Working for Council as a contractor

All contractors are expected to comply with the relevant health and safety and associated legislation, codes of practice, and Council’s Safety Agreement requirements. When selecting potential contractors the Council considers the health and safety performance of the contractor.

Nelson City Council is committed to the provision of a safe and healthy workplace for all workers, including contractors and sub-contractors, in accordance with its Health and Safety Policy and its duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act.

Council intends to ensure it works closely with its contractors to ensure all Health and Safety risks are managed to a level as low as reasonably practicable. Although the work can be contracted out, the risk can’t.

The object of the Health and Safety at Work Act is the prevention of harm to people at, or affected by, work. To do this, the Act places a range of duties and responsibilities on different parties for health and safety management.

The Act identifies that the business (Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking) has the primary duty of care to ensure the health and safety of workers and anyone affected by its work. When more than one business is involved in work, the Act requires businesses to cooperate and coordinate around how they will manage risks collectively, clearly outlining and documenting (in contract agreements) the arrangements for doing this. Each business must decide who is best placed to have influence and control, based on what is reasonably practicable in the specific circumstances. Responsibilities must be determined and agreed on with all parties to match what people can reasonably influence and manage.

In fulfilling these legislative requirements, Council has established the following general principles for Contractor Management:

  • A process to engage a competent contractor
  • A written agreement with the contractor addressing health and safety issues and responsibilities
  • Communication with the contractor regarding hazards and controls
  • Monitoring of contractor safety performance
  • Taking action where the contractor is at risk of a serious injury or illness
  • Reviewing contractor performance

More information:

All further information on working for Council as a contractor, along with relevant forms, can be found in the Contractor Health and Safety Information Booklet (366KB PDF). 

Please contact HealthandSafety@ncc.govt.nz for further queries.

For general guidance and advice on managing health and safety in your workplace: