The world has changed beyond recognition over the past two decades – businesses are moving to cloud-based services and many use third parties to provide support on a day-to-day basis. With advances in technology and the drive for greater efficiency, more and more services are being outsourced – be this the development and support of applications or the hosting of services. The cost benefits of these approaches are quite simple to assess, but what about the risks?
There are two specific supply chains that many companies rely on:
●● companies that supply goods and materials
●● contractors and subcontractors providing specific services such as maintenance, construction, cleaning or catering.

It is important to remember that while suppliers merely attend your site to deliver goods and materials, they are still subject to your site rules as well as national regulations. Contractors employed to work on client sites could potentially pose significant health and safety risks. Any such risks are shared by the client company on whose premises the work is carried out as they have a duty to their own employees, others who may be affected (including other contractors), visitors and members of the public to protect them from any risk posed by the work being undertaken.
Companies may apply a number of different strategies to assess or impose occupational health and safety requirements on their suppliers and contractors. Many of these strategies are often part of a broader sustainable supply chain management approach in collaboration with the company procurement department and operational management.

Read the article in full from the March 2017 Insight magazine