Strengthening Contractor Safety Management for an Energy Utilities Provider
Challenge
A prominent not-for-profit energy utilities provider approached Antea Group with a critical task: to review and update their internal contractor safety management system. This initiative aimed to align their practices with industry best standards, ensuring robust safety protocols across all operations. With ambitious plans for extensive utility infrastructure projects in the pipeline that will involve diverse contractors, the client needed assurance that safety measures were top-notch at every stage.
This project scope included reviewing the current procedures and tools available and making recommendations on improving the current system to ensure contractors are working safely on the client’s premises and locations where contractors conduct activities on the client’s behalf.
Solution
Antea Group delved deep into the client's existing framework, meticulously identifying compliance gaps and avenues for enhancement. Our approach involved benchmarking their Contractor Safety Management Process (CSMP) against leading practices within similar high-risk sectors, such as the electric utility industry. We scrutinized every facet of their CSMP, from pre-qualification processes to safety performance monitoring, ensuring a comprehensive evaluation. Specific areas of CSMP documentation review included:
Contractor Pre-Qualification Process
Contractor Evaluation Process
Hazard Assessment and Safety Plan Process
Director Approval Process
Contractor Safety Performance Monitoring
Program Maintenance
Employee Training, and
Associated workflow tasks
Conducting both virtual and on-site assessments was pivotal. On-site evaluations encompassed a spectrum of contractor activities, including power generation, transmission, substation management, and facility services.
Result
Our findings were synthesized into a detailed report presented to the client's leadership, highlighting key strengths and pinpointing areas for improvement. The report included:
A catalog of non-compliance issues observed during site visits, complete with recommendations for achieving sustainable compliance and a risk ranking of each finding.
A proposed Risk-Based Approach to Contractor Safety Management, designed to serve as a model for enhancing safety protocols across the client's operations.
This strategic review and the subsequent recommendations are poised to significantly bolster the client’s contractor safety management, ensuring safer project execution and setting a new standard for industry practices.
