General contractors are skilled tradespeople, overseeing both residential and commercial construction projects. Due to the complexity of their work, general contractors must address a number of exposures on a daily basis. Among these concerns are worker safety, professional liability, environmental exposures, completed operations issues and property exposures.
This questionnaire gives your business the opportunity to review risk categories specific to your operations and take action to address those risks:
Property – General:
- Are wood dust exposures controlled in the woodworking shop?
- Are flammable chemicals kept in appropriate flammable storage cabinets or rooms?
- Are fuel tanks stored in compliance with applicable legislation?
- Are there Class ABC fire extinguishers in the shop and office?
- Is the roof in good repair with no visible water intrusion marks?
Premises – Job Site:
- Are visitors required to wear the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE)—including hard hats, shoes and vests—when touring the job site?
- Are materials, tools and other objects at height secured to prevent them from falling?
- Are traffic plans established for moving equipment?
- When equipment is left on the street—both during and outside work hours—is it properly secured and barricaded?
- Is crane work contracted out or done by properly trained crane operators?
Environmental Liability:
- Are plans in place to prevent soil erosion?
- Are enough dumpsters available on-site?
- Are employees trained on the proper disposal of hazardous substances?
- Is applicable legislation followed for removal of lead paint?
Completed Operations:
- Are design specifications and building codes followed?
- When modifying project plans, is architect approval required?
- Do you pre-qualify subcontractors?
- Are subcontractors required to provide insurance for their work?
- Is there a quality management program in place?
- When working on buildings that contain asbestos, do you contract out asbestos removal?
Find Out More:
This list is not exhaustive, and assessing your exposures and taking the appropriate precautions can go a long way toward protecting your business. This proactive approach is particularly important when it comes to identifying and avoiding gaps in your risk management program.
Download our “Loss Control Questionnaire: General Contractors” guide for an in-depth list of more ways to minimize gaps in your risk management:
