Safety Alert: Staying Safe On-Site in 2025

As the new year begins, it’s important to refocus on the health, safety, and welfare of your workforce – especially after the holiday break. Whether you’re managing a construction site, working at a client’s premises, or hosting subcontractors at your own premises, ensuring proper management, monitoring, and supervision of all works is essential. 

If subcontractors are working at your premises, you must take necessary steps to make sure their activities do not endanger your workers, visitors, or operations. This includes providing clear safety protocols, monitoring their activities, and ensuring they comply with your site-specific procedures and risk controls. 

The law requires employers and self-employed contractors to assess risks and implement suitable measures to prevent harm and ill health during work activities. With this in mind, we’ve prepared a checklist to help you reinforce safety standards, whether you’re conducting off-site work or hosting subcontractors: 

Key Safety Actions for 2025 

 

• PPE Management: Monitor workers and subcontractors to ensure correct selection, use, and storage of PPE. For example, verify that hard hats with chin straps are used for work at height, in trenches, or excavations. Address any issues arising from the compatibility of winter clothing with PPE. 

• Competency Checks: Confirm the competence of all workers and subcontractors to make sure they can safely perform their assigned tasks. 

• Temporary Works Oversight: Plan, manage, and supervise temporary works such as excavation shoring, roof bracing, or scaffolding. Take responsibility for the safety of all individuals on-site, including subcontractors. 

• Toolbox Talks and Site Inductions: Conduct toolbox talks and site-specific inductions to ensure everyone on-site understands the hazards, controls, and emergency procedures relevant to their work. 

• Inspections and Documentation: Conduct and document required inspections, especially after periods of downtime. Effective oversight and adherence to well-prepared risk assessments and method statements (RAMS) are crucial to preventing serious incidents. 

• Emergency Preparedness: Ensure that all personnel, including subcontractors, understand and can act on fire and emergency procedures. 

• Permit Compliance: Confirm that permit requirements are clear and followed by everyone on-site. 

• Hazard Reporting: Reinforce hazard reporting procedures and encourage workers and subcontractors to promptly report any risks they identify. 

• Site Security: Review and update site security measures to ensure they remain effective post-holiday break. 

• Winter Weather Precautions: Clear pathways of ice and snow and apply grit where needed to ensure safe access for pedestrians and vehicles. Manage vehicle movements carefully, including designating safe routes, enforcing reduced speed limits, and monitoring conditions. Ensure roadways and walkways are regularly inspected, cleared, and maintained in a safe condition to prevent slips, trips, and collisions. 

 

Your Next Steps 

Take proactive steps now to verify that all safety controls are understood, implemented, and monitored. Remember, compliance isn’t just about legal requirements – it’s about protecting lives. 

If you have any questions or need further support, our team is here to help. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us for guidance or advice on keeping your team safe and compliant in 2025.