Health and safety coordinator for construction projects
When more than one contractor or subcontractor works on a site, the client must appoint a health and safety coordinator. We take on the role from design to handover: we coordinate the trades, keep the H&S plan and file (SAY-FAY) up to date and check on site that the measures are applied.
What the coordinator does
At the design stage
- Applying the general principles of prevention to architectural, technical and organisational choices
- Preparing the health and safety plan (SAY)
- Preparing the health and safety file (FAY) for future work on the building
- Estimating the duration of each phase and the work done at the same time
At the construction stage
- Coordinating contractors, subcontractors and self-employed workers on site
- Checking that the SAY and the work procedures are applied
- Updating the SAY-FAY when the work or its sequence changes
- Organising cooperation and information between the trades
- Measures so that only authorised persons enter the site
- Regular visits with written observations to the client
- For the whole duration of the works on public works that require a class 4 or higher contractor (P.D. 71/2019), and on special buildings under Law 4067/2012 (main use other than housing) with a footprint of 4,000 m² or more according to the building permit.
- At least at the start of the works, the load-bearing structure, the shell and interior layout, and the electrical and mechanical installations, on all other public or private projects.
Legal basis: P.D. 305/1996, Article 6 as amended by Article 40 of Law 5239/2025 (Government Gazette A 178/2025).
Questions we are asked
When is a safety coordinator required?
Under P.D. 305/1996, when more than one company will work on the site, e.g. a main contractor with subcontractors or self-employed tradespeople. The client appoints the coordinator for the design stage and for the construction stage.
How is this different from a safety technician?
The safety technician advises each employer about its own staff. The coordinator looks at the project as a whole: how all the trades work together, in what order and with which shared measures. Many projects need both roles.
Does appointing a coordinator relieve the client of responsibility?
No. Appointing a coordinator does not relieve the client or the employers of their duties. It helps them meet those duties in an organised and safe way.
Is a prior notice to the Labour Inspectorate needed?
Yes, when the work lasts more than 30 working days and has more than 20 workers on site at the same time, or when the total volume exceeds 500 person-days. The notice also names the project's coordinators.
Do you also prepare the SAY-FAY?
Yes. The health and safety plan (SAY) and file (FAY) are part of the coordinator's duties at the design stage. See also our engineering studies.
When must the coordinator be on site full time?
Since 1 January 2026, under Law 5239/2025, the coordinator must be present for the whole duration of the works on public works that require a class 4 or higher contractor, and on special (mainly non-residential) buildings with a footprint of 4,000 m² or more. On all other projects the coordinator must be present at least at the start of each critical phase.
Related pages
Talk to us
Tell us what your company does and how many people it employs. We reply with a concrete proposal, in English.