Apart from the owner and general contractor of a construction site, the subcontractor is also held accountable for the safety of employees on a work site. The following are some of the safety responsibilities that fall under the subcontractor at a work site. The subcontractor needs to comply with all applicable laws, including legally binding standards, rules and regulations, regarding the health and safety of their employees at a work site. All subcontractors need to comply with the safety responsibilities, including all safety related provisions that have been mentioned in the subcontract, regardless of whether they are stricter than the federal, state or local laws. The subcontractor is also required to perform the work that’s been included in the subcontract while complying with the safety rules and regulations and any additional safety precautions that have been communicated to them by the contractor. In this case, the subcontractor is considered to be directly responsible for assuring compliance by lower-tier suppliers, vendors, and all other employees.
Electrical Tasks
All electrical tasks need to be carried out under compliance with OSHA, NFPA 70E, and the Contractor’s Stored Energy program. Apart from that, the subcontractor is also required to undertake tasks such as de-energized wiring or circuits after the appropriate lock and tag and a secondary confirmation of source isolation with a voltage detector has been achieved.
Periodic Safety Meetings
A subcontractor needs to conduct safety meetings with employees and foremen periodically, at all tiers. This is done to maintain safety standards at a construction site. A well-defined flow-down strategy should be developed by the subcontractor to ensure that all employees follow the safety responsibilities.
Engaging a Safety Professional
A subcontractor is also required to engage a full time or part time safety professional, if deemed necessary by the contractor of the construction site. This decision is normally based on various factors, such as the number of employees that are working on the site, and the scope of work. All subcontractors are required to record and confirm a headcount along with the hours worked in a day. The report will be provided to the contractor at the end of each week, and will also contain a section dedicated to reporting any incidents, injuries or near misses at the construction site. Subcontractor shall adhere to all requirements established by the Contractor’s Safety Disciplinary Actions and the Imminent Dangers procedure. A progressive discipline system is the preferred standard and may differ based on the requirements of the site. Serious violations of the Contractor’s Safety Disciplinary Actions and Imminent Dangers policymay warrant immediate action, up to and including termination and/or removal of the subcontractor from the project.
Safety Training
Every subcontractor is required to carry out an initial safety orientation to each new employee, including sub-tier employees before the start of work at the site. This initial orientation should discuss topics of general safety hazards, safety policies and procedures, equipment for personal protection, injury reporting protocols, and emergency evacuation protocols. Subcontractors must also adhere to all owner and contractor policies pre and post incident. This will also include pre-employment screenings of the employees.
