What is involved in contractor management?
Both the person or organisation hiring a contractor and the contractor share responsibility for health and safety. Thus if an organisation hires a roofer to periodically maintain the roof and they fall off the roof, the organisation has responsibility even though it may not even have known the roofer was there.
This is the concept of overlapping duties reflected in the legislation. This involves an exchange and arriving at a common understanding of the risks and how health and safety will be managed. A contractor management process provides a template for managing this risk FOR CONTRACTORS UNDERTAKING HIGH RISK WORK.
Why contractor management matters
Contractors are typically some of the organisations most significant health and safety risk, so if you are not managing your contractors you are likely not managing critical risk.
Most contractors are high risk because they are engaged to do specialist high risk work the organisation does not have the capacity to perform itself. Thus the organisation relies contractors to have the competence and work systems that will keep them safe and healthy in performance of the work. So these things need to be addressed in advance of the work, which is where contractor managment processes come into play.
For contractors undertaking low risk work this is not an issue. But where the work is high risk (at height, with chemicals, with electricity etc) organisations need the tools and advice to manage contractors – which is where Winsland can assist.
Contractor management processes
The fundamentals are:
1. Scoping – Define the work clearly and identify the specific risks associated with the job and the site.
2. Prequalification – Verify the contractor has a solid safety record, the right skills, and a functional H&S management system
3. Documented safety plan – agree on a Site-Specific Safety Plan (SSSP) and Safe Work Procedures (SWP)
4. Implementation – put in place processes, described in the SSSP, to ensure risk is identified and managed as the project progresses.
5. Monitoring – Regularly check that the contractor is following the agreed safety plan. This includes site audits and reviewing incident reports.
When you might need us
Wanting an APP to give you the forms you need and a place to record information – i.e. the Winsland Health and Safety APP
.
Advice on managing health and safety on a new project
Reviewing a SSSP (hirer) or developing a standard / customisable SSSP template (contactor)
Audit or inspection of contractor
Writing or reviewing a Safe Work Procedure
Review of a JSA / Task Analysis
Advice on compliance of contractor with Approved Code of Practice, Regulation or Standard
Reference checking contractor
Case study – Neighbourhood Construction
Winsland was engaged to provide the health and safety framework and all the procedures and systems required for health and safety for this very large construction project in Auckland. Typically for a construction project, there were a large number of contractors involved and contractor management procedures were the main means of ensuring health and safety. Winsland:
- Developed the health and safety framework based on ASNZS4801, Regulations and Standards, Approved Codes of Practice and Worksafe guidance.
- Provided monthly auditing to give Directors independent assurance on health and safety across the project.
- Drafted the site traffic management plan
- Supported incident investigations.
- Coached site management on contractor management.
The result was what was effectively a green fields site was able to engage a very large workforce in short order, set and maintain highest standards of health and safety and complete the development without serious health and safety incidents for workers, contractors or residents, justifying the director’s original decision to invest in a quality health and safety framework from the outset. Find out more here