers — aware of risks that were identified and what, if anything, still needs to be done or watched for.
Avoid treating the Register as an administrative formality. A DfS Register that is not kept current through design and construction cannot reliably tell the Developer, Contractor or future building users what residual risks remain and what to do about them.
Who should have access
| Party | Typical interest in the Register |
|---|---|
| Developer | Overall custodian; receives the up-to-date Register at project completion (TOP). |
| Designers | Reference for design residual risks relevant to their scope, and record of design decisions made to address identified hazards. |
| Contractor | Reference for construction-stage risks arising from the design, informing method statements and sequencing. |
| WSH Inspector | May request the Register for inspection during the course of the project, as appointed by the Commissioner for Workplace Safety and Health. |
| Future maintainers / owners | Reference after handover for cleaning, maintenance, alteration and eventual demolition of the structure. |
How the pieces fit together
Each DfS review meeting typically produces minutes and updates to one or more Design Risk Records. Risks that cannot reasonably be eliminated through design become residual risks, which are recorded and communicated. The Register is the single place all of this is compiled, so that at any point in the project the current status of every identified design risk can be checked in one place rather than reconstructed from separate emails and drawings.
Setting up or reviewing a DfS Register?
We can establish a new Register from concept design, or review and bring an existing Register up to date.