Managing Contractors Safety

[swappyd]

Following a difficult audit on our OHSAS system the fact that contractors are a law onto them selveswhilst on site has caused a stir at the highest level. We have had good feedback from the senior management of their firms and comments made by them has been taken into account.

i'm in a team made from all departmentsb who have dealings with contractors set up to look at the issue. We had a workshop last month and a list of actions was formulated. Including more enhanced procedures and a contractors pack to include permits to work, site safety rules contact details, risk assessments & finally work method statements.

Has anybody tried this sort of thing before and what problems did you encounter?

I want to make sure it is K.I.S.S. but still robust enough for it to work.

[SteelMaiden]

We've demanded safe work practices from day one at this division, the last one I was at also. We just make it clear in our contracts that each contractor is responsible for ensuring his guys perform all work in a safe manner, following OSHA regs, etc. We have gone to contractors and banned certain employees from the site after they exhibited unsafe behavior, we also fired one contractor for not following our safety program.

Does it cause some hard feelings? yes
Do I care? no

We made it through two and one half years of construction and start-up without an accident. That was a first for our corporation. It might cause grumbling day to day, but each and every one of our construction contractors left here with the same number of body parts that they came with.

Be tough and good luck!

[Randy]

Contractor safety is not only an issue with OHSAS it's an absolute with OSHA. The organization using a contractor can be, and many times is, held civily and criminally liable for the unsafe practices of contractors in the workplace.

Other than what steelmaiden has said provide your contractors with another tidbit...let them know that you will report them to OSHA if they refuse to walk the line. This has also worked in a union shop I was the EHS guru for. Nasty, but effective.

[swappyd]

To be honest the biggest problem lies with the departments who organise the work. They have a habit of dragging them off to do other important jobs.

I have just been collared by our security and told that my name was mud for not allowing contractors to be on site without a responsible person signing them in. they where left waiting nearly and hour. Contractors are easier to push into line that our staff.

Hopefully me and the H&S manager can do it just keep the jokes in the humour thread going to stop us going too mad......