Introduction to Health and Safety at Work

3.10.5 Contractor 
authorization
Contractors, their employees, sub-contractors and their 
employees, should not be allowed to commence work 
on any client’s site without authorization signed by the 
Company contact. The authorization should clearly 
defi ne the range of work that the contractor can carry 
out and set down any special requirements, for example, 
protective clothing, fi re exits to be left clear, isolation 
arrangements, etc.
Permits will be required for operations such as hot 
work, etc. All contractors should keep a copy of their 
authorization at the place of work. A second copy of the 
authorization should be kept at the site and be available 
for inspection.
The Company contact signing the authoriza-
tion will be responsible for all aspects of the work of 
the contractor. The contact will need to check as a 
minimum the following:
➤
that the correct contractor for the work has been 
selected
➤
that the contractor has made appropriate arrange-
ments for supervision of staff
➤
that the contractor has received and signed for a 
copy of the contractor’s safety rules
➤
that the contractor is clear what is required, the 
limits of the work and any special precautions that 
need to be taken
➤
that the contractor’s personnel are properly qualifi ed 
for the work to be undertaken.
The Company contact should check whether subcon-
tractors will be used. They will also require authorization, 
if deemed acceptable. It will be the responsibility of the 

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Organizing for health and safety
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Company contact to ensure that sub-contractors are 
properly supervised.
Appropriate supervision will depend on a number 
of factors, including the risk associated with the job, 
experience of the contractor and the amount of supervi-
sion the contractor will provide. The responsibility for 
ensuring there is proper supervision lies with the person 
signing the contractor’s authorization.
The Company contact will be responsible for 
ensuring that there is adequate and clear communication 
between different contractors and Company personnel 
where this is appropriate.