Health and Safety (H&S) Specifications: H&S Practitioners’ Experiences

Abstract

An H&S specification must be provided to designers by the client in terms of the Construction Regulations. The designers in turn must take the H&S specification into account and provide the client with a report as a response thereto. Furthermore, clients must provide principal contractors (PCs) with an H&S specification (contractor) as part of the tender documentation. Successful PCs in turn must evolve an H&S plan in response thereto, which must be discussed with and approved by the client before the PC commences work on site. The study reported on, investigated practices relative to ‘contractor’ H&S specifications. The sample strata included members of the Association of Construction Health and Safety Management (ACHASM), and delegates attending H&S specification workshops. Findings include: quality is more important than H&S; H&S specifications are provided on approximately 71.4% of projects; H&S specifications are marginally project specific; short, average, and long H&S specifications are encountered by respondents’ organisations; 52.9% of aspects / issues that should be addressed in H&S specifications are addressed frequently, whereas 47.1% are addressed infrequently; existing services, and H&S file predominate in terms of the aspects / issues addressed frequently; the statement ‘H&S specifications should be a useful reference’ attracted the highest level of concurrence, and a range of project stakeholders are incapable of compiling H&S specifications. Conclusions include: H&S specifications are not managed, evolved, and comprehensive in terms of the Construction Regulations; the potential contribution of H&S specifications to managing H&S is not being realised, and there is a lack of competencies in terms of compiling H&S specifications. Recommendations include: a standard should be prepared in terms of H&S specifications; built environment professional associations and statutory councils should promote continuing professional development (CPD) relative to H&S specifications, and H&S specifications should be reviewed in terms of compliance by principal agents.