Hiring contractors to carry out repairs and maintenance is all in a day’s practice for busy property managers - but it can be risky.
We’ve all heard the horror stories. Even a simple routine repair can go sideways quickly if contractor risk assessment precautions aren’t taken and completing the due diligence has been skipped before hiring the contractor. It can be a very stressful and expensive exercise.
A report compiled by Safe Work Australia found that 182 workers were fatally injured at work in 2016. 42 per cent of those were vehicle-related, 9 per cent were hit by moving objects and 14 per cent died when falling from height. And while you may think it won’t ever happen to you, the potential risks on your property with hiring a contractor can be very real if careful considerations and appropriate measures aren't taken.
While workplace health and safety legislation varies from state to state, the overarching basics remain the same in order to protect people while at work. Working at Heights is one of the most common risk areas, and Strata Managers and their committees need to be thorough when it comes to assessing the risks and completing their due diligence when selecting a contractor.
Here are some important considerations for an effective contractor risk assessment to ensure workplace health and safety and meet due diligence requirements:
- Scrutinise the Quote: When you get a quote for a job, be sure that you go over the fine details. If the contractor hasn’t provided a detailed quote, be prepared to ask some follow-up questions. For example, if there’s a two-metre height rule that means that anything worked on over two metres requires appropriate fall protection, has this been considered in the quote? By reviewing the details of the quote you can make sure that the contractor hasn’t cut corners, so always ask questions about how they intend to carry out the work safely.
- Check Insurances: It’s imperative that a hired contractor is properly licensed or that their licences have not lapsed. If it’s not included with the quote, ask for a copy of their insurance policy to ensure they’re fully covered in the unlikely event of an incident, and keep a copy for your own records. While you’re at it, double-check that your own insurances are fully up to date, too. Don’t be afraid to ask for a few examples of similar work that they have done, and do some basic research on the company to see if there have been any incidents in the past. It's also recommended to ensure they have the correct licenses to carry out the jobs they are being hired to complete.
- Get a detailed contractor risk assessment: When discussing a proposal with a contractor, ask them for an example of a risk assessment they have completed for a similar type of project. A reputable contractor will be more than willing to provide one to indicate what controls they are planning to implement to maintain safety on site.
- Stay Involved: Be sure to stay involved during the work and, if it’s a larger job, engage stakeholders regularly for updates with a meeting. It’s in your best interest to make sure the works are being carried out as planned and in line with the Workplace Health and Safety Act. Will there be interruptions to residents during work? Are there proper detours and signage available during the job? These are just some of the questions you need to be across and iteratively incorporate into your contractor risk assessment.
Why is due diligence important when hiring a contractor?
If there’s an incident or injury, a workplace health and safety inspector will likely come on-site and ask the Manager many questions, including how they went about engaging and hiring the contractor. They’ll also ask if they sighted the contractor risk assessment, and at what level of detail they went into to demonstrate due diligence and avoid risks.
Be sure to do your due diligence with every contractor that you hire, and take the time to fully understand everything that you need to know to protect not only you, the staff, and the contractors themselves.
Start dealing with worksite incidents before they turn into disasters. A comprehensive risk assessment will help you identify, reduce or eliminate risks, protecting your workers from injury. Download our worksite risk assessment template and get started today.
Higgins Coatings is Australia's premier commercial painting contractor with over 70 years of experience in providing cost-effective painting and tailored maintenance solutions to a broad range of industries including hospitals, aged care, schools, and strata. If you need quality painting services delivered on time and within budget, contact us today. Contact us for a consultation.
