With every new contractor you bring on board, remember to tick these boxes to make sure they are going to hit the ground running when it comes to health and safety on-site. It’s your responsibility as the main contractor to make sure these checks and balances are in place.
There are lots of different ways you can check their health and safety processes. A policy is a good place to start, as well as examples of what they will do on-site if they have an incident and how they will record toolbox talks. You should also ask for an example SWMS for any high-risk work they will do.
We recommend checking these items before they come on-site so you don’t forget. Tip: Ask for a photograph of the items for your records.
The on-site induction is your opportunity to set expectations of how you expect the contractor to participate in risk identification and management. New workers are at a greater risk of injuring themself than your existing crew so a good induction is vital in avoiding injuries and downtime.
Stay on top of these checks with an automated system
Find out more about HazardCo’s Pre-Qualification solution here
There are a lot of things to keep in mind when setting up H&S on your construction site that it can seem overwhelming. Use this guide as a tool to understand what you need to do from start to end of your build.
Your obligations as the main contractor are pretty straightforward. First, you need to make sure contractors have the right skills and experience to do the job, and second, you need to make sure they are going to carry out the work safely. Once they are on board, you also need to monitor if the contractor is following good health and safety practices on-site.
Collecting evidence of this process is important so we recommend putting a system in place so nothing falls through the cracks.
To understand how your contractors manage their Health and Safety it’s important that you talk to your contractors and check that they can show a commitment to keeping workers and visitors safe. This can be demonstrated through clear procedures outlined in their Health and Safety documents, as well as evidence of risk assessments, monitoring work activities, emergency management etc.
The following areas should be included in their Health and Safety Procedures:
When you’ve got a lot of contractors coming and going, it can turn into a bit of a headache trying to stay on top of checking all these documents. We’ve created a simple, automated system to nail the pre-qualification of your contractors before you begin working with them, to reduce the risk to your business.
Find out more about HazardCo’s Pre-Qualification Tools here
When you start a new build, it is important that health and safety is considered and communicated with everyone coming onto site. If this is created at the beginning of your build, and clear direction is provided and shared, it helps to create and foster a good safety culture on-site. With HazardCo it’s easy to set up your site by creating a project in the Hub, all you need to do is:
We recommend that before the project starts, you should think about setting up site fencing, emergency equipment, toilets, handwashing facilities. Make sure that you set up your HazardCo Hazard Board with the site-specific QR code at the entrance of the build.
Documentation is a key way of showing that Health and Safety is active on-site and provides evidence in areas like incident investigations and learnings that are shared from these. This can be in either digital or physical format. Use the HazardCo tools on the App and Hub for all your H&S needs.
If you’re not the main contractor on-site
We recommend that you use the HazardCo App and Hub to manage your on-site health and safety. At the beginning of each day, complete a Risk Assessment on the HazardCo App. This will help identify that the work area is safe and ensure that you have the correct controls in place for common construction hazards.
Remember to use the HazardCo App to report any incidents or near misses on your site. This will notify the HazardCo Advisory Team and we will help guide you through the next steps.
During your job
The HazardCo Team Pack plus is designed specifically for subcontractors who move around from job to job regularly and aren’t usually in charge of managing larger building projects. The pack is great for managing client or visitor inductions and safety procedures while you’re on the go.
The Team Pack Plus includes:
Don’t forget, as part of your membership, you get unlimited access to the HazardCo team.
Phone Support
The support you need from people who know their stuff.
It’s important to us that you and your crew are kept safe. You know the drill, we’re here to help, so get in touch if there’s anything you need. You can contact us on 0800 555 339 or email info@hazardco.com.
The main contractor should be the one that creates a Site Specific Safety Plan for that work, and this should be shared with all subcontractors involved. This will ensure workers are aware of the risks and hazards that are involved in the job at hand. Throughout the job, there should be ongoing communication between all parties, and the risks reviewed regularly on-site
Tendering for insurance work may require you to outline how you intend to manage the job safely. Creating a Project in the Hub allows you to identify the likely hazards you may face, select the controls you will put in place, along with all the other required information around how you will safely manage the work. You will be able to download a PDF of your Site specific safety plan (SSSP) to present for tender. Even if the job is only short work it is important that the documentation matches the address of the works, and all health and safety documentation stays together with that job.
What if the work is only a few days long?
If the job is only a few days long, you can print off a QR code from your Hub to allow workers and contractors to scan in and complete inductions, complete Task Analysis or report incidents etc as necessary.
Remember just because a job is short in time, does not mean it is lower in risk. Often insurance work, especially flood damage work can be high risk. With a high expectation that businesses manage the risk to workers including their contractors.
Contact our team for more information on doing insurance work.
Will you be making any structural changes?
Using a Site Specific Safety Plan will help identify the controls that will be put in place to manage this risk, generally, this type of work can take time, and therefore we recommend ordering a Project and using the HazardCo App to assist your health and safety needs onsite.
Will you be engaging subcontractors?
If subcontractors are going to be engaged in the work, then a Project will likely be needed, but this also depends on the type of work and length of the job. So if you’re unsure, just give us a call and we will be happy to assist.
