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Absolute Health and Safety Solutions Ltd
IVYDENE HOUSE
Forest Road,
Binfield
Berkshire RG42 4HP
info@absolutehss
Tel: 0845 864 6934
Fax: 0845 864 6935
View map
IVYDENE HOUSE
Forest Road,
Binfield
Berkshire RG42 4HP
info@absolutehss
Tel: 0845 864 6934
Fax: 0845 864 6935
View map
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Controlling contractor or sub-contractor working for you
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Controlling contractors
Did you realise that, as an employer, you are expected to be able to demonstrate that you are adequately controlling any contractor or sub-contractor working for you? If a contractor comes on site and injures himself, you can be held liable if you can’t demonstrate that you have a control system in place. Regardless of what the contractor is there to do, the responsibility is yours. What does adequate control of contractors involve? - Employers need to have vetting controls in place to assess contractors' competencies for health, safety and environmental management. As an employer, you may need to show how effective your control system for the management of contractors is if something goes wrong. - Employers need to be confident that contractors have suitable and sufficient insurance cover for the work they will carry out. - Employers also need to ensure that contractors have suitable and sufficient risk assessments and a method statement for their activities. - Additionally, employers should check up on the contractors’ accident statistics and whether they have received any formal notices from enforcing authorities. The importance of controlling contractors mainly relates to physical work such as building work, maintenance work and working at height. Even window-cleaning work is included. It is particularly relevant to fire safety systems. There have been numerous cases of fires starting on sites because hot work carried out by contractors had not been sufficiently observed or safely controlled. There are a huge range of questions employers could reasonably ask a contractor before they start on site. Absolute Health and Safety Solutions Ltd advise employers to find out what these questions are, and to not be afraid to ask them! Absolute Health and Safety Solutions Ltd have built bespoke contractor management systems to enable employers to ask contractors the right questions. Employers will be able to vet contractors and grade their competency, building a database of approved contractors to work with. Absolute Health and Safety Solutions Ltd can offer a range of vetting controls which will help employers demonstrate that they comply with legal requirements, including permit to work policies and safe systems at work. Brendan O’Gorman of Absolute Health and Safety Solutions Ltd adds, “It’s important to demonstrate that you have carried out sufficient contractor control activities. You’re not expected to know everything about every trade-person’s job, but you are expected to ensure that suitable and sufficient risk assessments are in place and being followed, demonstrate the contractor has been vetted and show that you have a robust system in place.” More information from the Health and Safety Executive on ensuring contractors operate safely: www.hse.gov.uk/workplacetransport/factsheets/contractors.htm www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg368.pdf www.hse.gov.uk/falls/campaign/competentcontractors.pdf www.powys.gov.uk/uploads/media/indg98_en.pdf
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