Safety for Builders and Sub Contractors
Guest Article by Linda Stephens from ACRIS Services
One question we get asked all the time is ‘Why?’
• Why have I never been asked for anything before?
• Why now, all of a sudden?
• Why do I have to?
• Why bother?
• Why waste my time?
• Why can’t someone do it for me?
The list goes on. The problem is that there is not enough education out there for builders and subcontractors within the Construction Industry.
ACRIS Services inform contractors of the implications of not having proper Safety Procedures as well as providing all the documentation required.
Builders and subcontractors alike are being fined hundreds of thousands of Dollars for all sorts of incidents, from inadequate documentation to serious accidents and even deaths onsite.
Nobody wants to have an accident, but by placing the safety of workers as the number one priority onsite there would be fewer accidents – FACT.
Like everywhere in the world there are the good and the bad, the strong and the weak.
A good builder may have a Site Safety Management Plan in place and may ask all of his subcontractors for their Safe Work Method Statements.
- A good subcontractor may have all his Safe Work Method Statements ready for each job site he goes to.
The ‘Good’ Builder becomes Weak when his subcontractors won’t provide their SWMS. He doesn’t want to upset them so he lets it ride. - The ‘Strong’ Builder insists on receiving evidence of safe work practices or he finds other subcontractors. The ‘Good’ Subcontractor becomes Weak when his builder doesn’t have a Construction Safety Plan in place but still allows his workers to enter the site.
- The pressure to earn a living leads to risk taking
- The ‘Strong’ subcontractor will only work for builders that operate safe sites. A tough call in tough times but he does this to protect his workers and his liberty.
If builders were ‘Good’ and ‘Strong’ and Subcontractors were ‘Good’ and ‘Strong’, we would have fewer accidents and the end of the ‘Cowboys’. A level playing field for all is required and is on its way with Harmonisation 2012. Don’t take risks, work safely and go home.
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