The Importance of Health and Safety

Who Is Responsible for Health and Safety? 

Companies in the renewable energy sector have a duty of care toward both their employees and anyone who may be affected by a renewable energy site or associated works. 

This is why it is essential to actively manage the work environment, continuously assess risks, and eliminate them where reasonably possible. To ensure the implementation of best practices, companies should adopt a continuous improvement methodology, allowing them to learn, adapt, and seek new ways to provide the safest possible work environment. This involves conducting regular inspections of systems, employees, sites, and assets. 

However, employers are not the only ones responsible for ensuring positive health and safety outcomes. 

Contractors’ Responsibilities 

Just as primary companies must comply with health and safety regulations, so must contractors. If you employ a contractor, both you and the contractor have legal duties under health and safety law. This also applies when a contractor hires subcontractors. When hiring contractors, you should: 

• Select a suitable contractor, ensuring they have sufficient skills and knowledge to carry out the work safely and without health risks. 

• Assess the risks of the work, as the level of risk depends on the nature of the task. Regardless of the risk level, you must consider its implications for health and safety. 

• Conduct a risk assessment, ensuring that both you and the contractor are aware of its findings. Your company should already have a risk assessment for its own operations, while the contractor must conduct one for their contracted work. Both parties must then meet to review overlapping risks that could affect the workforce or other individuals. 

• Provide information, instructions, and training to your employees and subcontractors. Contractors should be informed about the risks associated with your activities and the control measures in place. Additionally, it may be beneficial to discuss training and instruction needs with the contractor. 

• Establish communication and coordination agreements between all responsible parties to ensure workplace health and safety. 

• Determine how contractor work will be managed and supervised, agreeing on the necessary safety controls before work begins. 

By Adam Richardson – Health & Safety Manager