These days many corporate operations are often subject to the use of outside contractors. Such a system may have a dramatic effect on the work environment. Contractors no longer work within a barricaded area next to other facilities – they work hand in hand with the average company workers. The behavior of all employees, regardless of whether they are employees of the company or a contractor, determines how the work is performed under the requirements of occupational health and safety and environmental protection. Although every business owner is responsible for his employees, the owner of the land or the owner of the site must be responsible not only for his employees, but also for all the employees of the contracted contractors and how they perform their duties towards their safety. The tasks of safety management and guidance have become more complex than before
Companies and organizations have tried to overcome these problems in many of the following ways:
• Reviewing the safety performance of the contracting companies that will be contracted with in the future before placing them on the list of approved contractors.
• Preparing a safety manual for contractors’ work – and it is considered part of the agreed contract – which must be adhered to by all contractor employees.
• The provision in the contract that the occupational health and safety rules and procedures – as well as the company’s standard operating systems – will be the same as the standard systems by which the contractor performs the required works – this means that there are no separate rules or procedures for contractors.
• Preparing the methods and procedures by which the skills and information of contractors’ employees are evaluated to ensure that they are at the required level.
• Setting clear texts for the terms of the contract with regard to the need to work in a safe manner according to the requirements of the contract, with a provision for the procedures that may result from it in case of failure to do so.
• Develop procedures for monitoring performance.
• Inclusion of contractors’ employees within the company’s safety programs, including the inclusion of contractors’ employees in the main safety committee and other safety sub-committees as well as in the Safety Audit Teams – and the investigation of accidents and safety meetings for workers.
Objectives
• Develop procedures for selecting and evaluating sub-contractors with regard to occupational safety, health and the environment if they will work for the main contractor or for the employer.
• Develop procedures for the practical application of safety management systems for subcontractors when they work for the main contractor or employer.
Selection and evaluation of contractors
• According to the required policy and good systems, it is recommended that potential contractors to be used should be evaluated on the basis of occupational safety and health standards, in addition to their technical ability and skills to perform the required works within the prices specified in the tender.
• The safety officials in the construction and installation works are responsible for reaching the site’s occupational safety and health levels to the highest level as one of the requirements of the company’s policy.
• The competent department of the company should be responsible for maintaining a list of approved contractors. It is possible to reach the preparation of such a list after the contractors are subject to an evaluation of their previous work, including their safety record as one of the main criteria upon which they are approved in the list of contractors approved by the company (Appendix No. 1 shows the evaluation letter of the contractor and Appendix No. 2 is an example of the evaluation list).
• These procedures mentioned above must also be applied to all new contractors who submit their offers, as well as to all new projects to ensure that all information in the files is the latest information or data. The competent department is responsible for ensuring the availability of the latest data and information in These files are on the appropriate department.
• When completing the data for evaluating safety, occupational health and environmental protection for contractors, the competent department must take into account these given data, and if there is any doubt about this information, the safety official in the company must be consulted, who must then determine whether or not he is convinced of this information and data and notify his company so.
• In the event that the data submitted by the contractor to the competent departments of the company proves to be incorrect or invalid, this contractor will be placed on the unapproved list along with the data on the basis of which the rejection was made.
Standard rules and conditions for contractors with regard to occupational safety, health and the environment
It is usually difficult to include in the contract such kind of detailed Occupational Health and Safety and Environmental Protection rules for main contractors or sub-contractors as an alternative – a set of standard rules should be put in place which require the contractor to do the work and he must acknowledge that he will abide by these rules.
The basic clause to be included in contracts with contractors
In all possible cases, this form shown in Attachment No. (4) must be placed in all contracts by the competent department, whether for main contractors or subcontractors.
In the event that there is a need to change or deviate from the provisions contained in this form, this must be approved in agreement with the safety officer in the company.
Statement in writing of activities with a high degree of risk
• In some cases where the activities are characterized by high risk (for example, iron construction, covering or cladding work, demolition work, industrial paints, asbestos work, heavy lifting work, indoor work …. etc.), it is better for the competent department to insist on The Contractor shall submit in writing the method to be used in performing such works.
• The method must include the people assigned to perform this work and the training they have obtained and their experience in this field – with an accurate description of each stage of the work, the methods of entry and the equipment that will be used (including personal safety equipment) as well as maps
Drawings and plans, if necessary or necessary.
In the event of any doubt on the part of the competent department regarding what was mentioned in this method provided by the contractor, the company’s safety officer must be referred.
Occupational health, safety and environment management systems for contractors
• As previously explained, all contractors entrusted with starting work must submit to the rules and requirements of contractors (refer to Appendix 3). These rules are set out in the form of a handbook which should also be used by the responsible construction department and the company’s safety officials as a basis for the safety, occupational health and environmental protection management systems for contractors on the site.
• In order to manage contractors’ work with regard to matters of safety, occupational health and environmental protection, the company’s construction department should take into account the use and application of the following methods:
– The instructions related to safety, occupational health and environment protection addressed to the contractors should be in an official and written form using the safety administrative instruction manual for the site (see the form – Appendix No. 5).
– In terms of legality and record keeping, the site management must keep a copy of this form, and when a response is received from the contractor confirming that it has taken the required measures (Item No. 7, 8 of the form), this part is removed and fixed (stapled) with a copy of the form kept in the records.
– An inspection is carried out on the site on a regular basis, according to what is appropriate and on the conditions of the site as well, by the person responsible for managing the site or the person responsible for supervising the site and the safety official of the company or the representative of the safety department residing in the project or site, with regard to matters of safety and fire prevention (on The inspection should include the legal records related to these matters.
– Introducing issues of safety, occupational health and environmental protection as a basic item on the agenda of all site management meetings with contractors.
– Insist on obtaining a written copy from the contractor of the procedures and method that will be followed in the event of carrying out high-risk works.
– Formation of a safety committee at the site.
– All officials and supervisors of site management must set an example in wearing all necessary personal protective equipment, as well as forcing contractors’ employees to do so as well.
– Using safety labels, whether designed internally or that can be obtained from external parties, for safety work.
– Insist that the contractor notify and submit a report on all cases of injury that led to absence, as well as cases of illness or any serious accidents or dangerous conditions, to the person responsible for managing the site or the safety representative residing at the site.
Taking into account the inclusion of contractors’ employees in safety training programs, especially safety awareness programs, whenever possible.
– Pre-inspection of legal records for testing and examining lifting equipment prior to allowing the contractor to operate such equipment at the site, as well as reviewing evidence that the drivers of this equipment have appropriate training and experience.
Reports against contractors
• One of the necessary duties of the person in charge of managing the site as well as the safety representative residing at the site is to monitor the performance of the contractors with regard to matters of safety, occupational health and environmental protection.
• In the event of any continuity of poor safety performance and failure to respond to any safety administrative orders, the site safety officer must file a violation report.
• In addition to placing a copy of these reports in the record-keeping file, the safety official must send copies of these reports not only to the department responsible for the project or site, but also to the competent department related to the company.
In the event that the decision is taken by the competent department of the company to remove the name of the subcontractor from the contractors’ records, the violation report must be placed in all cases in the subcontractor’s file.
