Control of contractors

Overview

If your organisation manages contractors then your staff need to understand the health and safety issues. This course is the answer.

The expert trainer will set out clearly the legal responsibilities of all relevant parties and explore the practical application of these responsibilities with the course participants. The course will then examine the issues associated with the planning of work to be contracted out and the evaluation, selection, control and monitoring of contractors engaged to undertake the work. Although the main focus is on health and safety, the course will also explain how health and safety issues need to be integrated into your organisation’s functional management processes to ensure effective control of contractors.

The course will consider all types of contracted activities, including construction and maintenance, cleaning, security, plant installation, etc.

Training objectives

This programme will give participants:
  • A clear understanding of the organisation’s legal responsibilities for managing contractors
  • The information they need to assess the competence of contractors
  • A practical understanding of risk assessment principles and the transfer of risk to contractors
  • A step-by-step guide to the key aspects of managing contractors in practice, covering:
    – Planning of the work
    – Selecting contractors
    – Handover prior to work commencement
    – During the work
    – Reviewing the work on completion
  • Practical guidance on the integration of health and safety controls into organisational procedures for contractor management

Audience

This course is designed for all those with responsibility for employing or managing contractors, including:

  • Property, facilities and maintenance managers
  • Office managers
  • Health and safety mangers and officers
  • Directors and managers of property companies

Format

A one-day course employing a mixture of formal presentation, case study exercises and facilitated discussion.

The expert trainer

David is Managing Director of one of the UK’s leading health and safety consultancies and is himself a practising health and safety consultant. With 20 years’ practical experience as a chartered engineer in the construction industry, he set up his own company in 1994 to offer a range of practical risk management solutions to client organisations, primarily in the field of health and safety and project risk management. The company grew rapidly through the development of long-term relationships with clients and then merged with one of the leading international environmental consultants, where David leads the health and safety practice.

David’s particular strengths are in the development of practical solutions in the management of health and safety and the integration of health and safety management systems into business and project processes. He has considerable experience in applying these strengths to assisting clients develop robust systems for managing contracted activities.

He is able to draw upon his practical knowledge, management experience and enthusiasm to get the job done to deliver highly interactive and enjoyable training courses, as the following comments from course participants demonstrate:

‘David has a clear understanding of the subject and presented the subject matter very well.’

‘David’s ability to give practical examples of how CDM was relevant to our business and how best to approach implementation was particularly useful.’

‘David is very knowledgeable, very good and interesting course, a lot of encouragement to interact.’

‘David did an excellent job presenting this course and I am sure we will be using him again for our safety courses and consultancy.’

‘David’s business experience allows him to clearly demonstrate the benefits of ‘active’ HSE management. Rather than tutor-based presentations on theory he was able to draw on experience and personal exposure to real everyday problems.’

Course outline

  1. Introduction
    • Who are contractors?
    • Why manage contractors?
    • Different types of contractors
    • Costs of poor contractor performance
  2. Overview of health and safety law and liability
    • Health and safety law and statutory duties
    • Relevance of civil and criminal law
    • Enforcement and prosecution
  3. Relevant legislation for controlling contractors
    • Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
    • Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
    • Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994 (as amended, 2006)
    • Other relevant legislation
    • Contract law
  4. Managing contractors in practice
    • Exercise – how well is it happening?
    • The objectives
    • Five step approach
      – Planning of the work
      – Selecting contractors
      – Handover prior to work commencement
      – During the work
      – Reviewing the work on completion
  5. Planning the work
    • Scope and extent
    • Risk assessment
    • Interface and other activities
    • Who controls what?
    • Contract arrangements
  6. Selecting the right contractor(s)
    • Locating contractor organisations
    • Selection the right contractors
    • Assessing contractor competence
    • Approved lists/frameworks
    • Tender process
  7. Pre-work commencement
    • Co-ordination and co-operation
    • Exchange of information
    • Contractor risk assessments and method statements
    • Permits to work
    • Case study exercise
  8. During contract work
    • Communication and liaison
    • Supervision and inspection of the work
    • Inspection and reporting procedures
    • Security issues
    • Facilities and access
  9. Reviewing work on completion
    • Why, what and how?
    • Achieving continuous improvement in contractor performance
  10. Questions, discussion and review