Using contractors does not hand over your health and safety responsibilities. Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, both you and the contractor have duties to anyone affected by the work. A simple, consistent contractor management process protects your people, theirs and your business.
1. Before you appoint: check competence
Match the checks to the risk of the job. For most work, ask for:
- Evidence of relevant qualifications and trade registrations, such as Gas Safe, NICEIC or CSCS cards.
- Insurance certificates: public liability, and employers' liability if they employ anyone (at least £5 million is required by law). Note the expiry dates.
- Their health and safety policy, and references or examples of similar work.
- Accreditation from a recognised scheme, such as SSIP members, Constructionline or Achilles, if you want to rely on a pre-qualification.
2. Plan the work: RAMS and information exchange
- Ask for a risk assessment and method statement (RAMS) specific to the job and your site, not a generic document.
- Tell them about hazards on your site: asbestos, traffic routes, fire arrangements, other work going on, and restricted areas.
- Agree a permit to work for high-risk activities, such as hot work, work at height, confined spaces or electrical isolation.
- Agree who supervises, how you will communicate, and what happens if something goes wrong.
3. On the day: induction and sign-in
- Sign contractors in and out so you know who is on site, for your fire roll.
- Give a site induction: emergency procedures, first aid, welfare, and site rules.
- Check the RAMS are being followed, and stop work if they are not.
4. Afterwards: review performance
Record how the job went, any incidents or near misses, and whether you would use them again. Keep your approved contractor list current, and chase certificates and insurance before they expire, not after.
What CDM 2015 means if you commission building work
The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 apply to all construction work, including maintenance, refurbishment and demolition. If you commission the work for your business, you are a commercial client, with duties to make suitable arrangements for managing the project, allow enough time and resources, and provide information to the designers and contractors.
Where more than one contractor will work on the project, you must appoint a principal designer and a principal contractor in writing. Larger projects (lasting more than 30 working days with more than 20 workers at the same time, or exceeding 500 person-days) must also be notified to HSE before work starts.
Frequently asked questions
Am I responsible for a contractor's safety?
Responsibility is shared. The contractor manages their own work and people, but you must choose competent contractors, share information about your site, cooperate and coordinate, and act if you see unsafe work.
How often should contractor documents be checked?
Before every appointment, and again whenever certificates or insurance expire. Keeping expiry dates on a matrix with reminders makes this routine.
What is SSIP?
Safety Schemes in Procurement is a group of health and safety pre-qualification schemes that recognise each other, so a contractor assessed by one member scheme does not have to repeat the core assessment for another.
This guide is general information for UK businesses, not legal advice. Check the current regulations and HSE guidance at hse.gov.uk, and take professional advice for your situation.