SUB/General/TBT-SUB-010

Subcontractor Performance Monitoring

Subcontractor & Supply Chain Safety › General › Subcontractor Performance Monitoring

Presenter		Project
Location		Date

Subcontractor performance monitoring tracks safety compliance, incident rates, and behavioural standards on site.
The principal contractor has a legal duty under CDM 2015 to monitor the safety of all contractors on site.
Key performance indicators include near miss reporting, inspection scores, training compliance, and incident rates.
Regular safety audits and inspections of subcontractor work areas identify non-compliance before incidents occur.
Toolbox talk attendance, permit compliance, and RAMS adherence are all measurable performance indicators.
Poor performing subcontractors must receive support and improvement plans before enforcement action is taken.
Consistent monitoring demonstrates due diligence and protects the principal contractor from legal liability.
Positive recognition of good subcontractor safety performance encourages continued high standards.
Performance data should be discussed at progress meetings, not just filed in safety reports.
Supply chain pre-qualification sets the baseline; ongoing monitoring confirms standards are maintained on site.

Legal duty	CDM 2015 Regulation 13 requires the principal contractor to plan, manage, monitor, and coordinate all contractor activities.
Early intervention	Monitoring identifies declining standards before they result in serious incidents, allowing corrective action in time.
Due diligence	Documented monitoring protects the principal contractor from legal liability by demonstrating active safety management.

Don't

Carry out regular safety inspections of all subcontractor work areas.
Track key performance indicators including incidents, near misses, and compliance.
Discuss subcontractor safety performance at weekly progress meetings.
Provide support and improvement plans for underperforming subcontractors first.
Recognise and reward subcontractors who consistently achieve good safety standards.
Audit subcontractor RAMS compliance, permit adherence, and training records.
Record all monitoring findings and share them with the subcontractor management.
Escalate persistent non-compliance through the contractual enforcement process.
Compare performance across subcontractors to identify best practice for sharing.
Brief subcontractors on the monitoring programme and performance expectations at induction.

DON'T assume subcontractors will maintain standards without ongoing monitoring.
DON'T use monitoring solely as a punishment tool; support improvement first.
DON'T ignore declining subcontractor performance hoping it will improve on its own.
DON'T limit monitoring to paperwork checks; observe actual work practices on site.
DON'T collect performance data without analysing trends and acting on findings.
DON'T apply monitoring inconsistently across different subcontractors on the project.
DON'T only focus on negative findings; recognise and share good practice too.
DON'T delay escalation when a subcontractor repeatedly fails to address findings.
DON'T treat the monitoring programme as a tick-box exercise for the safety file.
DON'T forget to monitor your own directly employed teams to the same standard.

See also: Subcontractor Safety Management | Subcontractor RAMS Review

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