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Managing Contractors eLearning

Online contractor management training: selecting competent contractors, agreeing who controls what, and supervising work you are still legally responsible for.

Price£15 + VAT
How longApproximately 30 to 45 minutes
Valid for3 years
WhereOnline, on any device
Two workers in hard hats and hi-vis reviewing drawings at a construction site

Who it is for

Who this managing contractors course is for

Bringing in a contractor does not transfer your duties to them. Section 3 of the 1974 Act makes you responsible for people affected by your undertaking, and shared workplaces create overlapping duties nobody has read.

  • Facilities, estates and site managers
  • Procurement and purchasing teams
  • Project managers engaging contractors
  • Small business owners bringing in trades
  • Health and safety representatives
  • Anyone signing off contractor work

Course content

What the managing contractors course covers

Five short lessons covering why duties are shared, selecting a competent contractor, planning and agreeing control, induction, supervision and coordination, and review, then a 12-question assessment.

1

Why duties are shared

HSWA section 3, why contractors are at higher risk, and why duties are shared, not transferred.

2

Selecting a competent contractor

Competence checks proportionate to risk, and why a certificate is not proof.

3

Planning the work and agreeing control

Risk assessments and method statements, information exchange, permits, and who controls what.

4

Induction, supervision and coordination

Site rules, induction, proportionate supervision, and dealing with deviations.

5

Review and records

Checking the job at the end, recording performance, and the CDM pointer.

Outcomes

What you will be able to do afterwards

  • Explain why health and safety duties are shared with contractors
  • Select a competent contractor using real evidence
  • Plan the work and agree who controls what
  • Induct, supervise and coordinate contractors on site
  • Review performance and keep records

Your legal duty

The law behind managing contractors training

Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 requires employers to conduct their undertaking so that people not in their employment are not exposed to risks to health or safety. That is the section that makes contractor management your problem as well as the contractor's.

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 add the duty to co-operate and co-ordinate where two or more employers share a workplace, and to provide information about risks. On construction projects, CDM 2015 sets out the roles more formally.

  • Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 - section 3
  • Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 - co-operation and co-ordination
  • Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 - on construction projects
  • Duties are shared between client and contractor, not transferred.

Practicalities

How the course works

WhereOnline, in a browser: phone, tablet or computer
WhenStart straight after payment; pause and resume any time
How longAround 30 to 45 minutes, with no time limit on completion
AssessmentKnowledge checks in every lesson, then a 12-question assessment. Pass mark 70% (9 of 12), retake as often as you need
CertificateIssued when you pass the assessment, downloadable as a PDF
RefresherRecommended every 3 years

Would you rather have a tutor?

Construction projects add formal duty holder roles under CDM 2015.

See the CDM Awareness course

For employers

Managing Contractors training for a team

Contractor management sits across procurement, facilities and site teams, so training them together is what stops responsibility falling between them.

  • One invoice instead of a card payment per person
  • Licences allocated as people join, so induction is covered.
  • Completion and expiry reporting for your records
  • Renewal reminders before certificates lapse
  • Bespoke versions built around your own procedures

Managing Contractors eLearning: common questions

Both of you are. Section 3 of the 1974 Act makes you responsible for people affected by your undertaking, and shared workplaces bring duties to co-operate and co-ordinate.

Evidence of competence proportionate to the risk: method statements, risk assessments, relevant training and insurance. The course covers what those documents should actually show.

Not on its own. The course is direct about this: a certificate shows someone attended something. Competence is knowledge, skill, experience and behaviour together.

If it is construction work, yes. CDM 2015 applies to all construction projects and sets out formal duty holder roles. The CDM course covers that.

About 30 to 45 minutes, with no time limit. Start it, pause it, and come back whenever suits. The certificate is issued as soon as you pass the end assessment.

Yes. It runs in a browser on any modern phone, tablet or computer, with nothing to install.

Yes. Open a business account and we invoice you for the licences, which you allocate as people need them. Completion reporting included.

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