General Contractor Guide for Health and Safety

Risk Assessment Check List Do it Yourself Tips for Health and Safety

Things that you may want to make sure the contractor has assessed for risks are;

Protecting your property (i.e. your car, your greenhouse etc.) from any falling debris;

Protecting members of your family and any visitors to the property while works are in progress, i.e. falling debris, slippery floors, etc.

If, for example, you are having roof works carried out, you will want to make sure that you are protected from the weather during the night or at weekends if work is not going on.

Safeguarding the operatives whilst they are working on your property, for instance, adequate and safe scaffold.

A safe form of storage of materials;

A safe way for deliveries of materials to be taken and then to be stored;

Safe passage way for pedestrians passing your property.

If you have a disabled person who needs wider / easy access, allowances should be made for this as should any special requirements while work is going on, i.e. a ramp set up for wheelchairs. Please refer to disabled works for any advice and information about renovating your home.

And so on.

Most competent trades people will automatically do this, and will have been doing so since they came into their trade and found out by a mixture of trial and error and knowledge of health and safety regulations - what the risks were.

When you consider employing someone to carry out works for you, you should also think about the health and safety issues that may arise, and then present your concerns to the contractor.

For instance, dust particles, paint fumes, sawdust, all present a major problem for asthmatics. You need to consider this; after all, the contractor will not be able to eliminate everything that naturally arises. Adequate ventilation will help, but will not always solve the problem.

A good contractor will take your concerns on board and discuss ways around the problem, but there will be certain hazards that may need extreme measures such as moving the asthmatic out of the home for a few days.

"A small company working on a small site has the same responsibilities as a large company on a large site. Being on a small site does not mean that people cannot fall from heights, fall through fragile roofs, be trapped in collapsed excavations, or a young child struck by falling material. There is no difference in the standard of protection required for a small house extension compared to a major construction project; what will differ is the management system"