You and Your Sub Contractors

Responsibilities
Are you aware that you are responsible for your subcontractor’s accidents / Injuries and Losses while they are working on your premises?
Competency
You must assess their competency prior to adding them onto your preferred supplier list
You must issue a Competency questionnaire, some of the questions that they must answer for you to be able to assess their competency include but are not limited to:
Have you got current insurances?
Provide accident statistics for the past three years
Provide copies of training certificates that are relevant to your work
Have you been issued with Prohibition / Improvement / Warnings from the HSE / LA or Environment Agency in the last three years?
Once they are assessed as competent they can be added to your preferred supplier list, but prior to working on your premises they must supply you with Method Statements and Risk Assessments for you to assess that they will be working in a safe manner.
One of my more recent clients who owns a gymnasium has been sued for damages by a painter and decorator, he came to the gym to work, he had not been assessed for competency or provided Method Statements or Risk Assessments, he commenced work on his own, fell of the steps and injured his leg and has successfully sued my client for not providing a safe place of work.
My client now has the correct documents in place that would have enabled him to defend the claim.
If you would peace of mind and have the same documentation (Competency Questionnaire-Approved Supplier List and Method Statements / Risk Assessments) so you can avoid being sued, call me at Ralph Bennett Health & safety Management Ltd- I can save you money.