Getting down

With demanding clients and no common model, pre-qualification health and safety assessments can be frustrating. But meeting the standard can also be a matter of life or death.

For the first time, the ECA has teamed up with the HVCA to produce core criteria for assessing contractor safety. In a presentation at the Chelsea Football Club, speakers from the Specialist Engineering Contractors’ (SEC) Group, Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Construction Confederation discussed how the new, simplified model will affect contractors and clients.

The HSE has welcomed the 12 steps, which have been launched to tie in with next April’s revamp of the CDM Regs, providing guidance and a common standard to help with pre-qualification assessment.

The 12 steps

1 H&S policy and organisation (five employees and over)

Have an appropriate policy, regularly reviewed, and signed by the managing director

or equivalent. The policy should be relevant to the nature and scale of the work and set out responsibilities for health and safety (h&s) management at all levels.

2 Arrangements for ensuring h&s measures

These should set out the arrangements for h&s management and should be relevant to the nature and scale of the work. They should set out how the company will discharge duties under CDM 2007 and other h&s legislation, with a clear indication of how these arrangements are communicated to the workforce.

3 Competent advice – company and construction/sector related

The company and its employees must have ready access to competent h&s advice, preferably from within the company. The appointed advisors must be able to provide general and site specific h&s advice to employees.

4 Training and information

Have in place training arrangements to ensure employees have sufficient skills and understanding to discharge their duties. Have a programme of refresher training (eg a CPD programme or lifelong learning) that will keep employees updated on legislation and good h&s practice.

5 Individual qualification and experience

Employees should have the appropriate qualifications and experience for the

assigned tasks, unless they are under controlled and competent supervision.

6 Monitoring, audit and review

Have a system for monitoring procedures, for auditing them at periodic intervals, and for reviewing them on an on-going basis.

7 Workforce involvement

Have an established means of consulting with the workforce on h&s matters.

8 Accident reporting and enforcement action; follow up investigation

Keep records of all RIDDOR-reportable events for at least the last three years. Have a

system for reviewing incidents, and recording the action taken. Record any enforcement action taken against the company in the last five years, and action taken to remedy any enforcement-related issues.

9 Subcontracting/consulting procedures (if applicable)

Have arrangements for appointing competent subcontractors/consultants.

Be able to demonstrate how to ensure that subcontractors will also have arrangements for appointing competent subcontractors or consultants. Have arrangements for monitoring subcontractor performance.

10 Risk assessment (leading to a safe method of work if need be)

Have procedures in place for carrying out risk assessments and for developing and

implementing safe systems of work/ method statements. Note: this should include

occupational health issues.

11 Co-operating with others and co-ordinating work with other contractors

Illustrate how co-operation and co-ordination of the work is achieved, and how others are involved in drawing up method statements/safe systems of work.

12 Welfare provision

Be able to show how to the appropriate welfare facilities will be in place before people start work on site.