Every organization uses contractors or temporary employees in some way, shape or form. Whether it’s to wash windows, repair machinery or file paperwork, we’ve all worked alongside them. Trends are showing an increase in the percentage of companies turning to contingency workers to carry out various types of work in areas like labor, janitorial work and manufacturing, accounting for 10% of the US job growth since the recession ended. These maintenance contractors offer your organization a unique chance to undertake regular maintenance work in order to keep your company compliant and your facilities in working order. This work could involve maintenance and repairs, construction, general labor, or the replacement of faulty electronics in a plant if you operate within manufacturing for instance. The fact is that many of these jobs can expose your maintenance contractors to some serious health and safety risks, due to unfamiliarity with the surroundings, or a lack of knowledge regarding your health, safety, and emergency procedures. This is why it’s important that you properly manage your maintenance contractors’ safety by following these four tips.
What Happens When You Don’t Look After Safety of Maintenance Contractors
Working as a maintenance contractor is no easy task, the daily routine can be strenuous, the number of tasks can be plenty and the hours can be quite long. According to governing bodies, contractors should be treated with the same care as direct employees. This means ensuring their health, safety and well-being are taken care of as part of company policy and culture. In some cases, however, the well-being of maintenance contractors has been overlooked.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there were 25 maintenance contractors killed in 2014. This number came on the back of some worrying statistics concerning the deaths of contractors more broadly. In the new revised figures for instance, the number of fatal injuries occurred by contract workers was 797, compared to just 749 in 2013, that’s a substantial increase and drives home the point that appropriate health and safety precautions needs to be utilized for all of your maintenance contractors. In Europe, between 10% and 15% of all fatal work accidents are the result of maintenance work, with the majority of these fatalities happening during corrective maintenance projects, such as fixing a rail track or replacing an outside window for instance, according to a study by the European Agency for Health and Safety at Work. The study asserts that regular maintenance, that is “correctly planned out” is essential to keep machines and the “work environment safe”.
Secondly, the report states that maintenance must be performed in a safe and reliable way with the appropriate protections in place for both your maintenance contractor and other employees. Due to the mixed requirements of the job, maintenance contractors are “exposed to varied hazards at work,” such as exposure to noise, excessive heat, electrocution, radiation, trips and falls and exposure to running machinery, according to the study. Depending on the type of work, such as janitorial, window cleaning, painting, decorating and electoral, your maintenance contractor could also be exposed to a number of chemical risks, spillages or airborne risks, according to the research. However, there are ways to manage your maintenance contractor’s safety so that they are not put at risk of a serious accident or injury.
1. Remove Hazards and Reduce Risks for Maintenance Contractors
you should carry out a risk assessment of your facility, in order to understand what hazards you can remove and how to do it. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), you and your maintenance contractor should be “aware of its findings” and both parties must get “together to consider any risks for the contracted work,” including work which may affect the health and safety of your workforce more broadly, according to the guidelines.
In a separate document, the HSE outlines some points to consider while you are developing your risk assessment process. By sticking to the below points, you will be able to understand your risks, develop an appropriate assessment of them and quickly eradicate any mitigating safety problems.
- Need to start: this means you could have processes in place to reduce risks, but you have yet to utilize them.
- Need to improve: this means your current approach if you have one, may not be effective.
- Very Effective: your current approach is working perfectly.
Once you have begun this process, you can physically start to remove any hazards from your workplace. Think about the obvious risks, such as upended carpet, exposed electronics, chemical spillages and unprotected machinery. It’s easy to walk by hazards such as these and do nothing. The more you walk by, the less you notice it. However, all it takes is one second for that hazard to turn into an accident or fatality. Creating a company culture of pro-action towards hazards should encourage contractors and employees to address hazards so the next person to come into contact, doesn’t become a victim.
In the US, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) require you to ensure your maintenance contractors are not working within conditions which are “unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to his/her health or safety.”
2. Track the whereabouts and Inform Workers of the presence of maintenance contractors
You should be aware of where your maintenance contractors are at all times. This doesn’t mean you have to supervise them constantly in the physical sense, but be aware of what jobs they are working on and have an idea the length they will take. During this process, you may also want to inform all of your workers that maintenance is ongoing within a particular area of your workplace.
According to the HSE, accidents with contractors tend to be caused by “poor communication” or when a worker isn’t aware that a maintenance contractor is working nearby and when “contractors don’t know the dangers,” if for example they are carrying out construction work.
3. Ensure they have Equipment and Qualifications
You should make sure your maintenance contractors have the required qualifications and equipment to carry out tasks safely. This will include the appropriate documentation, such as a CSCS Pass if you operate in the UK or an OSHA Card if you reside in the US and are undertaking maintenance on a construction site for instance. Similarly, if you preside in manufacturing an NEBOSH certificate is usually required before maintenance contractors can work on site.
For window cleaners, general laborers, electricians, painters and other maintenance contractors they may require a work permit in order to work within your organization. The necessity for these types of documentation usually varies depending on your country. In the UK and the US for instance, they are necessary components of the job and something that should be checked at the outset of work. Maybe you’ll have a cleaner or electrician working from a height, do they have the correct qualifications and have you or one of your colleagues issued them with a ‘Working at Height’ permit? These are questions you need to be asking yourself. Ensure that your maintenance contractors have the right equipment to carry out their jobs accurately and safely. This includes the appropriate PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), which will enable your maintenance contractor to protect themselves while painting, dealing with machinery, cutting wood, general cleaning or dealing with hazardous chemicals. PPE includes head gear, eye protection, masks, hard hats, gloves, ear protection and safety goggles. Your PPE must be assessed and maintained regularly to make sure it is working properly. You may need to consult specialists in order to determine the appropriate PPE to provide your maintenance contractor. If you are still unsure, take a read of our helpful guidelines on providing the appropriate PPE protection for you maintenance contractor.
4. Offer Training on Emergency Procedures and Hazards
You should ensure that your maintenance contractors are provided with sufficient training regarding your emergency procedures and hazards. Training doesn’t have to be a long process, in fact it can involve a blended approach to learning whereby you conduct your training online and leave yourself available for a walk around, once your maintenance contractor starts work. GoContractor’s platform allows you to execute your training online to include all the relevant information on your emergency procedures and hazards; ensuring all of your maintenance contractors are appropriately trained. Furthermore, it allows your contractors to register online reducing paperwork and time spent orientating them. In order for you to stay fully compliant and ensure contract worker safety, it’s important that you fully train your maintenance contractors on all aspects of health and safety.
