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Our friends over at the Brewers Associates have reminded us to
Keep It Safe When Using Outside Contractors

A contractor is a third-party company or person hired to provide materials and/or labor. As a third-party, these folks are not on a brewery’s payroll. Examples of work contractors might be people who perform jobs include heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) services, beer line cleaning, boiler maintenance, and staffing events. Contract work can range from a simple daily task to a multi-day work project requiring a general contractor to oversee various subcontractors. This resource will provide information for breweries needing or considering contract work, and the important safety and regulatory considerations when entering into contracted work agreements.

While this resource focuses on outside contractors, it does not provide safety and regulatory information on other types of non-employees sometimes found in a brewery, such as volunteer workers, tour groups, inspectors, delivery trucks, or temporary workers. Check out the linked resources for more information about those specific groups.

Getting the Right Contractor for the Job

When planning a brewery project, it is important to consider and then recognize when the work requires hiring an outside contractor. The best example is electrical work, but there are a variety of highly specialized and potentially hazardous projects brewers will want to hire out.

Projects requiring contractors should be handled by an expert in that field. Brewers should explore multiple options and compare more than just the quotes. Evaluate a contractor’s reputation, certifications or licenses, and how they approach safety. In the long run, it is worth paying more up front to get the project done right and safely the first time than to pay twice to redo a project or, worse, for injuries or incidents.

Questions to Ask a Potential Contractor

Consider asking potential contractors these questions before making a final decision on who to hire for the job:

• What types of insurances do they have and are they sufficient for the project?
• Do they hold the right type of license or certification to perform the work requested?
• Can they answer questions about hazards and safety measures pertinent to the project?
• Are they familiar with regulatory standards regarding the project?
• Will they need to hire subcontractors? If yes, can they provide proof of insurance, certifications, and safety competency of those subcontractors?

Starting Smart with a Contractor

Even if the contractor has done work in a brewery before do not assume they know every hazard in that brewery. Before work begins, provide a safety orientation similar to what a new employee might receive, and cover all pertinent hazard and safety measures.

It is possible the contractor needs to bring in equipment and/or chemicals that introduce new hazards into the brewery. It is the brewer’s responsibility to also educate all brewery employees on these new hazards and, when necessary, provide or enact safety measures to protect against the hazards and document those trainings. Communication is the most important part of the relationship between a brewery and a contractor.

Responsibility for Regulatory Reporting

The responsibility of recording injury, illness, and fatalities lies with the entity or person who is supervising that employee’s day-to-day activities. Typically, when a brewery is supervising the contractor doing work at their facility it is the responsibility of the brewery to report any injury, illness, or fatality. When a contractor is supervising the work of their employees and the subcontracted employees, the contractor is responsible for reporting all injuries, illness, or fatalities, even if the employees are not on the contractor’s payroll.

Finishing Contract Work Strong

Upon project completion, there should be a final walk through with the brewery and contractor. At this point, the brewery should review whether the work was completed fully as outlined in the work project expectations. Ensure that the worked finished does not present new hazards. Get trained on any new equipment that has been installed. Finally, keep records of what was done in case problems show up later.

With anything in the brewing industry, safety and quality go hand-in-hand. In the end, investing in the right person do the job right the first time will save time, money, stress, and keep everyone safe.

Attribution: Article Retrieved from Brewers Association, written By Safety Subcommittee .

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