So Far As Is Reasonably Practical

So far as is reasonably practicable (SFARP) refers to a need to comply with the law in a proportionate way.

Based on research and precedent from the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, case law and the HSE document ‘Reducing risks, protecting people 2001’ and the view of other authoritative sources, the author’s interpretation of SFARP for design stages is as follows:

‘In essence, it requires weighing the risk against the resources needed to eliminate or reduce the risk. The question of whether a measure is or is not “reasonable practicable” is one which requires no more than a making of a value judgement in the light of all the other influencing factors (not just H&S). This approach empowers the team to make judgement based on all the information available without fear of prosecution.’

Ref CDM 2015 A Practical Guide for Architects and Designers – Paul Bussey – RIBA Publishing

See also: So far as is reasonably practicable.

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