Effectively managing contractor work and safety is a juggling act, if not a balancing act, while trying to juggle with one hand. Sitting in the manager’s chair means you need to steer the project to its completion while holding accountability for the safety of your teams and contractors. It may seem like a tall order, but with a little planning and the right tools, you can double or even triple your project efficiencies, simultaneously offering a safe and practical work environment.

Managing contractors ineffectively can cause catastrophic delays, increase your project costs, and in worst-case scenarios, even cause (or fail to prevent) incidents that could lead to injuries, property damage, or worse. Understanding the best paths to effectively keeping a handle on your project assets, team, and contractors is the only way to proceed with success without counting solely on lady luck.

In this article, I’ll provide a comprehensive framework you can utilize to manage your contractor teams effectively and ensure the highest level of safety possible. We will explore key strategies ranging from contractor selection, establishing safe work practice protocols, and increased communication effectiveness to incident response and planning. Let’s start by defining your manager role to reveal the goals worth striving for.

Understanding Your Role as a Manager

If you’re new to project management, you might find yourself at a bit of a crossroads when it comes to managing contractors versus your own in-house teams. You are the maestro who must conduct your project and keep all key stakeholders on the same page, on task, and on point. Yet simultaneously, you need to consider that any contractors may not have the exposure to hazards at your facility or site that your in-house personnel are well aware of.

In 2021, it was reported by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics that there were a total of 2,607,900 non-fatal injuries and illnesses reported. Furthermore, in the same year, there were 5,190 fatalities in all sectors. Of the fatalities, only 36 deaths were related to environmental heat exposure. Therefore, we can assume that the majority of cases, in fact including the heat exposure cases, were preventable. Those are some pretty sobering numbers, as they should be.

Maintaining safety is a challenge for managers on the best of days. However, managing the safety of those unfamiliar with your facilities makes it all the more difficult. Let’s build a framework that will suit the situation and aid you in managing outside personnel. It all starts with selecting the right contractors.

Contractor Selection Process

Sometimes project managers get backed into a corner and, for whatever reason, hire a contractor based on cost or project deliverability (how fast they can get the job done). The danger inherent in rushing through the selection of the appropriate contractors can cause severe complications. I understand that sometimes we have no choice, but we should consider the following factors when we do.

Expertise

The first thing to look for when selecting appropriate contractors is to ascertain their level of expertise and experience and cross reference this with your project requirements. As a rule, I would never hire a contractor who has not done a particular job before. I don’t want to pay for someone else’s learning curve, especially not when there are hazards and risks to a person’s safety and security. 

The way I like to grade contractors is to use an 8-10 scale rule. That is, a job should never be more than an eight on a scale where the contractor’s top ability is a ten. By following this parameter, you are ensuring that the contractors you hire will have no problems fulfilling their intended roles and responsibilities.

Safety Records

It’s always diligent to review a contractor’s safety records. If you request their safety log or disclose how many accidents occurred over a set period, you can quickly separate good contractors from bad ones. Bad contractors will get their backup and get defensive when asked about safety records. Conversely, contractors with good safety records will respond proudly and professionally and may even boast about their impeccable safety records.

Insurance

Insurance is a standard item, and because of this fact, many managers neglect or forget to ask for documentation. Larger companies that have their processes under control will always ask, and you should too. Whenever you bring in outside contractors, you must always consider the cost of their potential mistakes and ensure they possess appropriate insurance coverage to account for a worst-case scenario.

References

The last thing I look for when vetting contractors is to see their references. I trust word of mouth a lot more than I trust some advertisements. Always ensure you are checking not only the insurance but the references, and a good contractor can provide references from previous happy clients.

Establishing a Culture of Safety

Regarding safety, never overlook the importance of training. I believe managers should possess the same safety training as those under their supervision. Furthermore, it’s not a bad idea to ensure refresher training also occurs regularly.

One of the most effective ways to control safety is to include your team in the big discussions about safety while providing consistent and clear communications to your team and contractors as to the expectations. Set your team on the right track by outlining effective safety strategies and preventing incidents through education.

