By Dave Remter 
(email)
Lead Safety Advisor,
Safety Management Group
This
is a series of three articles by Dave Remter on contractor
prequalifications. Click
here to view the first article.
A growing number of companies are
recognizing the benefits of safety prequalification programs
for outside contractors that perform work on their jobsites.
In this series of articles, we’re examining what
prequalification can accomplish and the factors companies
should consider when selecting contractors. This final
installment looks at potential hurdles in the process and
offers ideas for helping contractors overcome them.
In theory, implementing a contractor
prequalification program should be a very easy process. You
establish a set of standards, and then verify that each of the
contractors working on your site satisfies those standards.
Those who don’t are given the opportunity to improve, and if
they choose not to do so, you’ll stop working with
them.
Of course, real life and real workplaces
are rarely as simple as theories, and our experience in
establishing contractor prequalification processes bears that
out. Fortunately, most of the hurdles that arise in the
process are similar, so we’ve had the opportunity to find the
most effective ways to deal with them. In this article, we’ll
share the problems that seem to arise most often, along with
techniques that can help you overcome them.
Lack of
resources
One of the first issues that pops up in
every contractor prequalification process is the panic on the
part of smaller contractors who claim that they lack the
resources or manpower to meet the standards you’ve
established. For example, they might tell you that they can’t
afford to develop written safety
policies.
When we’ve encountered those situations,
we’ve found that a friendly, collaborative approach works
best. We’ll direct them to low-cost resources that will
address their needs. In particular, the Internet offers a
wealth of safety-related information and sample documents that
contractors can easily adapt to their own
situations.
By approaching contractors in a helpful,
cooperative manner, you can overcome the fear and resentment
that a stringent prequalification program might otherwise
generate. You also make it clear to them that you’re willing
to work together to achieved the desired safety standards. In
the long run, that can actually strengthen your working
relationship and encourage them to work harder on your
projects.
What they don’t
know
A key part of any contractor
prequalification program is education. Many of your
contractors are already familiar with the many facets of
workplace safety, and will have no trouble supplying the
information you request. Others will scratch their heads when
asked about matters such as EMRs or hazard
assessments.
By taking the time to educate them,
you’re not only enhancing the safety of your worksites. You’re
also helping them ensure the safety of their workers at all of
their projects and improve their business practices. Becoming
familiar with the state of the art in safety will help them
meet the high standards of other customers, allowing them to
land higher-quality projects and attract workers who
appreciate the value of an employer who looks out for their
well-being.
They already know
us
“Oh, we’ve been doing work for them for
years. They call us because they know we’re the only ones that
can do what they need on their schedules. We don’t need to
waste our time with all this paperwork.”
There always seems to be a contractor or
two that has the supreme confidence that his past
relationships with the company – or his level of technical
expertise – somehow earn his business an automatic exemption
from the prequalification process. When pressed, this type of
contractor sometimes becomes hostile, but most often, he
simply pushes the requirements aside and figures you’ll
eventually forget about all that
nonsense.
One of the most effective ways to
encourage even the most hesitant or hostile contractor to
comply with your prequalification effort is to link it with
the process through which you issue purchase orders. If you
set up your accounting system so that only prequalified
contractors can receive POs, you’ll make it very clear that
you’re not kidding about the importance of meeting your safety
standards.
Not keeping pace with the
times
Finally, as amazing as it may seem, some
small contractors lack even the most basic business technology
and procedures. For example, you’ll find some who have never
purchased a computer or established an email account.
While it’s easy to empathize with
technophobes, the well-being of your business and compliance
with your safety effort make it difficult to accommodate
companies that don’t (or won’t) keep up with the times. If the
contractor refuses to buy a computer, suggest that they obtain
a free email account and use the computers at a local library
or Internet café. If they do not follow standard business
practices, make them aware of the shortcomings, and explain
that you can no longer do business with them unless the issue
is remedied.
Pointing out these weaknesses may be
difficult, but you’re actually doing a favor for them by
helping them improve their business and encouraging them to
meet standard practices. After all, if they want to stay in
business, they need to evolve to meet their customers’
needs.
Cooperation is
critical
You may have noticed a common theme
throughout this article. Through experience, we’ve found that
taking a cooperative approach is critical to implementation of
a contractor prequalification program. While it’s certainly
easier to set out a list of standards and demand compliance,
that approach is more likely to create resentment and
long-standing problems. It’s often been said that safety is
everyone’s job, and keeping that in mind as you develop and
implement your contractor prequalification program will go a
long way toward ensuring its success.
For
more information on contractor prequalifications services
available from Safety Management Group, contact us at: (800)
435-8850 or at questions@safetymanagementgroup.com.