Contractor Induction

Solutions Focused – We work together to find solutions that benefit our people and customers.

Caring – We care for others and display empathy, fairness and respect.

Honest – We act with integrity and own our decisions.

Foundation Housing’s Commitment

• Foundation Housing is committed to providing a safe work environment for contractors ensuring standards are met.
• Foundation Housing will ensure that contractors are aware of potential hazards, maintain communication, halt operations in the event of a safety breach and manage work through documented assessments and site inspections.
• Contractors are a valuable part of Foundation Housing and your safety and well-being is
  important to us.

Contractor’s Commitment

• Contractors are required to ensure their work is conducted in a safe manner.
• It is the responsibility of the individual completing this induction to ensure that other
  employees carrying out works are provided with the information contained in this session.
• Contractors must ensure that all licenses are current, plant is regularly maintained and
  guarded, current insurances are in place, Risk Assessments performed and Safe Work
  Method Statements are in place.
• Contractors are to ensure that they and their staff who access FHL properties carry
  satisfactory police clearances no older than three years.
  Where there is a conviction on a police clearance, the Contractor is responsible for
  advising Foundation Housing who will then determine whether the Contractor is suitable
  in providing a service to Foundation Housing.
• Contractors are to:
  • Advise the Property Services Team when the job is completed.
  • Call the Tenant or Resident prior to attending to arrange a date and time.
  • Not attend the property unannounced if the Tenant or Resident doesn’t respond.
  • Reschedule the job if the Tenant or Resident is under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or there are any other serious hazards present, such as aggressive behaviour, large numbers of visitors, or dangerous dogs etc.

Employers are responsible for ensuring that all contractors that visit our properties hold satisfactory police clearances. Police clearances need to be available for provision to Foundation Housing whenever requested.

Where a contractor has been advised of personal information, they are to ensure it is only to be used for the purposes of safety. Any other disclosure, where is it not on a “need to know” basis will be in breach of the Privacy Act.

While Foundation Housing will seek to provide all necessary information about the hazards of the site and type of work, the contractor must conduct their own risk assessment when they reach the site before proceeding.

Where a contractor has spotted a hazard or risk they are to report it to Foundation Housing as soon as possible.

We expect you to follow safe work methods and use the correct personal protective equipment to protect against the typical hazards of working in your trade, for example:

• Manual Handling
• Working at heights (e.g. up ladders)
• Electrical
• Working with Plant, Equipment and Hand Tools
• Hazardous Substances

There are additional risks that you need to pay particular attention to:

• Aggressive Behaviour
• Drugs and Alcohol
• Squatters
• Infectious Diseases and Sharps
• Asbestos

Foundation Housing employees are to review the database to see if there are any alerts flagged and advise contractors. An example of an alert is dogs at the property or asbestos has been identified.

When a contractor has an allocated work order, they are to:

1. Call the tenant or resident prior to attending if the property is tenanted.
2. Update their work on Bricks + Agent.
3. Not attend the property if the tenant or resident doesn’t respond.

Where a contractor has arrived and it is identified that the tenant or resident is under the influence of drugs or alcohol, the contractor is to refer to their own policies on this matter, and where the situation is deemed as high risk, they are to cease work immediately and report this to Foundation Housing.

If the contractor feels they are in danger, they are to leave the property as soon as possible. High-risk factors can include residents and tenants affected by mental illness, alcohol, drugs and are abusive, unknown visitors and vicious dogs on the property.

Personal Protective Equipment

Contractors must ensure they and their staff have been provided with the adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the work being undertaken.

It is good practice for you and your employees to carry a first aid kit to all jobs and to ensure you are aware of the nearest emergency medical services to the property you are visiting.

It is also good practice to ensure you have with you a fire extinguisher and where necessary, a fire blanket in the event of an emergency.

Foundation Housing is a smoke free environment – there is to be no smoking within FHL workplaces, houses, lodges or in company vehicles.

Contractors are to always be aware of any sharps, soiled linen spills that may be present in a property. Where a contractor has identified or found sharps within a property, they are to follow the following procedure:

1. Do not attempt to recap, break or attempt to bend the needle.
2. Take the sharps container to the syringe, do not walk with the needle/syringe.
3. Pick up the syringe or needle wearing the appropriate needle resistant gloves, keeping the sharp end of the needle facing away from you at all times. Please do not use plastic tweezers to pick up the syringe, hold the sharps container when disposing of the syringe, use a dustpan or broom to sweep up the syringe.
4. Place the sealed container into your sharps disposal bin or contact your local council or health department regarding safe ways to dispose of your sharps container.
5. Other items that have come into contact with blood (i.e. gloves) should be disposed of in the same container as the used syringe.

Asbestos

Foundation Housing will advise contractors where there is a property with identified Asbestos and the location as relevant. Where a contractor has identified Asbestos in a property, they are to stop work and advise Foundation Housing as soon as possible.

Squatters

If the contractor identifies a squatter when visiting a Foundation Housing property, try to remain calm. A mental risk assessment should be conducted to be aware of the surroundings, the way in and out and the behaviour of the squatter. If you feel unsafe, leave and advise Foundation Housing if you find a squatter in one of our properties.

Incident Reporting

All employees, contractors and visitors must report any incident and/or hazard to Foundation Housing’s Property Services Team as soon as reasonably practicable, by completing an Incident Report Form.

On receiving the Incident Report Form, Foundation Housing will gather information from the contractor on the immediate actions taken and injuries. A copy of the Incident Report Form is to be provided to the contracted Safety Administrator.

Safety Breaches

Should Foundation Housing become aware of any safety breach, they may:

• Request the contractor to take immediate action to ensure a safe workplace.
• Stop the works until the contractor has addressed / repaired the breach.
• Terminate the services of the contractor where the breach is serious.