July 1st 2014, a contractor is killed in a chimney collapse. This case is not rare. Lots of accidents happen in the workplace and contractors are not saved.
By Chaima Hossenally - French Exchange Student
Welcome to week five of French Exchange Corner, with SG World's Exchange Student Chaima Hossenally. This week, Chaima gives us her thoughts on the importance of contractor management for all organisations and businesses and how SG World's solutions can help.
Contractors are not the only people responsible for safety. It is true that they need to ensure that all tools are safe for use and take the necessary precautions to prevent accidents, but it is also the role of employers to take care of work risks. They have some huge responsibilities:
- Ensure the contractor's safety in the premises
- Highlight high risk activities and inform contractors of these
- Find out information concerning their way of working (do they have the right combination of skills, experience and knowledge to do the job safely?)
These directives are part of HSE legislation. It is a duty for companies to respect these, but the HSE does not provide products to make firms comply with these rules, which are only formulate.
In order to help these companies, SG World supplies various systems for contractors’ employment. By using these products you can protect contractors as well as your staff and visitors. Indeed, employing contractors can represent a threat for your premises and the public. That is why you need to be sure of how work is completed for your organisation, and who is doing it.
SG World gives you the possibility to identify and manage all contractors on your site. There are two key products that can enable you to achieve health and safety in your field.
Contractor Pass helps you to control access given to contractors and it highlights high risk activities. The product promotes security inside company areas and contractors safety. By fulfilling it, contractors will know the firm’s regulations and it provides you with an accurate log of contractors on site in case of emergency.
To ensure contractors perform a risk assessment and take corrective action if necessary, SG World has the solution by providing Permits to Work. This tool improves safety by reducing potential accidents by identifying potential threats and hazards before the work takes place. It comes with a temporary warning sign for display where work is being undertaken. You can choose from a range of off-the-shelf permits for a variety of tasks, including the HSE five high risk activities; Hot Work, Electrical, Confined Spaces, Hazardous Substances and Working at Heights.
For more information on any of our products, request a brochure or call 01270 588211.