How old is the building?
Any property built before the year 2000, could contain asbestos. Using a Site Specific Safety Plan helps identify the controls that will be put in place to manage this risk. We will go into more depth about the dangers of asbestos next week.
If none of the above apply, you will need a Team Pack Plus
The Team Pack Plus is designed for those who move regularly from job to job and are not usually managing larger building projects. These are great for managing client inductions and managing safety procedures while on the go. Our Team Pack includes:
If you have any questions get in touch with the HazardCo Team
Businesses (PCBUs) that work together will often share health and safety duties in relation to work done. Businesses especially have a legal duty to consult, cooperate with, and coordinate activities with all other businesses they share overlapping duties with.
What does this mean and how can you ensure that people are not harmed, and you are complying with your legal obligations? Here are some expectations:
The following key steps should be followed by Main Contractor:
Scope
Prequalify
Select
Appoint
Monitor
Review
Working along other businesses is a natural part of residential construction. Everyone on-site has a duty to open up the lines of communication and look out for each other.
You can read more about contractor management and overlapping duties here or if you have any questions about working with other businesses on-site, give our expert Advisory Team a call on 0800 555 339.
Even if you are self-employed you still carry the same duties under the legislation as the main contractor.
If a contractor, in turn, engages other businesses then they too must assume some of the responsibility for their work. A contractor is most likely to have the greatest influence and control of their own work activities and workers (or contractors).
There should be a way of recording your planning and the ways in which you share this information. All businesses should have access to information to keep themselves or their workers safe.
Your primary duty remains to prevent harm arising from your work. Identify risks that could arise and share information between relevant parties.
The following key steps should be followed by contractors:
Scope
Prequalify
Select
Appoint
Monitor
Review
Working along other businesses is a natural part of residential construction. Everyone on-site has a duty to open up the lines of communication and look out for each other.
You can read more about contractor management and overlapping duties here or if you have any questions about working with other businesses on-site, give our expert Advisory Team a call on 0800 555 339.
This strategic partnership brings together two leading systems, as construction companies across Australia and New Zealand are increasingly adopting on-site technology to ease their administrative burden and work more efficiently.
We make health and safety simple, giving more than 10,000 companies the confidence they are keeping their team and their business safe, while reducing the time they spend on paperwork. Our system provides guided digital tools as well as incident support and health and safety advice when it is needed. We’re most well known for our simple and effective site induction and scan-in solution.
“We’re pleased to be able to integrate Procore with our unique site induction and scan-in solution, making it faster and easier than ever for Procore customers to know who is on-site, and when,” said Nick Halley, Head of Product at HazardCo. “Members receive a hazard board with a unique QR code for their site fence, and everyone uses the free app to scan into site, induct themselves and accept the safety plan, with H&S docs seamlessly flowing back into Procore.”
“Our goal is to make health and safety simple. This exciting partnership between HazardCo and Procore connects construction management and health and safety together, giving building companies an out-of-the box digital WHS system that seamlessly connects with their existing workflows,” said Iain Dixon, Chief Executive at HazardCo.
He concludes, “we regularly speak to builders that are passionate about building scalable and efficient processes for their business, but health and safety continues to be a very manual and paper-heavy activity for them. There are large gains to be made by digitizing health and safety, with HazardCo members telling us they have halved the time they spend on WHS admin using our simple system. This partnership will make it easier for building companies to streamline their processes and give them the confidence they are on top of their health and safety requirements.”
Health and safety issues arise from a worker raising concern about health and safety at the workplace and that concern remains unresolved after consultation with the worker/s and the PCBU (Employer), it then becomes a health and safety issue.
For example, an issue could include a difference in opinion on whether something is a potential risk to health and safety, or whether a particular control measure is acceptable.
There are issue resolution requirements in Health and Safety legislation that outlines how a health and safety issue should be resolved, with the aim to agree on how to fix the problem, as soon as possible, to avoid further dispute or a similar future issue. If after reasonable efforts the issue cannot be resolved, then it can be referred to the regulator (WorkSafe) by completing the ‘Request Assistance to Resolve a Work Health and Safety Matter’ form available on their website.
The following details need to be taken into account when assessing the severity (risk level) of the issue, and from there deciding who needs to be involved:
An agreed H&S Issue Resolution Procedure is a process or steps for resolving health and safety issues in the workplace which has been agreed upon by directors / management / workers.
You can establish an agreed procedure for a workplace. To do this, make sure the procedure contains:
It is recommended to have a procedure in place in the event of an issue arising, or the steps provided in legislation can be followed.
Once the relevant people have been made aware of the details of the issue and the level of risk has been assessed, health and safety regulations set out the default procedure for resolving it.
Multiple people can be involved in the issue resolution process, depending on the risk of the issue, to ensure adequate consultation and the best outcome occurs. This means it could be:
If you or your worker would like to involve representatives in the issue resolution process you are able to do so. A representative does not necessarily need to have health and safety expertise. This could include people such as a designer of a piece of equipment at the workplace, or a person with workplace consultation and negotiation skills. Depending on the nature of the H&S issue, advice or assistance from a range of experts may be required to reach an appropriate and informed resolution between the involved parties.
