Principal Contractor Duties

A principal contractor is appointed by the client to control the construction phase of any project involving more than one contractor.

Principal contractors have an important role in managing health and safety risks during the construction phase so they must have the skills, knowledge, experience and, where relevant, organisational capability  to carry out this work.

General Duties

The Principal Contractor MUST have the Skills, Knowledge and Training & Experience (SKATE) to take on the role

If the Principal Contractor appoints any other Designers or Contractors – Make sure they have the necessary SKATE

Co-operate with everyone involved in the project and make sure everyone under their control co-operates with each other

Report any Health & Safety issues that they become aware of to whom they are working for

When providing information or instruction – make sure it is comprehensible and provided in good time

Specific Duties

The Principal Contractor must

• Plan, manage and monitor Health and Safety in the Construction Phase, in particular, when
  • Design, technical and organisational aspects of the project are being decided
  • Estimating periods of time required for programming the work
• Take account of the General Principles of Prevention and make sure others under their control do
• Organise co-operation between all contractors on-site and ensure that they implement all legal H&S requirements
• Provide a Construction Phase Plan BEFORE work starts on site. Review and update when necessary
• Prevent unauthorised access to the site
• Provide suitable welfare facilities to comply with Schedule 2
• Liaise with the Principal Designer on all matters regarding Health and Safety
• Consult and engage with their workers
• Provide information for the Health and Safety File to the Principal Designer

Note - This page is for guidance only. Application on a project must comply with the official HSE issue of the Regulations