Petrol retailers are facing the threat of legal action by appointing inexperienced contractors with inadequate training and little industry knowledge, warns Steve Martin, managing director of sign installation specialist Xmo Strata. "With ever changing legislation, dealers need to

be totally

aware of their responsibilities before bringing anyone on site to ensure they are covered by the Health & Safety at Work Act (HSAWA) 1974 and the Management of Health & Safety at Work Act (MHSWR) 1999," said Martin. "If a contractor works at height without a harness and falls, or drops something onto a customer below, the dealer may be asked to provide evidence that a safe working environment was provided, safe systems of work were established and that the contractor was competent. To comply with current legislation, dealers have to prove that they have vetted the competency of their contractors," he said.

Topics