Hiring contractors? Health and safety starts before work begins

WorkSafe expects a business to request relevant work health and safety information before hiring a contractor. The process should match the size, complexity and risk of the job—and it should continue after the contractor arrives on site.

What should you ask before appointing a contractor?

The information should be relevant to the work. A low-risk office task should not require the same evidence as roofing, demolition, excavation, asbestos work or work around moving plant. For higher-risk work, consider asking how the contractor:

• identifies and manages the risks arising from the specific work
• will manage shared risks and responsibilities at a workplace occupied by other businesses
• communicates with workers and other PCBUs, and involves workers in risk decisions
• maintains plant and equipment and plans high-risk work
• verifies worker experience, competence, training and any required licences
• supervises its workers and monitors subcontractors
• reports, investigates and learns from incidents and near misses

Prequalification should be proportionate

WorkSafe states that formal prequalification is not compulsory. A business can use an external scheme, its own questionnaire, document checks, interviews or a simple conversation—provided it obtains enough reliable information for the work and risk involved.

A common mistake is asking every contractor for the same large bundle of policies. This can produce paperwork without showing whether the contractor understands the actual hazards. Focus first on the evidence that matters for the job: competence, risk controls, plant condition, supervision, emergency arrangements and how the parties will work together.

When duties overlap, each PCBU remains responsible

Several PCBUs may owe duties in relation to the same workers, activity or workplace. For example, a client, principal contractor, specialist contractor and subcontractor may all influence how work is planned and carried out. One business cannot simply transfer away its own duties through a contract.

The parties should consult, cooperate and coordinate so they understand who is doing what, where responsibilities meet and how gaps or duplicated controls will be avoided. The degree of influence and control each party has will affect what is reasonably practicable for it to do.

Manage the contractor through the full job

• Before engagement: define the scope, identify foreseeable risks, assess relevant capability and clarify expectations.
• Before starting: exchange site and task information, agree controls, complete an effective induction and confirm emergency arrangements.
• During the work: communicate changes, coordinate simultaneous activities, inspect the work and verify critical controls.
• When something changes: stop and reassess where the people, method, plant, environment or scope is different from the plan.
• At completion: confirm the area is left safe, collect required records, close corrective actions and review contractor performance.

A practical check for SME owners

Before work begins, make sure you can answer these questions:

• Do we understand the contractor’s proposed method and main risks?
• Have we provided the contractor with the hazards and operational information only we know?
• Are licences, competencies, equipment records and risk controls relevant and current?
• Have all PCBUs agreed who will manage shared risks and communicate changes?
• Who will monitor the work and how will we verify the most important controls?
• What will trigger a stop-work decision or a review of the plan?

This article provides general information, not legal advice. Contractor-management requirements depend on the work, workplace, risks, parties involved, applicable regulations and the influence or control each PCBU has.