Posted By Paul Leadbetter John Why should BT et al be treated any differently from anybody else? Paul

Posted By Laurie Yes Laurie

Posted By Adrian Watson Dear all, I have great difficulty in accepting that provision of safety policy, manuals, certificates etc is proof of competence; in fact in my experience it is normally not! What the company says is done and what the "man in the van" does when he gets to site tend not to be the same. My general recommendation is as follows: Carry out a general risk assessment for the tasks to be contacted. Then dependent upon the controls you can put sensible selection & control procedures in place. If the risks are low then controls can be few; if the risks are high or complex then the controls will also be more complex. If the risks are low select from an appropriate trade body and/or use local knowledge & experience. Where there is more risk I would want details, training, knowledge & experience, of who is supervising and going to do the job and a plan of work. I would also ask for details of similar projects and references. In high-risk cases I want method statements as well. The details of who is doing the work and the plan of work would tell me whether they are competent to carry out the work in principle. I would want to speak to previous clients and possibly visit them on other sites to see their work being done. In some cases I would formally interview them. In all cases its "horses for courses" so what I would do in each case would depend upon the risk scenario. Prior to starting work I would ask for Insurances. At a minimum this is Public and employers Liability, but it may include Professional Indemnity where necessary. On arriving at site I would always induct all of the contractors and check their work equipment. I would have a meeting with their supervisor at the start and end of each day/shift. I would also carry out random checks to ensure that they are following their plan of work and method statements and see the quality of their work. Low risk works would have few checks, higher would be carried out under an approval scheme risk with more checks and very high risk activities would be carried out under a permit to work with permanent supervision being present. In all cases record your activities. What hasn't been recorded hasn't been done ... Records aren't important until their needed so keep the number of records down, but make sure that they're properly completed at the right time. At the end of each project, have a project debrief and learn from the mistakes. Regards Adrian Watson.

Posted By Jonathan Breeze George, As usual you have put forward a fantastic suggestion, which I think would be very helpful to all. Having just spent some time working on a new contractors procedure with the assistance of colleagues from this forum, I would be happy to share my findings. I'll contact you direct.

Posted By Ciaran McAleenan John The road construction industry were having the same concerns in NI and just recently launched, what they refer to as a "Relationships Protocol", aimed at setting out the actions for all players on site (contractor, utility companies, client). I have reproduced it below, as best as I can, but if you want a properly formatted one I can arrange for that. The protocol is endorsed by all the key organisations and will be monitored for effectiveness. Hope this helps. Ciaran ciaran@web-safety.com "Relationships Protocol" The Construction Design and Management Regulations require co-operation and co-ordination between all parties involved in the design and delivery of construction work. Compliance with this best practice Guidance Note will promote effective co-ordination and co-operation between Roads Service, Principal Contractors, Contractors, Utility Companies and their Sub-Contractors. The objective of all the interested parties is to ensure the health, safety and welfare of road workers and road users. The following actions are necessary to further this aim and to establish and maintain a good working relationship between all parties. Action 1. Advance notification of proposed utility works, that are to be done by any utility and/or their contractor during the Project, is to be provided to the Principal Contractor before work commences. Liaison arrangements for these works are to be agreed at this stage. Action 2. The Principal Contractor is to be provided with a list detailing any nominated utility sub-contractors, seeking access to the site. The listing is to include; nature and scope of work, contact names, telephone numbers and level(s) of responsibility. Action 3. The utility company is to provide relevant risk assessments, method statements and the name of their safety advisor to the Principal Contractor before work can commence. Action 4. The utility company and/or their sub-contractors are to discuss and agree with the Principal Contractor any necessary accommodation works to facilitate storage of their plant and materials on site. Action 5. The Principal Contractor is to facilitate briefing meeting(s) with all interested parties, if necessary, in order that relevant information and program of works can be communicated and agreed prior to work starting on site. Action 6. Any changes to works, details of delays or extensions to the utility works, which may affect the overall program, is to be notified to the Principal Contractor at the earliest opportunity. The sharing of information, clarity and co-operation will ensure that all parties involved are aware of their responsibilities. Adherence to the above procedures will enhance relationships and facilitate the safe and efficient carrying out of work. The QPANI/ Roads Service liaison committee will monitor the effectiveness of this protocol and its outworking will be discussed at any contract performance reviews.