Companies function more and more in networks (contractor chains with contractors, suppliers and/or other companies). This asks for several companies/parties to work together to get the work done. Working in contractor chains is very common in sectors like maintenance, construction, cleaning, and catering. On the workplaces this collaboration can get difficult because of differences in approaches, ways of working, schedules, working cultures, specific company risks, and the perceptions of risk, etc.

Although it is hard to quantify, there is considerable evidence that working contractor chains has implications for the working conditions and health and safety of there are several mechanisms that cause this. In the first place, contractors are in many cases more at risk than staff because they are new at the working environment. Also, some companies tend to use contractors for special tasks, often involving hazardous activities. This could lead to a greater potential for harm, if their work is not properly managed. It is the coordination of these different companies, their different activities, the interactions, and the variation in risks, that makes the management of these processes very crucial.

Adequate contractor management asks for specific measures and close co-operation of all parties involved, e.g. a thorough assessment of (sub-) contractor competence, the selection of safe contractors, sound supervision, reviewing and recording of HSE performance at contract termination. Other related topics deal with specific issues related to the contractor chain and the supply chain and their influence on HSE. Some company thinks that HSE is a big issue not the possibility to support a healthy micro-management and improve the HSE performance. Where they consider it as a problem, presumably there is only a low level of HSE knowledge, or the knowledge is enough, but the resources possess in non-adequate quantity and it leads to low level of HSE performance. The other possibility is when the customer deals with only HSE penalties, not generating HSE compliance. However, it can cause a groundless price increase.

In the framework of Alemona Contractor Management Program we put strong emphasis on health & safety elements during the procurement processes – selected contractors are pre-evaluated prior to contracting to assess if they are able to comply with the requirements of that particular company, on the top of the contractor chain system and of course considering laws. With Alemona Contractor Management Program the companies will be able to detect the HSE-critical activities and with effective corrective actions can reduce the probability of the harms and accident.