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It takes a team to build a house. Health and safety takes teamwork too. Here’s a how-to guide on managing shared responsibilities on site.

A Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) is essentially any business doing work of any sort. PCBUs are required to ensure the health and safety of workers, other contractors, or visitors who might be affected by work operations.

If you are the main contractor engaging contractors, then “workers” includes not just your direct employees, but all engaged workers, including other PCBUs’ employees.

When it comes to overlapping duties, businesses need to consult, coordinate, and cooperate so everyone can meet their shared responsibilities.

Examples of Shared PCBUs Duties

(Note: These listed duties are simplified for readability and do not represent a full list. It is important to understand your WHS duties and responsibilities. Safe Work Australia and your relevant state or territory WHS regulator provide guidance on workplace safety obligations, or you can talk to our Advisory team if you have questions. .)

• Primary duty of PCBUs: Make sure that the health and safety of workers and other people are not put at risk by your work.
• Managing risk: Identify hazards, remove risks where possible, and put controls in place to reduce risks that cannot be removed. Worker engagement, participation, and representation: Make sure that workers can raise concerns and express their views on work health and safety matters, and that those views are taken into account.
• Notification: If a notifiable event occurs, you must notify the relevant WHS regulator as soon as you become aware of it.
• First aid: Make sure that your workers have access to suitable first aid equipment and trained first aiders. If you share a workplace with other PCBUs, you can coordinate sharing first-aid resources with them.
• Emergency plans: Have suitable emergency procedures in place, consult with workers and contractors, and coordinate with other businesses on site to ensure everyone understands their role in an emergency. 

When Might Duties Overlap?

WHS duties can overlap when multiple businesses or contractors are involved in the same project or their work affects each other. This can happen on a shared worksite or through a contracting chain where builders, subcontractors, suppliers, and other businesses all contribute to the work. 

Example: A builder calls a supplier for materials to be dropped off at the site, and they coordinate that a HIAB truck is the best way to deliver the goods. The builder then communicates to the team via a Toolbox Meeting that the materials will be delivered, instructing them to create a clear, stable drop-off area and keep clear of the HIAB while offloading.

Understanding the Extent of Your Duty

When there are overlapping duties on-site, how do you determine the extent of your duty?

You need to consider the extent to which you can influence or control the risk in question. This is determined by considering:

1. Control over the work activity – Are you the business managing or running the work being undertaken?
2. Control over the site – Are you the main contractor or subcontractor?
3. Control over your team – A business will naturally have more control over its own team or contractors than others on-site.

Ultimately, the more influence and control you have over the site or workers, the more control you have over the risk—and the more responsibility you hold.

Practical Expectations for On-Site Safety

Health and safety doesn’t just start at the building site; it spans the entire build cycle. It can start as far back as concept and design, material choice, pricing, and project scoping.

Keeping people safe should always be the top priority on any construction site—and health and safety laws actually require this to be the case. Aligning yourself with other parties and knowing what safety systems are in place is vital and could save lives.

To ensure people are not harmed, and you are complying with your legal obligations, here are key expectations:

• Work with designers and other project stakeholders to identify and reduce risks early. 
• Set clear health and safety expectations and incorporate these into your agreements with contractors.
• Make sure contractors have appropriate health and safety procedures in place.
• Prepare a Site Specific Safety Plan for the job and share it with all workers and contractors.
• Establish health and safety reporting requirements with your contractors. (A great tool for this is using the HazardCo App to complete Task Analysis, Risk Assessments, Incident Reports, and more.)
• Make sure site inductions take place. Communicate site rules and procedures to everyone who accesses the worksite (done easily via the HazardCo App by scanning the QR code located on your Hazard Board).
• Share important safety information throughout the project, including changes to site conditions. 
• Make sure effective communication between all parties (e.g., Toolbox Meetings through the HazardCo App).
• Monitor work activities and confirm that agreed safety controls are being followed. 

Sound Contractor Management: 6 Key Steps

WorkSafe expects main contractors to follow solid contractor management processes:

1. Scope: Consider health and safety risks prior to selecting contractors. Discuss the project with potential contractors to make sure they are capable. Document the process and store it in the HazardCo Hub.
2. Prequalify: Make sure prospective contractors have effective health and safety procedures in place. Keep records of contractors’ prequalification.
3. Select: Select contractors based on prequalification outcomes alongside other factors like availability and skills.
4. Appoint: Create a Project in the HazardCo Hub, which automatically generates a Site Specific Safety Plan, Site Pack, QR code, and Hazard Board. Share this information with contractors. Ensure induction expectations are understood by all workers, contractors, and visitors, and that all contractors have reviewed, agreed, and documented their acceptance.
5. Monitor: Maintain regular communication regarding health and safety performance (e.g., Toolbox Meetings, Site Reviews, Site Inductions). Investigate incidents, follow up on outstanding issues, and perform regular reviews during the assignment.
6. Review: Conduct a post-contract review to assess contractor performance at the end of the project (looking at communication, incidents, improvements, and monitoring completed).

Stay on Top of Checks with Automation

Get peace of mind that your contractors are good to go with an automated system to pre-qualify contractors, check insurance, verify trade qualifications, and more. Because it’s automated, you won’t have to chase contractors for outstanding documents—and you’ll even get a notification if someone scans in who hasn’t been approved yet.

Find out more about HazardCo’s Pre-Qualification Tools, or get in touch with our team at 1800 954 702  or info@hazardco.com