Tendering With Safety
Everyone is responsible for health and safety on a building site, big or small, whether you are the principal client, main contractor or sub-contractor.
Everyone is responsible under the Health and Safety at Work Act.
Clients are responsible for ensuring the safety of contractors and staff at work. This includes:
- Ensuring all projects are scoped with a hazard register which includes occupational health and safety risks
- Using industry representative guidelines as a source of valuable information
- Ensuring all staff on site are adequately trained in identifying and managing hazards
Main Contractors are responsible for ensuring processes and measures are in place to ensure the safety of all staff on site through the effective identification and management of site hazards. A good way to do this is by using a hazard register.
Subcontractors will need to prove their commitment to health and safety when they tender for work. Some tools that may help you are the Site Specific Safety Plan, and the Small Business Safety Package.
Managing Health and Safety On Site For A Project
- Completing a project plan:
Along with scoping required critical skills, plant, equipment, and costs, the plan must also show how health and safety will be managed. - Contract negotiation:
Client provides details about known hazards. Original site plans should be checked to identify any hidden hazards. - A Contract is awarded:
Develop safety plans. Undertake a pre-start safety meeting. Agree line of communications. - On the job:
Regular audits of registers. Regular safety meetings to provide ongoing communication. - After the work is completed:
All parties provide feedback on success and lessons learned. Evaluations should be fed back into the tendering process to assist in the next job.
You can find more information on the Health and Safety at Work Act here.
See how your contractor management stacks up by downloading our free checklist.