Who is responsible for what in a construction project?
There are often many different parties with work environment responsibilities and tasks in a construction project. Their work environment tasks differ in some cases, and in some cases several parties have similar work environment responsibilities. The basic idea is that those who can influence the work environment for the better should also do so.
Who has work environment responsibilities in a construction project?
In building and civil engineering work, there are several parties who have responsibility for the work environment.
If you hold one of the following roles in a construction project, you have specific responsibilities for work environment tasks:
- client (the individual or entity on whose behalf the building or civil engineering work is carried out)
- designer (architect, designer or other who plan or design)
- building work environment coordinator (Bas-P or Bas-U)
- producer of prefabricated buildings or structures
- contractor (employer, self-employed individual, or family business)
It is also common for several different designers and contractors to work on the same construction project. That is why there are special rules for building and civil engineering work.
The rules are basically the same throughout the EU but may differ on some points as each country has the option of having stricter requirements than the minimum rules at the EU level. Every party needs to inform themselves about the Swedish rules and make sure that their knowledge and skills correspond to what applies here.
Several parties can have work environment responsibilities
Employers are responsible for the work environment, and this also applies to building and civil engineering work. The responsibilities of other parties do not limit the employer's responsibility for the work environment of their employees and hired staff.
The issue of work environment responsibility in construction projects can be complicated due to the fact that several parties can share responsibility for the same aspects, and this responsibility can vary across different stages of the project. Each party must take responsibility for preventing work environment risks during the phase of the construction project in which they are involved, based on their ability to influence the work environment.
The client, designers and building work environment coordinators are included in what is referred to as "other responsible parties" under the provisions concerning risks in certain types of work (AFS 2023:13), chapter 5, which pertains to building and civil engineering work. These parties, along with the employer, are subject to the relevant stipulations.
What are the various parties' responsibilities and tasks?
The client, designers and Bas-P must prevent work environment risks that can arise
- when a building or structure is under construction (the construction phase),
- in future workplaces and during future temporary work in or in connection with the building or structure (in the operation phase).
The client and the designers must try to eliminate the work environment risks by choosing other solutions or design, if it is possible.
Bas-U and the contractors (employers, self-employed and family businesses) must prevent risks of ill health and accidents that may occur in the construction phase.
Since there are so many different parties with work environment responsibilities in a construction project, it is important that they collaborate on work environment issues. Find out more about collaboration in a construction project:
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The client is responsible for ensuring a safe work environment during the construction phase and for the future use of the building or structure. As the client, you must create conditions that promote good work environment management by organising the construction project with adequate skills and resources. You also need to monitor work environment management continuously.
To support this management, appoint suitable building work environment coordinators:
- one for the planning and design phase (Bas-P)
- one for the construction phase (Bas-U)
Make sure these coordinators effectively coordinate the various parties involved in the construction project.
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The building work environment coordinators must coordinate all parties involved in the construction project and ensure that they are actively working to prevent work environment risks. Coordination is required throughout the entire construction process, starting from the planning and design phase and continuing until the building or structure is fully completed.
Bas-P is responsible for the coordination of the designers, i.e. the architects, designers and others who participate in the planning and design. Bas-P must ensure that they prevent work environment risks so that the building and civil engineering work in the construction phase, and the future work in the building or structure, can be carried out in a safe manner.
Bas-U must coordinate and oversee the various contractors and any other parties working on the building site to ensure they manage the work environment effectively. This includes preventing work environment risks that could arise between them during the construction phase. -
Architects, structural engineers and others who participate in the planning and design are called "designers" in the work environment provisions. Designers must, within the framework of their assignments, prevent ill health and accidents during theconstruction phase and the future use of the building or structure.
This means that as a designer, within the scope of your assignment, you must design the building or structure so that it can be built and used in a safe manner. Prevent those work environment risks that you can influence and collaborate with the other designers. Then together you can achieve a good work environment in the later stages of the construction project.
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When a ready-to-assemble building or structure is being designed, the designer holds a work environment responsibility and specific tasks related to it. This includes coordinating the planning to prevent any work environment risks that could arise during the construction or usage phases.
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If you carry out building or civil engineering work on the building site, you have work environment responsibility for your employees and yourself.
If you are an employer, self employed individual or a family business owner, you also have an obligation to coordinate the work with others who run activities in the construction project and to follow instructions from Bas-U. In order for the coordination to work, you must, among other things, provide information to Bas-U about the risks that may arise due to your activities, so that you can get the go-ahead to start your work in the construction project.
Self-employed individuals and family business owners without employees must follow the same rules for building and civil engineering work that employers do.
Last updated 2025-03-20