Health and safety law across all countries gives employers and work site owners duties and responsibilities for Contractor Safety Management for their own hired employees as well as for the employees of contractors.
Definitions
Principal Contractor
A person who is appointed to manage, coordinate, and/or implement the work or service involved in the contract and/or other contractors and subcontractors.
Contractors
All external services or staff carrying out work for an organization within its premises which might comprise but is not limited to:
External experts and Interim workers,
Support staff/ permanently working staff,
Interns and Project associates,
Cleaning service provider and Permanent contracted maintenance workers,
External technical staff visiting for periodical checks on systems,
Services; working on assembling installations or maintenance of equipment,
Providers of regular maintenance according to legal rules and regulations.
Subcontractors
Contractors have no direct contract with an organization but in connection with another contractor on site.
Short Term Contractor
Contractors carry out a specific task in a short period (completed in hours or a day).
Long Term Contractor
Contractors are engaged on a full-time or regular part-time basis to carry out tasks that are integrated with the business, (completed in a period of greater than one day).
Visitors
All external service providers/staff are present on-site on a short term for a specific purpose. This presence shall be limited to less than two weeks.
Who Is Responsible For Contractor Safety: Company Employees Or Contractor?
Who Is Responsible For Contractor Safety: Company Employees Or Contractor?
Study and surveys at various working sites conclude that it is the responsibility of both to create a safe workplace environment with mutual understanding!
Responsibilities Of Company Employees Are:
- Avoid placing themselves or contractors at risk of injury.
- To assist contractors in developing, implementing, and practicing around a safe work environment.
- To report non-adherence to working procedures followed by contractors to Company management.
Responsibilities Of Contractors Are:
- To work by ‘company OHS standards, procedures and practices’.
- To ensure safety for themselves and others to avoid any injury or fatality and damage to assets.
- To design site-specific procedures relevant to work activities and risks at the site.
- To report any non-compliance, incidents, or injuries to management.
Contractor Safety Management Program
Many organizations hire contractors to perform a variety of services. Contracted services can vary from organization to organization and site-to-site activity. It’s an accountability of an organization that engaged in the use of contractors must establish a comprehensive Contractor Safety Management Program.
A Contractor Safety Management Program must be framed to design a process that will reduce the risks associated with the utilization of contractors. The process provides consistent guidance for maintaining contractor safety and protects contractor personnel
from workplace injury and occupational illness, and from losses associated with hazards related to the contracted work.
A written contractor safety program must start by clearly understanding the legal concepts applicable to contracting, and the concepts that have been set in health and safety decision-making by legal authorities. A contractor safety program must be clearly recognized and, be utilized when contracting with a contractor.
The Contractor Management System consists of the following associated tools (documents).
- Contractor OHS Induction Checklist
- Contractor Induction Register
- Contractor’s Agreement – (Long Term)
- Contractor’s Permit To Work – (Short Term)
- Contractor’s OHS Performance Report
Company’s Contractor Safety Management System: Aim To Achieve
- Provide a risk free and healthy workplace and systems of work that reduce hazards of illness and injury for employees as well as contractors
- To provide a practical, uniform, and apt system for Company staff managing and supervising the work of contractors, their sub-contractors and/or visitor contractors.
- To consolidate OHS requirements into contractor Safety management.
- Accomplishment of Company’s legal procedures to contractors
Overcoming The Challenges Of Contractor Safety
Hiring a new team for a project is more expensive than hiring a contractor, but it has its drawbacks.
Similar to other staff your contractor is also your consequential asset. Their Safety can also affect the well-being of your working people and every phase of the project. If your contractor’s safety fails, a single accident could seriously harm and permanently damage your esteem.
Hence the stress should be given on:
Stimulating the safety culture in the organization
Like the regular employees, Contractors haven’t had enough time to become an element of the company’s safety culture. And getting new additional up to date isn’t an instant process for outlanders. That’s why it’s very crucial to promote your construction program’s safety policies to new contractors.
Creating intimacy with crew members
Contractors haven’t had the benefit of building working relationships in the way regular employees have with each other. Bringing someone new into the team, a contractor or temporary employee alike might give a feeling of discomfort to the team members.
Tracing compliance of contractors
It is necessary to train your contractor on safe functioning, whether it’s hands-on training or a formal guideline. You must have a solid reporting system in place otherwise you may never be aware of any safety issues a contractor is facing.
Effective Action to Overcome Challenges
A few minutes of communication a day will certainly help in establishing an effective Contractor Safety Management Program.
To overcome these and other challenges depends on how well you communicate.
Arrange regular safety meetings to discuss issues.
Mention your expectations on how to handle and report risks and hazards.
Speak to each contractor and get them involved with the team in promoting a safe work environment.
Summary
Both the contractor, the company, and their employees are responsible for maintaining a healthy and safe workplace environment.
When a company hires contractors it should: ensure that contractors have the right skills and training so they are not posing a risk to their (or anyone in the workplace’s) health and safety.
When a contractor signs a contract for a company he/she should: develop rapport with company employees to accomplish the project without any causality or harm to property.
“Join Ken Institute for comprehensive Safety Courses led by expert faculty, ensuring your readiness to tackle workplace fire emergencies effectively.”
Get in touch with us at: info@keneducation.in
Visit our website: www.keneducation.in
Call us on +917569034271
Let’s connect on Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram.