Health and safety risks of outsourcing work


A study commissioned by safety professionals’ body IOSH reveals the workplace health and safety challenges from outsourcing.


Cranfield University researchers highlighted issues including operating across national borders where legal and regulatory frameworks for safety differ, differing expectations of monitoring safety performance when functions are outsourced to another company, and resource availability following hard-fought negotiations over the contract. 


Outsourcing is significant and increasingly common, but “can also introduce safety risks into an organisation” said Cranfield University reader in safety leadership Dr Colin Pilbeam. 


“Employers can’t abdicate their health and safety responsibilities just by having a contractor in place to do the job,” added IOSH research manager Mary Ogungbeje. “History has shown us that health and safety disasters happen when contractor arrangements are not managed properly.”


www.iosh.com/outsourcing