1.3.9 Selecting a Contractor

The selection of a contractor has to be a balanced judgment with a number of factors taken into account. Fortunately, a contractor who works well and meets the client’s requirements in terms of the quality and timeliness of the work is also likely to have a better‐than‐average health and safety performance. Cost, of course, will have to be part of the judgment but may not provide any indication of which contractor is likely to give the best performance in health and safety terms. In deciding which contractor should be chosen for a task, the following should be considered:

• Does the contractor have a health and safety policy?
• Does the contractor have competent staff?
• Membership of professional bodies and trade associations
• The equipment the contractor uses
• Names of current and previous clients
• Their accident rate and how they monitor it
• Records of maintenance and test for plant and equipment
• Details of sub-contractors if any
• Proof of adequate resources
• Records of enforcement actions taken against them