Contractor checklist

Due to the relatively high level of fatalities and accidents within the construction industry, you should take steps to vet any contractors that you plan on using for projects. A checklist system is a good way of doing this.

Selecting contractors

For many construction-related tasks, the services of a specialist contractor will be necessary. However, due to the risks involved, you should make some basic checks on any contractor before you appoint them. For larger jobs, involving more than a couple of days on site, we would advise that you use a Contractor Checklist to confirm that you have made these checks. As well as getting a feel for how a contractor approaches health and safety, it will provide you with an idea of their previous accident record. Another benefit is that it will help you demonstrate that you’ve made enquiries as to the competence of those you engage. This is becoming more and more important in the event of an accident, and the increasingly likely claim that follows it, as the courts are likely to look at your contractor selection process.

Identifying the parties

Key to the success of any construction project is having good lines of communication in place and being able to identify the main parties at the outset. With this in mind, our checklist asks for the identity of the individual with overall responsibility for the project and their qualifications. It also asks for the person who will have day-to-day responsibilities for health and safety whilst the project is in progress.

The paperwork

As your documentation could be asked for by the authorities in the event of an inspection (or worse still, an accident), our checklist prompts you to satisfy yourself that the paperwork trail is in place. To this end, you’re prompted to ask for a variety of documents that include the contractor’s safety policy, Public Liability insurance certificate and references. The checklist also contains questions on paperwork that’s specific to the construction work being carried out. This is because it’s vitally important to ensure that it not only exists, but that it specifically relates to your project and not one completed for another client. It should also give details of any sub-contractors that will be involved on the project, their safety policy, and method statements.