Service Provider and Contractor Management

Purpose

RPD relies on subcontractors, consultants, labour hire, suppliers and specialist trades to deliver its work, so each one is selected, engaged, briefed and monitored against RPD's WHS requirements. Project teams keep the working record in Breadcrumb; formal findings, repeated issues and non-conformances are raised and tracked in PIMS. No provider starts on site until that check is complete.

Procedure

Field	Requirement
Applies when	All subcontractors, consultants, labour hire, suppliers and specialist trades engaged by Robertson's.
Owner	Project Manager before engagement; Site Supervisor during the work.
Before work starts	Assess the provider's ability to meet WHS requirements. Confirm insurances, licences, competencies, SWMS for high-risk construction work, plant/equipment records, previous WHS performance and ability to comply with site rules.
Trade contract / purchase order	Where a trade contract, subcontract, work order or purchase order is issued, it must include WHS clauses relevant to the scope of work. Clauses are to cover, where applicable: SWMS for high-risk construction work; White Cards, high-risk work licences, EWP, scaffold and rope access certification; notifiable incident reporting and scene preservation; first aid; emergency procedures; consultation and coordination; and silica dust controls.
Minimum controls	Approve providers before site work. Include WHS requirements in the engagement or contract. Give providers access to relevant WHS information, including the Site Safety Management Plan (SSMP), site safety rules, project risks, emergency arrangements, reporting requirements, hold points and resident/public controls.
Hold point	No provider starts until pre-qualification, SWMS review, site induction and required access approval are complete.
Monitoring	Service provider performance is monitored through site supervision, inspections, toolbox talks, hazard and incident reports, corrective actions, worker feedback and PIMS audits.
Stop / escalate	Suspend, remove from site, or remove from the approved provider list any provider who breaches controls, ignores directions, fails to close corrective actions, provides unsuitable SWMS, works outside approved scope, or creates high-risk non-compliance. Repeat breaches, overdue actions or poor performance must be escalated from Breadcrumb into PIMS as a formal finding or non-conformance.

Trade Contract and Purchase Order WHS Clauses

Clause	Recommended wording	Legislative basis
SWMS	Where requested by RPD, the Sub-Contractor must prepare a SWMS for any High-Risk Construction Work before that work starts. The SWMS must be submitted to RPD for review before commencement, and all workers must be inducted against it before starting the relevant tasks.	WHS Regulation 2017, Part 6.3, Division 2, clauses 291-299
White Card, HRCW Licences and Rope Access	Every worker on site must hold a current White Card. Any worker performing High-Risk Construction Work, including scaffolding, EWP operation or rope access, must hold the relevant licence or certification for that work. Licences and certifications must be produced to RPD on request.	WHS Regulation 2017, clause 309; WHS Act 2011
Notifiable Incidents	Any notifiable incident must be reported to RPD immediately. The incident scene must not be disturbed until RPD and, where required, SafeWork NSW have given clearance to do so.	WHS Act 2011, sections 35-38
First Aid	The Sub-Contractor must always maintain a stocked and accessible first aid kit on site while their workers are present.	WHS Regulation 2017, clause 42
Emergency Procedures	All workers must be briefed on the site's emergency and evacuation procedures before starting work. Workers must participate in any emergency drills held on site.	WHS Act 2011, section 19
Consultation and Coordination	The Sub-Contractor must attend toolbox talks and site safety meetings arranged by RPD and must promptly report any hazards identified during their work.	WHS Act 2011, sections 46-49
Silica Dust Control	Where work involves cutting, grinding, drilling, chasing or disturbing materials that contain crystalline silica, including concrete, masonry, fibre cement, render and grout, the Sub-Contractor must have silica dust controls in place before that work starts. Dry cutting, dry grinding and dry sweeping of silica-containing materials is not permitted on any RPD worksite.	WHS Regulation 2017, including crystalline silica substance amendments effective from 1 September 2024; SafeWork NSW crystalline silica guidance and Codes of Practice

Records and Evidence

Record	System / location	Evidence required
Provider review / approval	Breadcrumb	Provider review record, approval status, scope and responsible RPD reviewer.
Insurance and licence checks	Breadcrumb	Current certificates of currency, licences, White Cards, HRCW licences, EWP/scaffold/rope access certification and expiry dates.
SSMP access	Breadcrumb	Record that the provider was given access to the relevant Site Safety Management Plan (SSMP), site safety rules and project WHS requirements.
SWMS review and worker briefing	Breadcrumb	SWMS review/approval record, worker sign-on, task scope, hold points and any requested changes.
Induction and attendance	Breadcrumb	Site induction record, access approval, attendance/access record and visitor controls where applicable.
Site issues and initial corrective actions	Breadcrumb	Hazards, incidents, inspection items, toolbox actions and site corrective-action task tracking.
Formal findings and poor performance	PIMS	Audit findings, repeat breaches, overdue actions, non-conformances, root cause, corrective actions and effectiveness checks.
Contract / purchase order WHS clauses	Project file / contract record	Issued contract, subcontract, work order or purchase order showing WHS clauses relevant to the provider scope.

Quick Guide

Step	What RPD checks
1. Choose capable providers	Check WHS capability before engagement. Do not rely on price or availability alone.
2. Put WHS in the engagement	Include WHS requirements in the trade contract, subcontract, work order or purchase order where one is issued.
3. Give them the site rules	Provide access to the Site Safety Management Plan (SSMP), site safety rules, project risks, emergency arrangements, reporting rules, hold points and resident/public controls.
4. Check SWMS and licences	Confirm SWMS for high-risk construction work, insurances, licences, competencies, plant records and any specialist certification before access is approved.
5. Induct before work starts	No provider, worker or specialist trade starts until induction, SWMS briefing and access approval are complete.
6. Monitor the work	Use supervision, inspections, toolbox talks, hazard reports, incident reports, corrective actions, worker feedback and audits to check performance.
7. Record site issues in Breadcrumb	Track initial actions, evidence, close-out and site-level communication in Breadcrumb.
8. Escalate poor performance into PIMS	Repeat breaches, high-risk non-compliance, overdue actions or unsuitable SWMS become a formal PIMS finding or non-conformance.
9. Stop unsafe providers	Suspend work, remove the provider from site, or remove them from the approved provider list where controls are breached or directions are ignored.