This document and its appendices supersede previous Cumbria Schools’ Safety Advice Notes SAN(G)18a and 18b. It supports the overall County Council Safety Procedure No 32: Managing Contractors and contains updated appendices (September 2016)
Contents
Introduction, purpose and scope 1
Early Planning Checks 2
Procurement of contractors 2
Specifications 3
Contractor accreditations 3
Insurance 4
Individual worker competence card schemes 4
Nominated persons 4
Provision of information to contractors and the contractor health and safety code of practice 4
Protecting the Public 5
Hazards causing risk to the public 6
Documented procedures 6
Receiving contractors onto the site 6
Information for Council employees 7
Permits to Work 7
Ongoing monitoring of contractors 7
Construction Design and Management Regulations 7
References and useful links 8
Appendix 1 - Checklist for Construction Refurbishment Projects in School 1
Appendix 2 - Safety information and requirements for contractors visiting the school site 1
Introduction, purpose and scope
Schools use the services of a wide range of contractors to provide goods, services and works.
There are clear duties under health and safety legislation for employers to ensure that activities are undertaken in a safe manner, and this extends to managing risks associated with activities undertaken by contractors. Contractors have similar duties themselves under health and safety law.
There are opportunities to start to manage the potential health and safety risks from contracted activities at the procurement stage, as well as throughout the duration of any contract.
Changes in the way that schools are run and managed have resulted in an increased number of contractors being used by individual schools. Many functions, which may in the past have been centrally-managed and organised, are now being dealt with on an individual basis by Headteachers and managers. Examples range from small-scale repair work, door fitting, glazing, photocopier repairs etc. to construction projects and redecoration. Key functions such as school catering, cleaning, and swimming pool maintenance or grounds management may now be contracted out.
Effective collaboration between you and your contractor is essential. The nature of the school environment and the vulnerability of pupils emphasises the need to ensure proper organisation and control.
In undertaking works it may be necessary to ensure that:
· The Local Authority is properly informed of proposed work activities and relevant approvals are sought and received for such works, prior to commencement;
· Advice is sought from appropriate bodies/persons prior to drawing up proposals;
· Where appropriate, approval for structural alterations is sought from the relevant local authorities (e.g. Building Regulations, planning permission etc.);
If in doubt always seek advice on whether approval is required.
· Proposed works are compliant with the Council’s Financial Standing Orders;
· All persons who authorise, plan, design or execute work are competent to do so and that adequate steps are taken to assess that competence;
· All applicable policies and procedures are adhered to (e.g. asbestos procedures);
· Work is undertaken in such a manner as to ensure the safety of all who may be affected by the work through the compliance with appropriate health and safety legislation.
Early planning checklist
The Local Authority has developed a Checklist for Construction Refurbishment Projects in School. This is included as Appendix 1 but can also be downloaded separately from the Schools’ Portal. It is designed to guide School Leaders through the important factors to consider at the inception stages of a project.
Procurement of contractors
In deciding the approach to take when considering procuring goods, works or services, it is first necessary to decide whether the contract should be considered low or high risk (in terms of health and safety). The monetary value is not relevant to this consideration as a low financial value could still present a significant health and safety risk.
Examples of low risk contracts would be those that involve the procurement of goods only or provision of services such as most types of training. Construction activities are always considered high risk.
The Corporate Health and Safety Team can provide further guidance on whether a contract should be considered low or high risk, and advise and support schools with the safety aspects of the procurement process for contractors.
For low risk contracts, no specific further action is required at the procurement stage although potential suppliers may be asked to sign a declaration of their commitment to health and safety. This commitment forms part of Cumbria County Council’s health and safety questionnaires when used as part of your contractor selection process.
In the case of higher risk contracts, the construction health and safety questionnaire, which may form part of a larger questionnaire, will be used as part of the selection process. Both questionnaires for construction and for non-construction contracts, along with guidance on the questionnaire procedure, are published on the schools’ portal. (See References and useful links)
Specifications
Work to be undertaken needs to be accurately specified, outlining any specific requirements or problems that may arise out of the work undertaken, such as:
· timing of work – to take account of start, finish, break and lunch times, class changeover etc.;
· restricted areas;
· access needs, e.g. onto site, to access heights for plant and equipment;
· hygiene and welfare rules (particularly around kitchen/school meal areas);
· specific hazards, e.g. asbestos, fragile roofs, live electrical hazards;
· protection of the staff, pupils and public from work activities;
· vehicle movements and delivery of materials;
· storage of tools and materials on site, and the security of the site;
· any Permit to Work procedures;
· accident reporting/first aid and fire safety procedures;
· any considerations specific to the premises (e.g. presence of special needs pupils).
Under the Construction Design and Management Regulations 2015 all projects require a construction phase plan.
A construction phase plan is a document that must record the:
· health and safety arrangements for the construction phase;
· site rules; and where relevant, specific measures concerning work that falls within one or more of the categories listed in Schedule 3.
The plan must record the arrangements for managing the significant health and safety risks associated with the construction phase of a project. It is the basis for communicating these arrangements to all those involved in the construction phase so it should be easy to understand and be as simple as possible.
In considering what information is included, the emphasis is that it:
· is relevant to the project;
· has sufficient detail to clearly set out the arrangements, site rules and special measures needed to manage the construction phase; but
· is still proportionate to the scale and complexity of the project and the risks involved.
Contractor accreditations
Contractors should be encouraged to seek approval/assessments of their health and safety management systems by gaining UKAS accredited certification to OHSAS 18001 and/or pre-qualification by a member scheme of the Safety Schemes in Procurement Forum (SSIP). This should be taken into account in the contractor selection process and should facilitate easier passage for contractors through the selection process.
