Managing contractors
If you are employing the services of contractors on your premises, you need to make sure that adequate precautions are taken to manage their health and safety.
Legal requirements
If a contractor is injured on your premises, you may need to show you have met your duty care.
As an employer of contractors, you must comply with the Health and Safety at Work Regulations, specifically the requirements relating to risk assessments, emergency procedures, co-operation between employers sharing workplaces, and persons working in host employers’ premises. One example of this is providing contractors with adequate health and safety information.
You have an obligation to ensure that contractors maintain safe when working on your premises, but also that your employees continue to remain safe when contractors are present. The employer of contractors has the same responsibility. This may require close co-operation to ensure that necessary precautions are taken.
If you have construction contractors working on your premises, you should also check what legal duties you need to follow under the Construction Design and Management (CDM) Regulations.
Quick guide to managing contractors
1. Identify where you use contractors and the type of work they do for you.
2. Plan the work that contractors do for you.
3. Choose a suitable contractor to do the work for you.
4. Provide appropriate information to the contractors to ensure their health and safety on your premises.
5. Co-operate and co-ordinate with contractors.
6. Manage and supervise the work.
7. Document all your arrangements and responsibilities for managing construction and review them periodically.