Health And Safety 2015 - Health And Safety: Controlling Contractors (Selection of Contractors, Measures to Control Contractors, Site Authorization for Contractors, Introduction to Permit to Work Systems)

Overview: Reliance on the use of contractors has increased dramatically over recent years in most employment sectors. Organizations are increasingly concentrating on core activities and operations and are taking on contract staff for chore activities. Many organizations, for example, make use of contract cleaning staff in place of their own cleaning operatives. Many organizations also take advantage of the increased flexibility with respect to labor that comes from the appropriate use of contract staff. Many seasonal activities, such as fruit picking have always relied on temporary labor. In recent years this trend has increased, with more and more organizations taking advantage of the increased flexibility from the use of contract or agency workers. This increased use of contract staff may present the organization's management with various challenges, but in most situations the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. It is essential, however, that the health and safety implications of this increased use of contract staff are considered and appropriate controls implemented.
Although there are many reasons for using contractors, there are also some disadvantages, including unfamiliarity of the contractor with the employer's business, management systems, procedures, work processes, premises, and plant and equipment.
The principles of effective management of contract staff are effectively the same whether the organization (referred to as the client) uses one individual or a variety of different contract organizations. It should be remembered, however, that self-employed contractors and contractors working for small organizations may be less aware of health and safety.
A common misconception: There is a common, but flawed, belief that appointing a contractor absolves the client from responsibility for the health and safety of that contracted work. Managers, Directors and VPs within organizations can be heard to voice the opinion: "they are the experts in what they do; surely all of the health and safety is down to them to sort out". This thinking may cost lives, business, profit and bad publicity.
Work carried out for a company, such as the work of a contractor, was still regarded as a part of their undertaking and so they retain a duty of care even when the work has been contracted out.
A better understanding of the position: Work undertaken for a client by a contractor is covered by a civil contract. It is good practice for health and safety requirements to be written in to such a contract. Health and safety responsibilities, however, are defined by the criminal law and they cannot be passed on from one party to another by a contract. In a client/contractor relationship, both parties will have duties under health and safety law. Similarly, if the contractor employs sub-contractors to carry out some or all of the work, all parties will have some health and safety responsibilities. The extent of the responsibilities of each party will depend on the circumstances.
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Differences between ICD-9 and ICD-10
Planning and Implementation
Provide solutions for help
FAQ's
How much can it cost if you get it wrong? - Well, people can die or they can be made seriously ill and they can suffer life changing injuries.
It can also cost you money. In a recent UK case, a major high street retailer and three of its contractors were fined for putting people (including members of the public, staff and construction workers) at risk of exposure from asbestos-containing materials during the refurbishment of stores two of its stores. The client was fined £1 million (with costs of £600,000), while the various contractors were fined £200,000, £100,000 and £50,000 and were also ordered to pay costs.
The fines for the client were greater than those for the contractors.
Areas Covered in the Session:
What is a contractor?
Selection of contractors
Appointing Contractors
Scope of work
What can go wrong?
Monitoring the performance of your contractors
The role of Risk Assessments and Method Statements
Racking
Who Will Benefit:
Business Owners
Works Managers
Supervisors
Planners
Directors and Vice Presidents
Production Managers
Operations Managers
Those Appointing Contractors
Those Controlling Contractor's Activities
Safety Representatives
Michael Ellerby LLB (Hons) BSc (Hons) CMIOSH MIIRSM MIFSM CChem MRSC CSci
As well as being a Chartered Safety Professional and a Chartered Member of the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), Mike is a Chartered Chemist and Scientist. As well as a degree in Chemistry, he also holds a degree in law. Mike runs his own Health and Safety Consultancy and has also acted as Competent Person (Head of Safety Services Department) for the University of Sheffield, England.
MentorHealth
Roger Steven
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