Auditing contractors – How to ensure safety in the workplace
You can never be too careful when it comes to the safety of your employees or contractors. Accidents cost money and in some cases lives. That is why staying on top of the safety processes and auditing contractor safety and other third parties in your work field is important. Every day, injured workers file claims for workers’ compensation at an average cost of $42,000 per claim.
According to Dodge, poor contractor safety culture and unsafe management practices are responsible for about 71% of reported injuries. When insufficient worker safety is the norm and standard operating procedure, the consequences — monetary or otherwise — are dire. Let us talk about how you can stay on top of contractor safety within your workplace.
Understand what contractors do at your site
It is critical to understand what services contractors are providing at the site, how often they are on-site, and what they are responsible for. This helps ensure the quality of their work and reduces the safety risks that may arise.
From shift scheduling and timesheets to logistical operations and your employee directory, you must have a clear understanding of the workflow that helps you identify and eliminate hazards.
Discuss the contractor management standards
The process continues by establishing a management system for the contractors working on the premises. This system could be developed with input from contractors themselves and should be communicated clearly. Below are some examples of what these standards might include:
- Getting to know contractors on an individual basis, including their past work history and performance record
- Using a prequalification process to assess the risk level of each contractor
- Having a system in place for monitoring the contractors during their time on-site
- Reviewing the contractor’s certifications and training
- Stating an applicable safety policy
You should ensure that the contractors you work with have all the required certifications and training. You need to know what is required for contractors in your industry and also what certifications are required for contractors working within your organization. Those standards may be different from the general industry standards.
There are a few ways you can check for certifications and required training. One way is to ask for copies of their certification documents and verify them with officials at certification agencies. Another option is to check online databases via agencies’ websites. It is also important to check that the contractor’s certifications have not expired or been revoked. For a much simpler method of managing contractors, resort to contractor safety management software.
Inspect the contractor’s projects for safety compliance
The next steps require actually auditing the contractors. How do you ensure that each contractor implements the site-specific safety and health program that contains procedures to identify and protect against common site hazards? Make sure to use a Contractor Safety Audit checklist or template when conducting the inspection.
The scope of your audit should include:
- The contractor’s own employees’ activities
- Subcontractors working on the project
- Any temporary employees hired by the contractor
- The work habits of other workers on-site
Proper monitoring will involve:
- Requirements for personal protective equipment
- The site’s specific hazard profile
- Procedures for reporting injuries and incidents
- Requirements for training
By having a proper contractor management system in place, you can stay on top of potential hazards among contractors and prevent workplace accidents from happening in your vicinity.
