Whether you are a general contractor, sub-contractor or general industry employer hiring a contractor to do work, you will almost certainly have some share in the responsibility for identifying hazards and communicating to employees the safe practices, tools, and equipment needed to perform the job safely.  

CONTRACTOR SAFETY OVERVIEW 

Clear expectations, communication, training, and monitoring help employers and contractors work together to complete their jobs safely while also protecting the safety and health of all affected employees.

Whatever the work configuration maybe (host employer, contractor, subcontractor, temporary worker and multiplayer) safety is enhanced if mechanisms establish to afford all workers equal protection against workplace hazards/dangers. 

These mechanisms ensure that all worker on site can participate in preventing injuries, illnesses and fatalities.

CONTRACTOR SAFETY PROGRAM 

Before Agreeing to Work with A Contractor, Review the Following Data That Gives Insight to Their Safety Culture and Performance

• History of safety and environmental regulation violations.
• Injury and loss history.
• Total Recordable Incident Rate.
• Experience modification rate (ex-mod).
• Job and task hazard analysis procedures and results.
• Written safety programs and policies.

It Is Important That Contractors Match or Exceed the Safety Culture and Standards of The Employer. General Safe Work Practices Include:

• Lockout/Tagout procedures for equipment on-site.
• A list of permit-required and non-permit-required confined spaces on-site.
• Heat illness prevention procedures.
• Trenching and excavation procedures and the location of utilities.
• A list of chemicals used on-site and access to safety data sheets.
• Areas where fall protection is required.
• Vehicle, driving, and traffic safety rules for the worksite.
• Good housekeeping methods.
• Worksite safety inspection processes and frequency of inspections.
• Worksite security procedures.
• Personal conduct requirements.

Ensure That You Train General Contractors on The Worksite-Specific Emergency Procedures and Equipment. Knowledgeable employees and contractors can cooperate and make fast, quality decisions if they are prepared before an emergency occurs. The following topics and procedures at a minimum should be provided to employees and contractors:

• Fire prevention and evacuation plans.
• Emergency spill response and procedures.
• Exit routes and assembly areas for emergency evacuations.
• The location of emergency equipment such as fire extinguishers, first aid kits, and rescue equipment.
• Emergency contacts and communication methods.
• Rescue and medical duties for those employees who are to perform them.

BOTTOM LINE 

Effective Communication and Coordination Among Such Employers Means That, Before Coming on Site, Contractors and Staffing Agencies and Their Workers Are Aware Of:

• The types of hazards that may be present.
• The procedures or measures they need to use to avoid or control their exposure to these hazards.
• How to contact the host employer to report an injury, illness, or incident or if they have a safety concern.

FINAL WORD

Employers and contractor’s share the obligations to provide a safe secure and well-regulated workplace for the safety for employees of the host employer and the contractor.