Safety Agent

A Client must apply for a Construction Work Permit from the Department of Employment and Labour (DoEL) at least 30 days before construction is due to start on site. No construction may start before a permit has been issued and the permit number must be displayed at the entrance of the construction site. A PrCHSA must be involved in stages 1–4 of all new construction projects.

Safe Working Practice will prepare all the required supporting documents and submit them to DoEL. We will facilitate the negotiations with DoEL should there be any queries until the permit number is issued.

The current threshold for sites requiring a permit where the intended construction work:

• (a) exceeds 365 days and will involve more than 3 600 person days of construction work; or
• (b) the works contract is of a tender value equal to CIDB grading level 7, 8 or 9.

As per the regulations a client must prepare a Baseline Risk Assessment and site-specific Safety Specification. The specification contains all the relevant safety requirements for the construction project and must be issued to the designer and the contractor.

The Safety Specification must be included in the tender document to ensure that the potential contractors include the Health and Safety costs and requirements in their tender submission.

Duties of the client as per CR2014 — 5(1)(a–f):

• 5(1)(a) – Prepare a baseline risk assessment.
• 5(1)(b) – Prepare a coherent site-specific health and safety specification.
• 5(1)(c) – Provide the specification to the designer.
• 5(1)(d) – Ensure the designer takes it into consideration during the design stage.
• 5(1)(f) – Ensure the specification is included in tender documents.

Safe Working Practice ensures clients' compliance with the regulations by assessing and finally approving the principal contractor's Safety Plan. A principal contractor must compile a Safety Plan in response to the Safety Specification in the tender document. The Safety Plan must be assessed and tested against the Safety Specification; if found sufficient it can be approved and the contractor can start work.

Client duties as per CR2014 — 5(1)(g–l) include ensuring adequate H&S provisions, verifying competencies, appointing principal contractors in writing, and finally approving the Safety Plan for implementation.

Safe Working Practice ensures clients' compliance by auditing sites on at least a monthly basis (more frequent audits are recommended for higher risk sites). The site is audited in line with the Regulations, Act, Safety Specification, and the contractor's Safety Plan.

Physical: The consultant will do a site walkthrough to determine any physical shortcomings. All findings will be noted on the audit report and photos will be included.

Administrative: All safety documentation will be audited, and the findings recorded on the audit report. All audit reports are quality-checked before distribution.

Safe Working Practice's consultants will attend all required site meetings to ensure accurate reporting and efficient problem solving.

At the completion of the project Safe Working Practice will do a final Close Out Audit. This consists of a physical and administrative section. The physical audit ensures that all services and the site itself were made safe upon final departure of the contractor. The administrative Close Out will assess the Safety File and documentation of the contractor throughout the project.