Introduction
This document aims to control the health and safety of contractors working in the BioEscalator Innovation building by:
- Identifying the potential harm arising from the proposed work
- Identifying who may be affected
- Instigating controls.
A contractor is anyone carrying out work in the BioEscalator Innovation building who is not an employee of the University or company.
Responsibilities
The BioEscalator must ensure that appropriate arrangements are in place to identify when contractors are to work in their buildings and that the proposed work complies with the health and safety policies.
The person who has arranged for a contractor to work in the BioEscalator premises must act as a Coordinator. The coordinator must ensure that an appropriate risk assessment is made before the work commences. They must ensure that the contractor is made aware of the outcome of this risk assessment and that they are expected to comply with the relevant requirements of the health and safety policies. They must ensure appropriate arrangements are made to provide an induction (covering at least the relevant fire and first aid arrangements) to all contractors and sub-contractors and organise a Site Contact for the period of work.
Risk Assessment
All contractor work must be assessed before the work begins. In areas where a contractor is not exposed to, or will not introduce any significant hazard (e.g. a photocopier service engineer), then a simple discussion is sufficient. In other areas, there may be a need for some formal level of assessment. This is certainly the case, if:
- The contractor introduces a significant hazard to the building. For example, if they need to carry out ‘hot work’ or hazardous substances.
- The contractor may be exposed to existing hazards in the department. For example, contractors may need to access areas where hazardous substances are directly handled.
- The work proposed is likely to affect existing controls. For example, fire alarm detectors may need to be isolated where smoke, heat, dust, or fumes are generated.
In addition, the following documents may supplement the risk assessment:
a. Contractor’s method statement/risk assessment.
It is always advisable to ask for a copy of the contractor’s method statement/risk assessment before the work commences. This will help identify the likely impact on the building and ensure appropriate information is supplied, and arrangements are made ahead of the work commencing.
b. Decontamination certificates.
Where an item of plant/equipment has been contaminated with a particular hazardous substance, the equipment should, where possible, be decontaminated before it is worked on. If the equipment cannot be wholly decontaminated, then the residual risks must be outlined to the contractor.
c. Equipment isolation.
In some circumstances, it will be necessary to isolate plant or equipment, restrict entry, or override safety controls or alarms. In these instances, to ensure that all affected personnel are aware and manage isolation and use, physical restrictions may be needed, or warning signs and notices must be displayed. If signs/notices are displayed, it is equally important that they are removed afterwards, so it is clear that the situation has returned to normal.
d. Permit(s) to work.
A permit to work is a formal system of control which must be issued for any significantly high-risk activity. For instance, hot work, roof work, work on live electricity, work in confined spaces, and work in high-risk areas. BioEscalator Building & Facilities Manager can issue a permit(s) to work before work commences.
Access to tenant space
Contractors will be issued a contractor access card to the front door of the BioEscalator (including level 1). The tenants must give the contractor access to their laboratory, or with their permission, the BioEscalator receptionist can add access to their laboratory on the contractor access card. There are five contractor access cards for the BioEscalator Innovation building.
Use of own equipment / personal protective equipment
The use of your equipment by contractors must, wherever possible, be avoided, particularly if the equipment is critical to that individual’s health and safety (e.g., ladders, HEPA vacuum cleaners). Where such equipment is required, it should be identified as part of the risk assessment process, and the contractor should supply it.
The need for personal protective equipment (e.g., eye, face, respiratory, hand protection) must also be considered as part of the risk assessment and, again, where required, be supplied by the contractor. In addition, the contractor must be notified of any specific local rules, such as the need to wear laboratory coats and safety glasses in the containment laboratory or their policy on latex gloves.
Monitoring and reviewing the Job
The coordinator is not expected to watch contractors all the time they are on-site, but they must check to see that the contractor is carrying out the work as agreed.
Before work commences, the coordinator must be satisfied that all risks have been identified and that appropriate controls are in place and are to be followed.
During the work and at appropriate intervals, the coordinator should ensure that the work is visually checked to ensure the agreed controls are being followed and are working effectively. If there is any doubt, the work should be stopped or readjusted to ensure the health and safety of all concerned.
At the end of a work period, it must be agreed that the work has been completed to each other’s satisfaction. If the work has not been fully completed and residual risks remain, then the area and equipment must be made safe before it is left unsupervised. This may require the temporary reinstatement of guarding and other controls or the isolation of equipment and areas by barriers or lockout systems. Importantly, any permit(s) to work issued must not be dated for a period longer than one day.
If the contractor is likely to generate waste, then arrangements for disposing of this waste must have been agreed upon before the work starts, and the final inspection must ensure that this waste has been correctly removed. The coordinator needs to obtain a copy of the waste transfer note before waste is removed from the premises.
Accidents and reporting
All accidents and incidents involving a contractor must be reported via their own arrangements. However, the coordinator will investigate the cause of any incident and identify if there is a need to modify existing procedures. In that regard, details of the accident should be gained from the contractor before they leave the site. This should also be reported.