HSE NI
Management of Contractors
Both you and the contractor you use have responsibilities under health and safety law. Make sure everyone understands the part they need to play in ensuring health and safety.
- Identify the job and select a suitable contractor
You are required to ensure the competency of contractors so far as is reasonably practicable. You should: –
- Establish what safety and technical competence is needed for the task
- Ask questions and get evidence, for example do they have a health and safety policy, experience of similar jobs, what qualifications and training are held, do they belong to a relevant professional body, do they have the relevant insurances in place, supervision arrangements
- Go through information about, the job , the site, site rules etc
- Ask for a safety method statement
- Decide whether subcontracting is acceptable and if so, how will health and safety be ensured
- Assess the risks of the work
Provide a description of the work required and ask the contractor to review and come back to you with any comments in case there are any issues you hadn’t thought of.
Contractors should be asked to provide risk assessments and safety method statements. There should be no ambiguity regarding how the work will be done at each stage and who is responsible for what.
Risk assessment must take place prior to any work taking place to ensure suitable and sufficient controls are in place. The risk assessment should then be reviewed regularly.
- Provide information, instruction and training
A site induction should be provided as contractors may not be aware of hazards on the site, site rules and safety procedures, what to wear, special equipment they need to use, what to do in an emergency, the sound of the alarm, and how and when to raise it etc.
In addition contractors should be provided any information, instruction or training required to ensure their own or others safety whilst onsite.
- Cooperate and coordinate with the contractor and consult workers onsite
Where two or more employers share a workplace each employer shall co-operate with other employers, take reasonable steps to co-ordinate between other employers to comply with legal requirements, take reasonable steps to inform other employers where there are risks to health and safety.
It may be necessary depending on the circumstances to arrange pre-location meetings and safety briefings. You should also check in with those onsite regularly to see if they have any concerns.
- Manage and supervise the work
- Ensure a risk assessment has been completed for any work and that suitable safe system of work has been agreed.
- Decide how and who will be responsible for overseeing contractors to ensure work is completed safely and as agreed.
- Always know who is onsite and where they are working. Contractors should sign in and out and have a named site contact
- Reinforce health and safety information and site rules and encourage contractors to report incidents, near misses and injuries to you
Further information
Using contractors: A brief guide INDG368(rev1)