Stress the importance of training videos or presentations to your team. Listen to their feedback and use it to fine-tune your safety talks for higher engagement

 better.

Promoting safe work practices is the key to creating a safe work environment. A big part of this includes mandating safety equipment inspections like fall arrest harness inspections or daily vehicle walk-around safety checks.

Actionable Tip: Establish communication protocol for signing out PPE and for communicating near-misses and other identifiable hazards before they become full-blown incidents. Give our app, 1st Reporting, a try if you want a robust solution for inspections, safety checks, and incidents of any type and in any industry. We’ve got over 100 templates ready to customize in the mobile app. More about that later.

Communication is Key

You can implement three things today to ensure safer contractor inclusion in your operations. First, you need to establish a line of communication with your contractors. This act can be as straightforward as having a two-minute meeting with them and expressing that they can contact you should they have any questions or concerns while on-site. Furthermore, you can establish that you want their report back at your desired time. All and all, this process makes communication the focus to achieve a better outcome with predictable results.

Provide your contractors with feedback. You can and should consider doing a contractor work permit and other documents to help guide them through specific safety concerns and processes.

Managing Contractor Work

I talked about setting clear expectations in your two-minute contractor meeting. Further to that point, I believe your meetings should have an order. For example, when I used to manage contractor teams, we established a flow of topics that I maintained consistently at each meeting. Here’s a breakdown of how it might work for you:

1. 0-1 minute – Introduction to facility or site and establish lines of communication.
2. 1-2 minutes – Introduce high-level project requirements and identify safety concerns.
3. 2-3 minutes – Establish safety and hazard controls and communications.
4. 3-X minutes – Discuss the details of the project schedule as appropriate.

In essence, I standardized the initial and shift-end meetings so that, in time; there was a clear expectation of what would become the content of our meetings. The contractors expected me to discuss the job in a certain order, and it made job startup meetings much more effective.

Furthering your communications with contractors is essential to success. It includes regular monitoring and reporting of their progress. Furthermore, it also involves providing the contractors with a means to communicate with you or another appropriate manager on-site. Encourage your contractors to communicate with you and your team; it provides higher levels of safety and an opportunity to exist within your project.

Dealing with Safety Incidents

Safety incidents are going to happen. We can all hope nothing is even worse than a near miss, but the reality is that people get injured at work all the time. So, we, as responsible managers, will implement a well-defined incident response plan.

Providing your team and contractors with the incident response plan is critical to job site safety. If a person is injured on-site, you don’t want to wait around for people to learn what to do – it could make the difference between life and death.

A major component of an incident response plan is to document incident situations. Documentation is critical to further analysis and mitigation of future recurrences. Furthermore, it’s mandated as law in most regions, so setting up your incident response plan and process early on is always a wise choice.

If you want to ditch ink, piles of paper, and the like and use a digital reporting platform, you’ll want to look at our app, 1st Reporting. We’ve got all kinds of forms, checklists, and templates ready for use. Furthermore, we have a custom form builder that enables you to customize any template or start one from scratch. It’s a platform for dealing with safety incidents, inspections, and other such scenarios. Moreover, our application also has powerful management features, including a customizable GPS map view of your team’s completed reports.

Going digital with incident reporting was one of the best things I did in my previous life as a construction manager; it helped me handle on-site hazard inspections and every other inspection I could think of. However, what I like the most about it is that I can get report notifications when a crew completes a report. This feature saved us time and money and cut our incident response time to a fraction of what it was prior.

Ensuring Compliance with Laws and Regulations

As a manager, you know how tricky it can be to balance safety, job performance, expectations, and regulatory compliance. However, you and I know we need to do better than just have everyone go home safely at the end of their shift – you need to ensure that deliverables are met on time and to project standards.

Let’s take a look at some of the laws and regulations you’ll have to follow with your contractors to ensure that you’ve got a good grasp of what is expected of you.

Understanding OSHA and Other Relevant Safety Standards

Overseeing projects involving contractors and understanding and adhering to safety standards isn’t simply an option; it’s a fundamental requirement. At the forefront of these standards in the United States is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). This federal agency sets and enforces standards to ensure safe and healthy working conditions, making it a critical agency for managers.

