How do you currently select a competent contractor to carry works out on your behalf, knowing you are trusted with your landlord's investment
How should you select a suitable contractor
You will need to satisfy yourself that the contractor you choose can do the job safely and without risks to health or the damage to the property. This means making enquiries about the competence of the contractor - do they have the right combination of skills, experience and knowledge The degree of competence required will depend on the work. Similarly, the level of enquiries you make should be determined by the level of risks and the complexity of the job.
Examples of questions you could ask potential contractors include:
For example, who will be responsible, how will the work be supervised, what checks do you make on equipment and materials etc
Will you be using subcontractors and if so how will you check they are competent The level of competence for subcontractors will depend on the risk and the complexity of the work.
What are your contractor's recent health and safety performance levels For example, how many accidents and cases of ill health have they had, has HSE taken any action taken against them Do they have this in place
Do they have a written health and safety policy Have you seen this (This is only a requirement if five or more people are employed by the company you choose to use.)
Can they provide existing risk assessments done for similar jobs Did you know, written risk assessments are required by law if five or more people are employed.
What qualifications, skills and experience do they have in this type of work
What health and safety information and training do they provide for the workers
Do they have Employers' Liability Compulsory Insurance
If you are not sure on the above, or take it for granted this is in place, you are taking a risk that could be costly.
Roy Fuller, owner at Everything Lettings', says we have a very strict policy in place with all the contractors we use, the below will help in understanding what is required from contractors to carry work out on behalf of our clients.
All Everything Lettings suppliers' engineers & contractors are required to provide and adhere to the following:
Qualified and competent. Not only must the supplier provide details of the certificates and professional qualifications held by the company they also must provide a list of their engineers and their certificates and qualifications, training including CRB.
Evidence of their commitment to effective H&S both occupational and environmental
DBS checked
Asbestos Awareness Training
Public and employers liability insurance to a minimum of £2m and £10m respectively( In addition to Everything Lettings own Public liability insurance)
With specific regard to electrical and gas works the electrical installations and gas appliances can only inspected and tested by a person who has the competence to do so, such as an approved contractor from:
Electrical Contractors' Association (ECA)
National Association for Professional Inspectors and Testers (NAPIT)
National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting (NICEIC)
The Electrical Contractors' Association of Scotland (SELECT)
The gas /boiler engineers must be Gas safe registered
Once we have selected our contractors we operate a performance, quality and health and safety programme to ensure our suppliers continued adherence and delivery of our standards.
This programme consists of unannounced checks including the following:
Job audits
H&S adherence: risk assessment, PAT testing of equipment
Evidence of professional certificate i.e. Gas Safe cards, H&S file
Quality - client interview and observe work on site and completion certificates
By having the above in place we can offer 3 levels of service for property maintenance:
Out of hours emergency cover from: 5:30pm- 9:00am Monday to Friday (Weekends and bank holiday) working to pre set rates and pre agreed attendance criteria
In hour's emergency and planned maintenance from: 9am - 5:30 pm Monday to Friday. Attend and fix on site, attend and quote from site (fix if authorised), attend and provide a quotation with digital photographs where possible.
Gas safety certificates & Gas safety + combined boiler servicing from: 9am - 5:30 pm Monday to Friday.
Everything Lettings - providing the rental industry with Out of hours and daytime emergency maintenance cover , planned property maintenance , gas safety inspections, gas safety and combined boiler servicing , EPCs and PAT testing.
Everything Lettings - Tel 0844 272 2442 Roy Fuller Mobile -07970 840561
E: roy@everything-lettings.co.uk
W: www.everything-lettings.co.uk
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