Contents
- What skills, knowledge and experience does a principal contractor need?
- How can I demonstrate my health and safety skills, knowledge and experience?
- What do I need to do as a principal contractor on a project?
What skills, knowledge and experience does a principal contractor need?
A principal contractor must be able to demonstrate they have the skills, knowledge, and experience to carry out the work they are being appointed for.
The level of skills, knowledge and experience should be proportionate to the scale and complexity of the project and the nature of the risks to health and safety.
How can I demonstrate my health and safety skills, knowledge and experience?
- Records of continuing professional development (CPD) including training records
- Membership of professional bodies (e.g. BALI)
- References from previous construction work
What do I need to do as a principal contractor on a project?
The principal contractor has overall responsibility for health and safety on site during the construction phase, and must liaise with the client and principal designer throughout the project to ensure all risks are managed. Specific principal contractor responsibilities:
- Prepare a written construction phase plan before the construction phase begins, implement, and then regularly review and revise it to make sure it remains fit for purpose (BALI members can download a free template from the document section of this page). The HSE also produce a guide
- Take account of the health and safety risks to everyone affected by the work (including third parties),
- Ensure suitable welfare facilities are provided from the start and maintained throughout the construction phase
- Check appointed workers have the skills, knowledge, experience and, where relevant, the organisational capability to carry out their work safely and without risk to health
- Ensure all workers have site-specific inductions, training they need, and consult workers about their health, safety and welfare
- Take steps to prevent unauthorised access to the site e.g. provision of barriers/fences/controls
- Liaise with the principal designer to share any information relevant to the planning, management, monitoring and coordination of the pre-construction phase
- Liaise with the client and principal designer for the duration of the project to ensure that all risks are effectively managed