Your organization cares about the health and safety of its employees, has defined safe working methods and encourages its own safety culture in various ways.

But it happens that some services within your own facilities are delegated to another company with its own employees (maintenance, installation, construction, etc.)

Statistically, accidents are more likely to happen when the contractor is excluded from the organization's usual safe working practices, the hazards of his work have not been identified and measures have not been taken to minimize the risks, and there is no one around to ensure that the contractor is following health and safety rules on site.

Contractor accidents can be caused by poor communication, when staff are unaware that a contractor is working nearby, and when contractors are unaware of the hazards on the jobsite.

Countries have laws to protect the health and safety of workers and have adopted specific codes to protect workers who work for contractors within other companies. The details may vary from country to country, but the basic principles are the same.

Some steps can be highlighted.

Choosing a contractor

Depending on the work you intend to assign to the contractor, you also need to define what technical and safety skills are required.

It is necessary to ask questions of the candidate contractor, obtain proof, a declaration on the level of competence of their workers and safety methods. Even for simple or urgent jobs you cannot rely on incompetent personnel even if they guarantee to do the job quickly or at a lower cost.

A mistake in selection can have unpleasant implications for your own workers and the contractor's workers.

Planning

In preparing the work it is necessary to:

• Define the work
• Identify the dangers
• Assess the risks
• Eliminate and reduce risks
• Specify health and safety conditions
• Agree with the contractor the results

Dialogue with the contractor is essential for this purpose because, often, the contractor knows the dangers and risks inherent in his work but does not know what dangers and risks he will encounter in the new environment.

Contractors have a responsibility to prepare a risk assessment, and their risk assessment should fit with yours and provide you with information. Likewise, contractors will need information from you about the work, the condition of the plant etc. when preparing their assessment.
A safe working tool adopted in the context of installation and maintenance is the work permit. Permits are used for high risk and non-routine work. They are required if there is a risk of serious injury that cannot be adequately controlled by normal physical safety measures. Permits specify the work to be done and the precautions to be taken and provide a clear record that all foreseeable hazards have been considered.
Separate permit forms may be required for different activities such as:

• entry into confined spaces.
• hot work;
• work on electrical systems

In this way, sufficient emphasis can be given to the dangers present and the necessary precautions.

Contractor's entry into the company

Best practices for accessing the company

• contractor 's employees sign in and out
• The contractor and the company name the respective referents 
• The company communicates health and safety information and enforces site rules
• The company inspects the work and authorizes the start of the works
   

Businesses must control the entry and exit of people from their premises. A reception area must be designated with a register for visitors' signatures.

All companies have local health and safety rules, such as the use of eye protection or other protective equipment; whether smoking is allowed or not; what to do in an emergency, etc. The contractor's workers must be informed of these. It is not enough to send a couple of the rules to the administration, but it is good to summarize the rules when they first enter.

Contractors need to be informed of the hazards they face when they arrive on site. An introductory conversation is often the best way to convey this information. It is worth checking that they have understood all the essential points.

Standard information can be prepared in advance, such as fact sheets, notices, leaflets. Some companies use an introductory video about the company and the site. It shows key health and safety messages before any work begins.

Contractors need on-site contact, someone they can contact on a regular basis or if the job changes and there is some uncertainty about what to do. The on-site contact should be a named person in a senior position with sufficient authority and expertise.

Surveillance

Contractors are responsible for their work and for operating it safely. However, a certain level of supervision must be defined. The level of supervision must be defined sensibly, particularly in relation to the risks associated with the work. It must be decided and agreed at the start of the work.
The beginning and end of the day are important times to review work and review progress. However, the contractor should expect safe practices to be verified by authorized personnel at other, unscheduled times of the day.
Contractors should also be encouraged to report accidents and near misses, even minor ones. This allows the underlying causes to be investigated and things to be fixed before someone gets hurt.

Final check

When the work has been done according to the plan and agreement between the parties, the quality of the work must be evaluated in relation to both the work itself and the performance of the contractor.
Another reason for the audit is to find out if and how to improve the procedures described above.
Any lessons learned are recorded and used for next time. The log can be used when reviewing the list of preferred contractors.