A rewarding partnership
For many years contractors have been engaged by Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) to help build and maintain the state's road network. The involvement of contractors on RMS projects is steadily increasing. RMS wants to keep improving its partnership with contractors so that it can provide even better service to the people of New South Wales.
One area where RMS is looking for improvement is in the management of health and safety on its projects. Under health and safety law RMS has a duty of care to contractors on RMS work sites. RMS acknowledges this responsibility. The copy of RMS's OHS Policy included in this Information Pack makes this commitment clear. However, RMS wants to further improve its management of contractor safety on its projects. This Information Pack has been developed as part of RMS's effort to achieve this goal.
The Information Pack outlines RMS's commitment to maintain high standards of health and safety for its own staff and for contractors. It spells out the specific health and safety responsibilities RMS has towards its contractors.
At the same time the Pack makes clear that RMS will only engage contractors who can demonstrate during prequalification and tender assessments that they are capable of effectively managing health and safety on a project basis. And once work has begun on the project, RMS staff will carry out a program of inspections and audits to make sure that the contractor is delivering the standard of OHS performance which RMS demands.
The Pack outlines the health and safety system required for prequalification and how RMS will monitor OHS performance on its projects. There is much other information besides.
It is hoped the Information Pack will help contractors and RMS staff better understand what is expected of each of them in the contracting process, a better understanding that will result in safer RMS project work sites. Achieving that goal together would signify a rewarding partnership indeed.