Things to remember:
When the issue has been resolved, details of the issue and the resolution should be set out in a written agreement. If a written agreement is prepared:
If you’ve got a question about Health and Safety issue resolution or any other health and safety matter, the HazardCo Advisory Team is here to help. Give us a call on 0800 555 339.
When you’re able to get back on site after a flood or storm, here are the hazards, risks and control measures you should consider to help reduce the risk of injury and illness to yourself, your workers and others involved in the clean up and repair effort.
If you have any questions as always get in touch with the HazardCo Team
Have you been asked to complete an external prequalification and you’re scrambling for all the information that you need to get through it?
Going through a pre-qualification process helps to determine how well contractors manage health and safety. It asks businesses to demonstrate an effective health and safety management system and for information on managing specific risks.
You can also use pre-qualification as an opportunity to assist and support businesses to improve their health and safety practices.
To successfully complete a pre-qualification it is important that you have an active health and safety system. This includes evidence to show that your health and safety system is working effectively.
You only need to complete a pre-qualification if you have been asked to. You don’t need to complete a pre-qualification from an external provider unless you have been requested to, this process can easily be managed internally.
Our Advisory Team can step you through the typical questions you would see in an external pre-qualification and advise you on how the HazardCo system can support your application. E.g managing inductions on site, communicating with your workers, how to complete risk management. If you’re keen to access these resources or need assistance with completing a pre-qualification, give us a call on 0800 555 339 or e-mail advisory@hazardco.com
If you need help preparing for a pre-qualification, we can offer this through HazardCo Services in addition to your membership. We can arrange to carry out a review of your health and safety system and provide advice on areas for improvement, prior to you having to complete a pre-qualification.
We can also provide in-house support to help you complete the pre-qualification, or review your pre-qualification before it is submitted and provide recommendations to assist your application.
If you are interested in learning more about HazardCo Services you can give us a call on 0800 555 339.
When we hear the term “red flags” it means there’s a problem, it is a warning sign that something isn’t right when it comes to a particular situation. In the way of a construction site, this could be anything from a messy site, to using out of date H&S paperwork.
Some red flags are more visible or obvious than others, however it’s important to eliminate red flags on your site as they can cause injuries and other issues for you and your crew. We’ve covered some of the most common red flags and how to remove these from your site.
Not having a fence around the site perimeter could invite unauthorised entry. If your site isn’t secure, members of the public or children can enter the site, which could lead to injuries, property damage or stolen items.
Easy, ensure your site has adequate fencing set-up around the perimeter to prevent unauthorised entry. Take into consideration the height and ensure it’s not only high enough, but also check that the gap at the bottom isn’t too big where people, including children, could squeeze through underneath.
A messy site can lead to all sorts of problems. Waste and other objects left lying around can create obstacles for you and your crew. The mess could cause slip and trip injuries which can result in workers needing time off work, something you want to avoid!
Make sure your team is regularly cleaning up after themselves. Waste materials like cardboard, general rubbish and other lighter material can be placed/stored in such a way to eliminate tripping hazards and prevent them from flying off site, especially during strong winds.
Having a skip or bins available and ensuring everyone takes a moment to keep the site clear will reduce the risk of injury for everyone.
The site sign provides all of the important details including an after hours contact number.
If something happens on-site and the principal contractor needs to be contacted, it needs to be easy for anyone to find.
Display a Principal Contractor sign in a visible location which includes the following
information:
If there is no process for identifying the hazards, assessing the risks and what controls are required for a task, it could pose a significant risk to workers on-site.
A Task Analysis (TA) is required for all high risk construction work. Ensure a TA is accessible to the workers performing the task and that they are familiar with its contents.
It’s important that a TA is regularly reviewed. If the TA is not being followed due to a variation of work or conditions have changed, then work must stop until the TA is reviewed and updated.
When people are unaware of incidents or near misses occurring on site, it could lead to the same incident unnecessarily injuring people repeatedly. Also, some incidents legally need to be notified to WorkSafe. A fine can be issued if this does not occur.
Reporting injuries is also important when it comes to making sure the worker receives appropriate treatment, (e.g. medical treatment) and other support, (e.g. return to work).
When incidents, near misses, injuries and illnesses occur on-site it’s important they are reported and investigated appropriately. By recording an incident via the HazardCo App, it automatically populates an incident register on your Hub so that all the incidents are recorded in one central location.
Carrying out investigations is important as they look at why the incident occurred and what controls can be implemented to prevent them from occurring again.
H&S paperwork needs to be kept up to date to help keep your workers safe. If yours is out of date, it could contribute to an incident on-site.
Additionally, lack of H&S documentation (e.g. Risk assessment/Task Analysis) could mean you’re not complying with Legislation so you could be liable for certain prosecutions and/or fines.
If you’re old school and don’t mind filling out H&S paperwork by hand, make sure you are using something that is current, e.g. the TA is specific for the high risk task.
If you’re like us and love using a digital system, use the HazardCo App to get your H&S done quickly and simply. All of our features including the TA and site review are regularly reviewed and kept up to date, including when legislation changes.
