Contractor Compliance

Your management of workplace compliance is not complete without a proper Contractor Management System to manage contractor compliance. You may have a comprehensive and strong OHS management system but this won’t protect you if something happens and you have non-compliant, poorly trained contractors working on site. Your OHS management plan is incomplete without a compliant, reliable and efficient contractor management system.

Do you have a complete and effective contractor management system in place?

Characteristics and essentials of an Effective Contractor Management System:

• A Reliable Contractor Induction System: An effective contractor management system starts with a reliable induction application that can track contractor inductions, ensure comprehensive induction, and give automatic alerts when inductions are up for renewal. Most companies have insufficient and outdated contractor induction systems which involve handing a manual or DVD to contractors and then taking their signature before allowing them onsite. This is certainly not sufficient to improve safety and compliance.

• Ability to Access, Update and Manage Compliance Related Documents: An adequate system should have the ability to capture all relevant and necessary documents including insurance covers, licenses, and contractor details – things which all require inspection before admitting a contractor on site. Proper management of these documents should be a large part of the system, which should also have the ability to generate automatic notifications when these documents expire and require updating. This provides you with an extremely important record of activities which act as evidence of your company’s compliance in case of an incident.

• Comprehensive Reporting Capability: An effective system should have the ability to provide updated reports. This is the best way to demonstrate your company’s commitment to safety. This feature also brings out the strengths and weaknesses of your contractor management system so you know where to improve.

• Effective Management Plan: An effective system is one with a qualified person to manage the system and oversee its continuous improvement. You can have someone managing the software development and maintenance if your system is in-house. If you decide to outsource the management software, choose a provider company familiar with OHS managers’ issues rather than just a general software development company.

• Company-wide Dedication and Commitment to Implementing the Contractor Management System: An OHS management system requires the involvement of many people in the company, and it is important that all the people involved understand the importance of having a reliable system. Having an adequate system in place is one thing, but making the system work requires the dedication and commitment of the entire company. This requires that all levels in the company understand the importance and benefits of an effective contractor management system.

After implementing a reliable system and educating everyone on the importance of an effective and comprehensive contractor management system, you will appreciate how this improves workplace compliance and contractor safety.