Precast Inc. - November/December 2008 - (Page 20) S A F E T Y & H E A LT H Vendor and Contractor Safety Am I responsible for them, too? BY RANDY DEVAUL n employer has a responsibility to its employees to ensure a workplace is free from recognized hazards. Though paraphrased from the U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration’s “General Duty Clause,” this is not only a compliance issue but it is also recognized as good business sense. Your suppliers are under the same safety and health requirements at their own facilities, and they have the right to expect a safe working environment at your plant when they A send employees to make deliveries or perform work at your site. And, of course, you don’t want to face a lawsuit if a vendor gets injured at your plant. This issue alone can create a number of adverse conditions for the precast plant owner. Reputable suppliers will not want to continue exposing their employees to hazards that exist at your plant. Even if suppliers are willing to work in hazardous conditions, they may charge a “hazard premium” so that you pay more than necessary. Conversely, suppliers who are willing to work in hazardous conditions may also create their own hazards with little regard to safety or quality of work. In this case, disaster is waiting to strike. Whether through fines and penalties from the regulatory agencies, tort lawsuits from injured or exposed workers, or through increased premiums and costs to cover liability insurance requirements, a precaster who provides little or no concern for vendor or contractor employees or work areas will not maintain a competitive edge or benefit from the advantages of a safe work environment (see the sidebar “Benefits of a Hazard-Free Workplace”). How to get there So what is a precast plant owner to do about vendor and contractor safety at the work site? Take responsibility. First, recognize that the answer to the question “Am I responsible for their safety?” is an emphatic “Yes!” You are responsible for vendor and contractor safety 20 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008 | PRECAST INC. NPCA Photo
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