OSHA’s safety standards cover various categories, from general industry standards to more specific ones related to construction, maritime, agriculture, and more. Familiarizing yourself with the OSHA guidelines relevant to your project scope can create a safer work environment.

For instance, if you’re managing a construction project, it’s crucial to understand regulations around fall protection, scaffolding use, ladder safety, and electrical wiring methods, among others. OSHA also stipulates guidelines for personal protective equipment, hazardous materials, and fire protection, which are broadly applicable across several industries.

Beyond OSHA, other safety standards may be relevant to your project, depending on your industry and the specific work being done. These could be guidelines set by professional organizations or standards established at the state or local level. Examples could include National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards for fire safety, American National Standards Institute (ANSI) guidelines for various equipment and procedures, or Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules for projects that could impact the environment.

Regular Safety Audits and Compliance Checks

One of the key factors in successfully managing projects involving contractors is to conduct regular safety audits and compliance checks. For contractors, it’s a good idea to create an on-site safety checklist for the contractor to adhere to. This checklist helps your organization maintain operational safety and provides your contractors with an easy-to-follow system for regulatory and safety protocol compliance.

Liability Issues and How to Avoid Them

Speaking of having contractors complete task-specific documentation, let’s look at it from a liability perspective. You can avoid all kinds of liability issues by doing your due diligence. This due diligence might include providing contractors with supplemental in-house safety training, ensuring that all contractors possess the appropriate training and certifications, and also providing contractors with operational checklists, as mentioned. I’ve found that operational checklists (like a checklist to handle injury incidents properly) are invaluable to helping you and your contractors follow proper protocol and prevent liability issues.

Key Takeaways

Managing contractor work and safety effectively is not just critical but paramount in project management. This article has navigated you through pertinent considerations and strategies to help new and experienced managers. Let’s recap the main points:

Understanding Your Role as a Manager: As a manager, your role extends beyond project delivery. You are responsible for maintaining safety standards, especially for contractors unfamiliar with your work environment. It is your job to mitigate hazards and protect all personnel involved in your project.

Contractor Selection Process: Choosing the right contractor is pivotal. Their expertise, safety records, insurance coverage, and references should all be thoroughly examined. A meticulous selection process can save you from unnecessary complications down the line.

Establishing a Culture of Safety: Creating a safety-first culture through regular training, communication, and implementation of safety checks is instrumental in preventing workplace incidents.

Communication is Key: A clear, open line of communication between you, your team, and the contractors is essential for coordinating safety protocols and resolving issues promptly.

Managing Contractor Work: Standardized meetings, regular monitoring, and consistent feedback effectively manage contractors and ensure meeting safety standards.

Dealing with Safety Incidents: Accidents can occur, despite our best efforts. A well-planned incident response strategy can mitigate the damage and enable faster recovery.

Understanding OSHA and Other Relevant Safety Standards: Familiarity with OSHA and other industry-specific safety standards is crucial for your project’s compliance with the law and for creating a safer work environment.

Regular Safety Audits and Compliance Checks: Periodic safety audits and compliance checks are a proactive measure to ensure your project’s safety standards are consistently upheld.

Liability Issues and How to Avoid Them: Prevent liability issues through due diligence, such as providing in-house safety training, ensuring that contractors have necessary certifications, and providing operational checklists.

Remember, a successful manager navigates the project’s course while ensuring safety. It may be challenging, but the strategies outlined in this article will equip you with the necessary tools to handle this responsibility effectively. Your goal is not just a completed project but a project completed safely, efficiently, and to the satisfaction of all stakeholders. So, prioritize contractor safety and work quality, and remember, in project management, prevention is always better than cure.

Speaking of cures, if you need a great documentation system to mobilize your workforce and contractors, consider testing out 1st Reporting. We developed the app as a manager’s best friend: a feature-rich platform for creating, completing, and managing documentation like audits, checklists, forms, and inspections. With our automated notification system and robust custom form creator, you can (nearly) accomplish anything with a document system like 1st Reporting.