Pre-qualification of sub-contractors is central to ensuring safe site operations that meet all the demands of the latest CDM (Construction, Design and Management) regulations, delegates at the Total Workplace Management Exhibition in Olympia heard this week. (8-9th October).

John Kinge, audit services manager for SAFEcontractor, one of the UK's largest third-party health and safety accreditation schemes with over 12,000 members, said the new CDM regulations meant it was essential each sub-contractor’s safety policies and practices were determined prior to procurement.

The Regulations came into force in April 2007 as part of the continuing drive to cut construction deaths and injuries.

Mr Kinge added that the standards employed by any accreditation provider must, at least, meet the CORE criteria of CDM. However where clients risk management strategy and/or site circumstances demanded it, pre-qualification may require more detailed audits and best practice standards as opposed to minimum legal compliance.

Speaking at the exhibition, Mr Kinge said; “It is essential for anyone appointing construction sub-contractors to verify that they comply with CDM 2007 CORE criteria, which govern construction related health and safety.“

The extensive CORE list includes factors such as health and safety policy, risk assessment, hazard reduction, risk management and full documentation of all such actions.

Said Mr Kinge: “The initial assessment of a sub-contractor can prove to be very time consuming, not to mention expensive and heavy on administration. Third-party accreditation seeks to enable clients to procure contractor services cost-effectively, with the assurance that they as a minimum, satisfy CDM CORE criteria and there is no doubt surrounding their safety standards.”

Mr Kinge said there was a comprehensive assessment for sub-contractors to satisfy in order to meet CDM 2007 requirements and he stressed that developers and main contractors should recognise their liability if their sub-contractors do not fulfil these.

He said SAFEcontractor assessed beyond minimum legal standards of health and safety compliance but he added that this gave greater protection to main contractors and developers. He added that the extended criteria also gave sub-contractors who secure the accreditation, a far greater recognition by our “blue chip” clients who are very protective of their reputation and brand. They manage their supply-chain against risk to their business and not just meeting the letter of the law.

At present 120 of Britain’s largest companies used SAFEcontractor exclusively when procuring contractors, and the 12,000 register contractors cover more than 100 different areas of work, including all of the main construction trades.

Mr Kinge said it would save the construction industry much time, effort and expense if there were mutually recognisable standards between the different accreditation schemes.

However he added that it would be difficult for schemes to become interchangeable because of the needs of the client’s that they represent.

“In reality I believe that independent minimum accreditation to Core Criteria by third-party schemes would pre-qualify a contractor to work for certain types of client or projects, but large, high-profile clients with higher expectations of it’s suppliers are still likely to insist on additional health and safety auditing. High quality brands expect high quality suppliers in terms of materials and service, they are entitled to ask the same of safety and prepared to pay the premium for it” he added.

Email: Rebecca.martin-jones@workingwordpr.com