Contractor Management

Context: Why Contractors are a High-Risk Zone

Contractor management traditionally remains one of the most complex areas in the HSE system. For any enterprise, a contractor is a source of additional risks, as managing your own personnel, setting clear rules of the game, and ensuring their implementation is much easier. Svetlana Shuvalova, Operations Director of the Fels Izvest plant (part of the international CRH group), analyzes practical experience in building a contractor management system that minimizes risks and ensures safety on the enterprise's premises.

Preliminary Assessment: The Entry Filter

A key element of the system is the strict pre-qualification of contractors before signing a contract. This is not just a formality, but a tool to assess the company's maturity level in safety matters.

• Self-assessment questionnaire: The contractor fills out a detailed checklist, evaluating their HSE processes. This provides an initial picture of the company's readiness to follow the customer's requirements.
• Data verification: The claimed scores are verified. If a contractor declares having trained personnel (e.g., for working at heights), the customer has the right to request supporting documents.
• Results analysis: A low score does not mean an automatic rejection. The main thing is the contractor's willingness to develop. Based on the assessment, a corrective action plan is developed, which allows reducing risks even before work begins.

On-Site Control: From Briefing to Monthly Assessment

After admission to the plant territory, work with the contractor does not end. The speaker demonstrates by example how the continuous control system is built.

• Mandatory briefing: No contractor employee is allowed to work without undergoing a briefing directly at the plant, even if they have already been trained by their employer.
• Monthly assessment: An internal customer (e.g., chief engineer or power engineer) regularly evaluates the contractor's work using a checklist: use of PPE, condition of tools, maintaining order. This allows for prompt identification and elimination of violations.
• Contract integration: Safety requirements and the obligation for annual self-assessment are enshrined in the contract. Penalties for violations are also provided.

Automating Routine: Simple Tools for Complex Tasks

The presentation details the approach to optimizing document flow. Instead of implementing complex and expensive IT solutions, the plant uses basic Office 365 tools (SharePoint).

• Unified database: All information about completed briefings and assessments is stored in the system.
• Access automation: The pass request is generated electronically. The system automatically blocks access if an employee's briefing has expired.
• Efficiency: Request approval occurs remotely, which saves time for all process participants — from the initiator to the security service at the checkpoint.

What you will learn from this webinar:

• How to build a contractor pre-qualification system and verify the reliability of their self-assessment?
• What tools to use for monthly control of contractors on site?
• How to automate the site access process using standard office programs?
• What to do if a contractor does not score the required points during assessment, but their services are needed?
• How to legally enshrine HSE requirements in a contract with a contractor?