Contractor Management series - Webinar 1 - Prequalification

The AIHS and ContractorSAFE have partnered to develop and deliver a series of four webinars detailing the elements of the Four Pillars of Contractor Safety Management ©

The four-part webinar series will explore the subject of contractor management by principal contractors, which is one of ongoing confusion in respect of legal liability and effective management of safety.

OVERVIEW

ContractorSAFE is the leading safety and legal advisor in contractor safety compliance and pioneered the modern approach to contractor safety management utilising the Four Pillars of Effective Contractor Safety Management © framework.

The Four Pillar framework was developed following the decision by the High Court of Australia in Baiada Poultry v The Queen in 2012.   In that decision, the High Court confirmed that while an employer has the right under the contract to exercise control over its contractors, the question is, whether exercising that control is a step which is reasonably practicable for an employer to take to meet their obligations to provide and maintain a safe working environment.

The matters considered were:

1. The matters over which the employer had control;
2. The cost and effort of controlling and directing independent contractors in their safety arrangements, to meet obligations to provide a safe working environment.

The court subsequently held that “just because a Principal has a legal right to issue instructions, this does not establish that this is a step which was reasonably practicable to provide and maintain a safe working environment, even where the Principal has knowledge of the risks, and knows of ways to control such risks.”

The impact of this decision has far-reaching consequences for the management of contractor safety by Principal Contractors and challenges long-held beliefs about the degree of control which must be exercised over independent contractors in respect of their safety management.

The audience for these webinars includes all levels of safety professionals, legal advisors, senior executives, corporate functions including procurement and operational managers at the cold face.

The webinars have the potential to reduce unnecessary complexity in contractor safety management, improve safety outcomes and productivity, and significantly reduce the costs of safety management.

Learning outcomes for Webinar 1 - Pillar 1 - Prequalification

In this webinar participants will;

• Gain a greater understanding of how to draft effective agreements to appoint Principal Contractors in compliance with WHS regulation and directly engage independent contractors.
• Clarify what to ask and how to ask relevant questions to obtain assurances from independent contractors in respect of their management of health and safety
• Review the process of collecting documented evidence of contractor safety management systems

Whole webinar series 

Webinar 1 - PreQualification - Tuesday 16 June 15:00 - 16:00 AEST
Webinar 2 - Onboarding Wednesday 1st July 15:00 - 16:00 AEST
Webinar 3 - Monitoring Wednesday 22nd July 15:00 - 16:00 AEST
Webinar 4 - Performance review Wednesday 29th July 15:00 - 16:00 AEST

EVENT DETAILS
Date: Tuesday 16 June
Time: 15:00 - 16:00 AEST
Format: Webinar - Zoom log in details will be sent out 1-2 business days before. 
Cost: 

Whole webinar series

AIHS individual Member  $180.00 + GST 
Non-Member $290.00+GST

Individual sessions 
AIHS Member - $50.00+GST per session
Non- Member - $85.00 + GST per session. 

Note: participants will NOT be provided with a copy of the webinar but will be provided with slides used during the presentation.

To prepare for the webinar we recommend you view an overview of the Four Pillar Principles at https://www.contractorsafe.net.au/resources/presentations/

Registrations close for this session on Monday 15 June at 14:00 AEST 

YOUR PRESENTER

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Sue Bottrell, Director of ContractorSAFE 

Sue Bottrell, Director of ContractorSAFE, has worked in occupational health and safety and workers compensation for the past 18 years. She is a practicing lawyer and a suitably qualified OHS professional as defined by Worksafe Victoria (2008) and has qualifications in safety and law to master’s level. This combination of qualifications and experience sets Sue apart from all other OHS lawyers and safety professionals and puts her at the top of the safety profession.

Sue is a legal and safety specialist in the management of contractor safety. She is a thought leader in this space and is very vocal about the costly and ineffective practices currently being adopted by employers, and safety professionals, in this area. She regularly speaks and publishes on this topic and acts as an expert witness. She has also developed an approach to contractor safety management which ensures effective and compliant prequalification, onboarding, monitoring, and performance review of the management of safety by independent contractors. The Four Pillars of Contractor Safety Management. Her advice correctly reflects the High Court’s interpretation of duties owed by Principal Contactors for contractor safety management in the seminal case, Baiada v The Queen HC 2012. , which the majority of other professional advice in this area does not, in respect of contractor safety management.

She has worked in hands-on safety roles and provided expert consulting advice to over 250 businesses across Australia including construction, waste management, local government, disability services, manufacturing, transport, heavy industry, aviation, aged care, and government agencies such as Victoria Police and the Department of Human Services. She takes a pragmatic and practical approach to working with all levels of organisations from workers to Executives to bring about meaningful and sustainable improvements in safety.

Sue was the first safety professional in Australia to become a Certified Chartered Generalist OHS Professional Member of the Australian Institue of Health and Safety and was awarded the honour of Fellow in 2019.

​She also served as AIHS Treasurer from 2009 – 2010 and as a National Board Member from 2013 – 2015. She has been instrumental in the advancement of the safety professions standing in the community and the implementation of certification of safety professionals to ensure the community has access to qualified and competent safety advice.

Webinar series is  brought to you by: 

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