In a recent survey conducted by PICS Ltd at the IOSH Conference and Exhibition, health and safety compliance was overwhelmingly voted the biggest issue facing managers. This was particularly true for multiple site organisations with a large contractor base. In fact, 65% named health and safety compliance as the most difficult contractor issues to manage.
Similarly, a high-level safety management programme was cited as being difficult to maintain, and 67% did not have contractor prequalification or accreditation software. For these companies, risk mitigation can be the easiest place to enhance safety management plans.
The PICS programme is flexible and simple to implement on a global level, allowing clients and contractors to experience a simplified compliance programme. All contractor data is available live and on demand in the PICS system with a proactive customer service. PICS is already supporting a client base of some of the safest and most successful firms in the world.
Encouragingly, despite the difficult economic times, just under half of those who completed the survey were positive about the economic climate with 40% not anticipating any cuts in health and safety spending within their organisations in the next 12 months and only 4% anticipating extensive cutbacks. In fact delegates typically have strong backing from their senior management with 58% saying their management considers health and safety a key part of the way their organisation is run.
“With contractor health and safety compliance one of the most difficult issues to deal with, safety managers could benefit from using an established, simplified contractor prequalification service to improve performance and reduce risk,” says Ian McKinnon, Executive Director, PICS EMEA. “The results of our survey provide crucial insight into the current views of safety professionals in the UK. Whilst it would seem that the majority feel secure in their jobs and do not anticipate any real difficulties arising from proposed regulatory changes, there are key areas of health and safety management that can be improved and the services that PICS offers could provide that solution.”
