Procurement - policy and procedure

The health and safety management system ISO 45001 introduced a requirement to have formal controls on those who are appointed as subcontractors. Our policy and procedure sets out how you can achieve this.

The risks

ISO 45001 is the relatively new health and safety management standard that effectively replaced OHSAS 18001. Much of the new content is relatively familiar, e.g. it puts great emphasis on completing risk assessments, identifying legal requirements, etc. One area that differs from the previous standard covers appointing and managing contractors. This includes appointing building and maintenance contractors etc. that will work on the business’ premises. It also covers work that will be subcontracted (outsourced) to others.

How to achieve this?

The starting point for achieving the standard is our Procurement - Policy and Procedure. This identifies your position on how contractors will be selected, i.e. what checks they will be subject to and what rules and systems are in place to ensure the work is completed while maintaining appropriate health and safety standards.

Content

We have avoided detailing long lists of legal obligations to make the document as simple and practical as possible. In short, it’s an instruction manual for those who are appointing contractors. It’s also a signpost document to identify which assessment form should be used and when.

The key sections of the policy are the paragraphs that explain the assessment process using questionnaire documents. These cover when the forms are to be sent out and then returned with any supporting information requested. Note. The requirements differ depending on which questionnaire is being sent out so it’s important the right form is used. Next, the document explains the agreement. This confirms that the contractors understand their responsibilities with regard to health and safety and will make appropriate arrangements to ensure requirements are met. Finally, the policy ends with a section on “outsourcing”. Here you will find a statement on how and when outsourcing will be used and how it is to be managed.