Contractors and the Work Health and Safety Act

The presence of Contractors in the workplace is now more frequent than ever before as business and government organisations increasingly outsource various tasks within the business.

The Work Health and Safety Act (in certain States) defines contractors and their employees as “workers” and in doing so places the responsibility for their safety squarely with the organisation that they are contracted to. Put simply, if a contractor is injured or becomes unwell directly as a result of neglect by the organisation, then liability for the incident may fall upon that establishment.

Just as the Act requires employees to be properly inducted into the workplace, contractors must also be inducted into the safe work culture of the organisation and made aware of the safety expectations that are a necessary pre-requisite to their engagement. The organisation also needs to be aware of the contractors own safe work practices and policies in order to maintain the safety of its own workers.

Compact’s efficient and cost effective solutions to the two distinct management processes involving contractors are as follows:

1. The Contractor Induction Confirmation System confirms that the contractor has completed the induction process to the satisfaction of the organisation and the pass issued becomes the means of verification checking each time the contractor enters the work site. When properly inducted, the contractor will be fully aware of their obligations to maintaining a safe work environment.
2. The Contractor Sign-in and Fire Register System issues a work permit for the contractor at each visit to the work site. The system ensures that contractors and their employees cannot come and go from the premises without recording their presence as a permanent record. When attached to their clothing, the permit indicates the contractor’s status to employees in the workplace and the Contractor Register allows their traceability in the workplace in the event of an emergency evacuation.

The Permit also contains important points regarding safety and specific regulations that the contractor must have reinforced at each entry.

These Compact solutions can assist your business with health and safety compliance in relation to contractors, click on an option below for further details