Contractor Compliance Under Control

“Contractors often work in unfamiliar settings. Strong lines of communication are key throughout a job to ensure workers are aware of hazards and feel comfortable in their working environment.”

• Enfield Safety, (2017). ‘Contractor Safety: How to Boost Contractor Compliance.’ Online https://enfieldsafety.co.uk/news/a/contractor-safety-how-to-boost-contractor-compliance/ Access Date: 07 April 2017

It has been identified that organisations find that contractor compliance is one of their biggest health and safety challenges. Finding the time to control every aspect of a contractor coming onto site for work can involve a lot of chasing and sometimes for corners to be cut, so how can you ensure contractors comply with your health and safety requirements?

The article shines a light on the actions which can be taken to help keep organisations compliant and ensure everyone on site stays safe and healthy.

We understand that employers have a legal obligation to ensure all employees and contractors are aware and comply with current legislation to carry our work on site. Approval would normally depend on criteria such as site inductions, adequate and current insurance, compliance with environmental and health and safety policies. The article states that contractor compliance starts with knowing exactly what a project or job involves and what an organisation needs from a contractor – Organisations should have detailed requirements and ‘include a thorough assessment of risks contractors may be exposed to during a job. Any hazards should be eliminated or minimised before work begins and safe systems of work put in place.’

Moreover, not only does the organisation need to be detailed about the requirements of a project or job, but the contractors need to be the best equipped to meet your needs. The article states that to ensure contractor compliance organisations need to choose contractors carefully – ‘Is the contractor a member of a professional, regulatory body? Does the contractor have a rigorous health and safety policy and details of how it puts the policy into action?’

Our visitor management and contractor control system, Verature allows organisations to start this process as soon as they book for a contractor to come on site. Enforcing competency and compliance with your contractors, the system manages inductions, accreditation and insurance documents to ensure safety and reduce risks.

The Verature system allows organisations to easily chase, collect and store the necessary and qualifying documents automatically – notifying contractors to view your organisations induction video and complete the induction questionnaire before dealing with the compliance requirements; any pre-qualifying questionnaires, H&S questionnaires and the uploading and approval of RAMS. Internal staff within the organisation can verify the compliance and accept or reject the contractors at any stage for them to re-submit or provide more details before being approved for work.

The system allows organisations to follow the tips the article provides to help ensure contractors comply with health and safety requirements. ‘Monitoring contractor progress and maintaining regular communication will ensure everyone is up-to-date,’ It is important that even when a project or job is over that communication with your contractor is maintained, as requirements get updates and working conditions change. The Verature system allows your organisation to stay on top of your contractors and their compliance, by notifying your contractors when their insurance, training certificates and health and safety documents need to be reviewed and updated.

A contractor compliance management system like our Verature systems deliver an effective healthy and safety and compliance strategy for your business. Organisations can keep on top of your contractors with information management and automate functionality to ensure they don’t make costly mistakes. Improving contractor compliance and job audits more effectively means organisations have everything they need to know about their workers and employees as well as being able to evidence due diligence.