Master Builders Association North has introduced a new category for smaller contractors without specific site offices on a building project in the MBA North annual regional Construction Health and Safety competition.

MBA North Construction Health & Safety Manager, says for the 2014 competition – for which awards will be made at the end of July 2014 – it was decided to include small- to medium contractors who will now for the first time be eligible to enter their established Construction Health & Safety management systems in the competition without having to have had site offices on a project. “The new category, for which we have had four entries this year – and expect more in future years - is particularly suitable for sub-contractors. In terms of the entrance criteria, eligible companies may have, for example, started working days from their base office and taken materials to and from site every day. They need not have spent entire working days on site but must have an established Construction Health & Safety management system in place,” Michell explained.

The new category has been widely welcomed. Two sub-contractors who have entered the category have agreed that this initiative would help to recognise the efforts of smaller contractors whose input to the overall safety record of award-winning projects had in the past tended to remain relatively unnoticed.
Neil Duncan, Chief Financial Officer of Kevin Bates Flooring and Carpeting, said the company had, from its founding 45 years ago, placed the strongest emphasis on helping main contractors and developers preserve their prescribed health and safety standards on site. “It is gratifying that our efforts can now be exposed through entry in this competition,” Duncan stated.

Hennie Bester, MD of another entrant, Gauteng Piling, said the new category would definitely stimulate interest in site health and safety among smaller contractors. “Gauteng Piling’s work on multi-million rand projects often last but a week or two at the start of a contract – but piling involves heavy equipment and potentially dangerous operations and could right at the outset ruin safety records on any site. That’s why we welcome the opportunity to now be able to showcase our health and safety systems in the new MBA North category,” Bester stated. Auditors for the 2014 MBA North regional Health & Safety competition will visit all the smaller contractors’ head- or base office, and will also visit at least one operating contract. Regarding the 2014 competition in general, Michell says there has been exceptionally strong support this year with around 60 entries, several emanating from newcomers to the competition. 
Auditing is now being finalised for the competition for which entries closed in early May.