• Section 1 - Governing Policy
• Section 2 - Application
• Section 3 - Contractor Engagement
• Section 4 - Management of Contractors by Facilities Management Teams
• Section 5 - Management of Contractors by Development and Capital Projects 
• Section 6 - Revision made to this Procedure
• Section 7 - Further Assistance
• Section 8 - Associated Information

Section 1 - Governing Policy

(1) This Procedure is governed by the Work, Health, Safety and Wellbeing Policy.

Section 2 - Application

(2) This Procedure applies to work undertaken by contractors managed by all work areas, campus Facilities Management teams, and work undertaken by contractors and principal contractors managed by Development and Capital Projects.

Section 3 - Contractor Engagement

(3) Where work is required to be undertaken by contractors on ACU campuses, they will be procured in accordance with the Procurement Policy and Work, Health, Safety and Wellbeing Policy. Refer to the WHS Training and Competency Procedure for guidance about contractor inductions and the WHS Risk Management Procedure for support with assessing and managing contractor risks.

(4) For scheduled maintenance or servicing activities that occur on all ACU campuses, ACU shall determine whether a national procurement arrangement is more beneficial than individual campus Facilities Management teams engaging contractors.

(5) For work and projects falling under Development and Capital Projects' scope, contractors and consultants shall be engaged using the standard contracts developed in collaboration with the Office of General Counsel. These contracts are informed by the Procurement Policy, including the Four Pillars of Success, the Work, Health, Safety and Wellbeing Policy, WHS Risk Management Procedure and other University requirements, such as the need to maintain ‘smoke free’ campuses.

Section 4 - Management of Contractors by Facilities Management Teams

(6) This section outlines the requirements for the management of contractors by Facilities Management teams on each campus.

Contractor Access to an ACU Campus

(7) Access to ACU campuses is provided with electronic passes, which are issued following assessment of a contractor’s credentials using Comply Flow. This process is outlined in the WHSMS Contractor Licensing and Registration Procedure.

(8) To avoid work activities being cancelled, Facilities Management should check that contractors have fulfilled requirements in Comply Flow prior to the commencements of work activities.

Pre-work Review

(9) Where the work being undertaken by the contractor is high risk, requiring a Permit to Work, the Facilities Manager or Nominee shall apply the WHSMS High Risk Activities Management Procedure. Where the work requires a lone contractor to work on the campus, the Director, Properties and Facilities or Nominee shall agree with the contractor the protocols, which are guided by the WHSMS Lone Working Procedure, to manage a lone contractor and consider the risk posed by the work.

(10) For work being undertaken by a contractor which does not require a Permit to Work, the campus Facilities Manager or Nominee shall ensure the contractor:

1. has identified hazards associated with the proposed works;
2. has completed a WHS risk assessment of the identified hazards;
3. has completed a WHS risk assessment of the identified hazards;
4. makes the necessary amendments to their WHS risk assessment and Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) to reflect the site-specific hazards and activities communicated to them;
5. communicates the requirements of the SWMS to all workers;
6. has appropriate measures in place to safeguard ACU staff, students and anyone coming near their work area; and
7. is advised of any site-specific hazards or activities that may affect the contractor’s risk assessment and SWMS. If significant, this should be done in advance of the contractor attending site.

(11) After completion of the above, the contractor is permitted to commence work.

Work Monitoring

(12) Whenever higher risk work is undertaken by contractors, Facilities Management teams should monitor contractors’ work ensuring the treatments (control measures) identified in their SWMS are being implemented. If the identified treatments do not appear to be in place, the Facilities Management team shall instruct the contractor to stop work and review their treatments. Whenever this type of work is being performed after hours, Facilities Management staff should consider whether it is appropriate for Security Officers to oversee the work or whether other arrangements should be made.

(13) It is important the Facilities Management teams do not direct contractors in the course of their work. If issues are identified, Facilities Management teams should advise the contractors of these issues and ask them to rectify and to stop work if necessary. The engaged expert (the contractor) is required to manage and be responsible for their own work.

(14) If work is stopped, it can be re-commenced once the Facilities Management team is satisfied the contractor has reviewed the treatments and has made any necessary changes.

Incident Reporting and Corrective Actions

(15) All incidents, injuries and work-related injuries that impact upon contractors should be reported in Riskware by Facilities Management. A review of the contributing factors to these incidents should be conducted which should inform the development of corrective actions (documented within relevant Riskware Action Plans).

Section 5 - Management of Contractors by Development and Capital Projects 

(16) This section outlines the requirements for the management of contractors by Development and Capital Projects, both directly managed (certain projects valued at less than $250,000), or managed through a project management consultant where a Principal Contractor is appointed (works valued at more than $250,000)¹.

Contractors directly managed by Development and Capital Projects 

(17) Where Development and Capital Projects directly manage a contractor, they shall ensure that:

1. Access to an ACU campus follows the requirements of clauses (7) and (8) of this Procedure. Where this is impractical for a particular project, alternative arrangements for access shall be agreed with the contractor and the contractor is monitored for compliance.
2. The pre-work review follows the requirements of clauses (9) to (11)  except that, in the case of high-risk work, the contractor has in place appropriate procedures to manage high risk activities.

(18) The pre-work review follows the requirements of clauses (9) to (11) except that, in the case of high-risk work, the contractor has in place appropriate procedures to manage high risk activities.

Contractors managed through a Project Management Consultant

(19) ACU appoints a Project Management (PM) Consultant whenever works will be undertaken by a Principal Contractor. The PM Consultant’s role is as follows:

1. to run the tender process to select the Principal Contractor;
2. to act as Superintendent during the works; and
3. to ensure the Principal Contractor meets their health, safety and environment and contractual obligations.

(20) To ensure the PM Consultant can discharge their contractual obligations, Development and Capital Projects shall ensure that:

1. the Procurement Policy and the University’s health, safety and environment requirements, under which a Principal Contractor is engaged, are communicated to the PM Consultant through their contract with ACU;
2. any specific hazards or risks the Principal Contractor needs to be aware of, including relevant information contained in the local HAZMAT Register, are communicated to the PM Consultant for incorporation in the tender documentation;
3. site specific induction requirements are communicated to the PM Consultant to ensure these are incorporated into the Principal Contractor’s site inductions; and
4. to the extent of its management or control in relation to the works location, that ACU assists in securing the work site from unauthorised access.

Incident Reporting and Corrective Actions

(21) All incidents, injuries and work-related injuries that impact upon contractors, documented within monthly contractor reports, should be entered into Riskware by Development and Capital Projects staff. These reports should be assigned to the staff member who logs the incident. The contributing factors to these incidents and any corrective actions, which are developed, should be documented within relevant Riskware Action Plans.

Section 6 - Revision made to this Procedure

(22) The University may make changes to this Procedure from time to time to improve its effectiveness. If any staff member wishes to make any comments about this Procedure, they should forward their suggestions to People and Capability.

Section 7 - Further Assistance

(23) Any staff member who requires assistance in understanding this Procedure should first consult their Nominated Supervisor or Manager who is responsible for applying the WHSMS Implementation Procedure within their work area. Should further information or advice be required staff should visit Service Central.

Section 8 - Associated Information

(24) For related legislation, policies, procedures and guidelines and any supporting resources please refer to the Associated Information tab.