Page 22 - IGC BOOK

The Shared Responsibilities of Joint Occupiers of Premises

Employers who share the same workplace have
responsibility to co-operate with other employers to
ensure health and safety their own employees and that
of other employers. The hazards and risks created by
one employer may affect the health and safety of the
other employer’s employee. The employer must share
information with other employer about the risk that may
arise and affect the other employer’s workers.
Employer share same workplace must
Employers must co-ordinate their activities each other to co-operate each other
ensure good health and safety standards are being met effectively, to achieve this, effective
communication and exchange of information between both the employers, development of
policies and emergency procedures for shared risks, for example, when establishing fire
evacuation arrangements on a site with multiple occupancy, the whole of the site should be
considered. Each occupant should co--‐operate with a co--‐ordinated response.

A common system to manage joint issues at the workplace such as Provision of information
about the risks that their business creates, it can be achieved by establishing an association with
regular meetings. Exchange of information takes place in the committee meeting which helps to
develop common policies and procedures and implemented throughout the premises; Common
policies includes – prohibiting smoking in the premises, procedures includes common fire
procedures, bomb threat procedures, emergency spill response, vetting visitors at the entrance,
vehicle parking and traffic management etc.; It may be appropriate to conduct common fire
drills, joint inspections of the premises and procedures for disposing wastes; It may be
appropriate to carryout joint site risk assessment and sharing risk assessment between
employers so that everyone are aware of potential impact of the use of tools, equipment and
substances so as to coordinate their activities.

Management of Contractors

The principal duties are expressed in the above sections and show that a client has duties
towards a contractor and their workers as well as visitors to their workplace. In addition, when
a client commissions a contractor to conduct work relating to the client’s undertaking, the client
retains responsibility to see that it is conducted in a safe and healthy manner. Clearly, this
benefits the contractor’s workers, sub--‐contractors’ workers, the public and the client’s workers.

A contractor that agrees to a contract for service must provide appropriate health and safety
standards when conducting the work – this will benefit all those that might be affected. It is the
responsibility of both parties to ensure effective planning and build health and safety into the
contract and work methods. To this end, it is essential that they co--‐operate with each other and
ensure co--‐ordination of contracted work activities.

ENSIGN| Unit IG1 – Element 1 – Why We Should Manage Workplace Health and 14
Safety