OHSAS 18001 is the International standard for health and safety management systems. The SSIP Forum http://www.ssip.org.uk acts as an umbrella organisation to facilitate mutual recognition between health and safety pre-qualification schemes wherever it is practicable to do so. Members include CHAS, Acclaim, Exor, and SAFEcontractor.
Contractors should hold other memberships of professional and/or technical bodies relevant to the activities they undertake.
Insurance
It is important to ensure that contractors are properly insured and will indemnify the school and/or Council for any claim.
Individual worker competence card schemes
There are numerous card schemes in operation that accredit the competence of individuals. For example, individuals working on construction activities are often required to hold a CSCS or affiliated card.
Nominated persons
The school should appoint one of its staff as a ‘nominated person’ before work starts, who will be the principal contact with the contractor on a day-to-day basis. The nominated person will also have responsibility for the overall surveillance of the work of contractors as it proceeds.
Headteachers should also consult and seek the involvement of safety representatives where ever possible.
Overall performance should be reviewed regularly and joint arrangements should be made for the reporting of accidents, incidents and ‘near-misses’. Effective lines of communication between the school and those responsible for the contracted work should be clearly established and maintained.
It is not presumed, however, that the school’s ‘nominated person’ will be aware of all the legislation and safe working practices surrounding building or maintenance work relating to school sites. It is generally the case that a view is formed as a result of a common sense approach, i.e. if it looks unsafe then it probably is. Where concerns arise they should immediately draw this to the attention of the Headteacher so that the appropriate action can be taken. Action in the event of unsafe practices being observed could take the form of direct liaison with the individual contractors on site, temporarily halting the work, removing any individuals (pupils, staff or visitors) from the immediate danger areas or seeking advice and guidance from the Local Authority.
Provision of information to contractors and the contractor health and safety code of practice
Pre-contract meetings of all parties to discuss and agree on issues where the work undertaken impinges upon the normal operation of the premises should be held. All relevant information should be provided to contractors to facilitate compliance with health and safety legislation. Such information includes information specific to the contract as well as general health and safety information. The Council has produced a health and safety code of practice which all contractors working at Community, Voluntary Controlled, Nurseries, PRU’s and special schools are required to comply with.
Other types of schools are encouraged to adopt the code for their own use. The most up-to-date version of the code is published on the schools’ portal (see References and useful links)
Written basic information should be provided to contractors if they are to be left without direct supervision of staff. The information should always include fire evacuation procedures and accident recording/first aid procedures. Where there are specific hazards that the contractor will be exposed to (e.g. asbestos when working on the fabric of a building) additional written information must be provided. A template for school site safety rules is provided at Appendix 2. If practicable, contractors should be directly supervised/ accompanied.
Protecting the Public
Any works must be planned and conducted so as not to put any members of the public at risk. This is why most construction or refurbishment works are programmed to take place during school holiday periods. The safety plan and any risk assessments must consider key issues such as how you will manage site access, any hazards that could cause a potential risks and who might be affected. This includes vulnerable groups of people such as the elderly, children and people with certain disabilities.
It is important that you communicate effectively with local residents, parents and pupils well in advance of the start of a project and maintain that communication while any building or refurbishment works continue.
Communication before works begin / Communication once work has started /Contact parents/ neighbours to explain the nature of the intended works / At the start, provide or display contact information of the site manager so residents/ parents may contact them with queries
Provide a timetable to show what works will be happening, and when. Ensure any drawings, diagrams and schedules you provide are easily understood, clearly annotated and appropriately scaled / Display out of hours contact information in case of an emergency
Explain what impact the work might have, and what steps you will be taking to minimise this. Listen to any raised concerns / Give 7 days’ notice, where possible, of any noisy or disturbing activities which are likely to take place for more than one day.
For major projects, consider a public relations plan and perhaps a regular newsletter. / A complaints log should be maintained, with information on how any problem was rectified
Some children are drawn to construction sites as exciting places to play. You must do everything you can to keep them out of the site and away from danger.
The following specific steps are particularly relevant to child safety and risk assessments and day to day procedures should ensure that:
· Sites are secured adequately when work has finished for the day.
· Any excavations or pits are effectively barriered off or covered.
· Vehicles and plant are isolated and immobilised (if possible lock them in a compound.)
· Any materials (such as pipes, manhole rings, and cement bags) are stored so that they cannot topple or roll over.
· Any access ladders are removed from excavations and scaffolds.
· All hazardous substances are locked away.
Hazards causing risk to the public
Many hazards have the potential to injure members of the public and visitors. Consider if they exist on your project and how you will manage them.
· Falling objects - You must make sure objects cannot fall outside the site boundary. On scaffolds you can achieve this using toe-boards, brick guards and netting. You may also need fans and/or covered walkways.
· Delivery and other site vehicles - Make sure pedestrians cannot be struck by vehicles entering or leaving the site. Obstructing the pavement during deliveries may force pedestrians into the road, where they can be struck by other vehicles.
· Scaffolding and other access equipment - Prevent people outside the boundary being struck while they are erecting, dismantling and using scaffolding and other access equipment.
· Storing and stacking materials - You can reduce the risks associated with the storage of materials by storing materials within the site perimeter, preferably in secure compounds or away from the perimeter fencing.
· Openings and excavations - People can be injured if they fall into excavations, manholes, stairwells or from open floor edges. You’ll need to put up barriers or covers.