Managing contractors in schools isn’t always straightforward. Schools are unique environments, with children and young people at the centre of everything. While teaching and safeguarding are a school’s core purpose, managing maintenance, ICT, catering, cleaning and construction work often brings extra challenges. Without strong contractor management, schools risk safety incidents, compliance breaches, and damage to reputation.
At Vita Safety, we’ve helped many schools strengthen their contractor management processes. This article outlines the key steps to help schools reduce risks and meet their legal duties with confidence.
Why Contractor Management Matters
Contractors bring essential expertise, but they can also introduce significant risks if not properly managed. Good contractor management helps schools to:
- Safeguard pupils, staff, and visitors.
- Reduce accidents and costly incidents.
- Stay compliant with health and safety law.
- Build confidence with parents, staff, and regulators.
Not all staff are facilities management specialists, however, with clear processes and support, leaders and estates teams can manage contractors safely and effectively.
Legal Duties and Case Law
Schools have both a civil duty of care (to protect pupils, staff, contractors and visitors) and a criminal duty to comply with health and safety legislation.
Key legislation includes:
- Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
- Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
- Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM)
Failure to comply can result in fines, prosecutions, and serious reputational damage.
Recent examples include:
- A site supervisor fined £6,520 after exposing primary school pupils and staff to asbestos during refurbishment. Read the full HSE article.
- A Catholic Education Trust fined over £20,000 for failing to check that a contractor was competent, after a dangerous tree-felling incident caused serious injury. Read the full HSE article.
The Contractor Management Cycle
- Selection and Pre-qualification
Before engaging contractors, schools should:
- Check health & safety policies, risk assessments/method statements (RAMS), insurance, and safeguarding protocols.
- Verify qualifications and accreditations (e.g. CHAS, SafeContractor, SSiP).
- Carry out DBS checks where appropriate.
- Seek advice from your competent person for health and safety. This may be someone appointed internally, or a consultant, providing they have the right mix of qualifications, experience and knowledge.
Tip: Accreditation is a useful filter, but it does not guarantee compliance. Always verify competence.
- Pre-site Information
Provide contractors with essential information they may not know, such as:
- Location-specific risks (asbestos registers, site layout, safeguarding arrangements).
- Emergency procedures.
- Site services, such as; gas lines, wiring diagrams, pressure systems and buried or overhead services.
- Onboarding
Ensure all contractors are briefed and signed in before starting work:
- Explain site safety rules and emergency arrangements.
- Issue visitor/contractor badges.
- Check names against approved lists.
- Use a permit-to-work register for higher-risk activities.
- Monitoring and Checking
Safety doesn’t end with onboarding. Ongoing checks are essential:
- Carry out spot inspections.
- Keep “line of sight” on high-risk tasks.
- Monitor control measures such as signage and barriers.
- Record incidents, near misses, or unsafe behaviour.
- Permit to Work
For high-risk activities, introduce a formal permit to work system, including start/end times and sign-off.
Common activities requiring permits:
- Asbestos removal
- Work at height
- Confined spaces
- Hot works (welding, cutting, roofing)
- Electrical work on or near live conductors
- Excavations and digging
- Lifting operations
- Reporting and Investigation
Agree who is responsible for reporting incidents (contractor, employer, or school). Consider RIDDOR reporting requirements, and ensure all incidents are properly investigated to prevent recurrence.
- Policy and Management Review
Regularly review contractor management policies and procedures. Look at incident reports, near misses, and lessons learned to continuously improve safety standards.
Final Thoughts
Schools have a clear legal and moral duty to manage contractors effectively. By following a structured contractor management cycle, leaders and estates teams can protect staff and pupils, reduce risks, and remain compliant with the law.
If your school would like support, contact us at enquiries@vitasafety.com for a free health and safety SLA review.
