Safety – Safety letter to contractor or subcontractor
Safety letter to contractor (or subcontractor) sample and template
What is a safety letter and why should one be issued?
Safety is the most important outcome on construction and other industrial sites and it must be. Industrial sites and projects are inherently dangerous places, and when safety isn't prioritised or is overlooked or ignored, there are more incidents, more people get hurt, and people can die.
What makes site safety even more difficult to maintain and control over the course of a project is the number of parties involved in every project, and the number of people moving on and off of site. Many of these workers are subcontracted in and 'report' to their own company, who has its own safety standards and norms which may not be as strict or as tight as what other parties (owners, contractors, subcontractors) expect on this project.
In order to maintain a high level of safety, parties on these industrial sites can issue violation notices and safety letters.
A safety letter is one of the most common ways that a project party (owner, contractor, subcontractor) can inform and surface a safety issue or safety violation with another party.
The safety letter will be issued to the responsible party, and flag the individual responsible where applicable.
The reasons that safety letters get issued are various, from not wearing safety (steel tope-capped) boots to not complying with basic safety rules.
The purpose of these safety letters is to notify a party and its workers that the violation or behaviour exhibited is not acceptable - and that this safety letter is a notification or warning that the behaviour or activity needs to be improved.
How quickly these safety letters are escalated with consistently poor behaviour or repetitive non-compliances will depend on the rules and regulations set out for the project - but if the nature of the violation is more petty than dangerous or completely negligent, then a strike system (1st strike is a warning letter; second strike is a letter and suspension) is usually how it is managed.
Safety letter to contractor example
The example safety letter below is a safety letter to contractor. Owners or asset operators and subcontractors issue safety letters to contractors when they have seen or heard of a site safety issue - or a seeming disregard for site safety which is putting their own people, other people and the project at risk.
There are two examples below, each with it's own level of severity. Minor safety issues can usually be solved by simply surfacing the issue in a letter to the contractor, while more severe or consistent issues often need stronger wording and more tangible potential consequences.
The safety letter to contractor below is a framework which is flexible and usable for your own safety letters. It helps to establish a formal template of sorts which you can easily adapt to unique scenarios. This keeps your communications more standardised and professional, and ensures that you can improve your project communications over time.
[Insert Date]
[Insert Contractor Name]
[Insert Address]
[Contract Number]
SAFETY LETTER WARNING TO CONTRACTOR
This letter is to inform you that it is a warning letter to you from [Company name]. The news has reached the company that you are not [Insert safety guideline, activity etc.].
As [Insert potential hazard, incident, danger], we want to make sure that there is no harm to the workers at the end of the day to avoid litigation as well.
We want you to make sure that all the workers [Insert safety guideline, activity etc.], otherwise the company will not be responsible for any claims or litigation whatsoever. Our manager will keep on reporting us about you. We hope that you take care next time.
Signed by,
Authorised Person
Company name
[Insert Date]
[Insert Contractor Name]
[Insert Address]
[Contract Number]
SAFETY LETTER WARNING TO CONTRACTOR
We have been informed that the work which is assigned to you have several violations including [Insert violations] at the time of contract we have provided you with the requirements that must be fulfilled. But you are not properly following those rules.
This safety letter is being issued to make sure that if you will not follow all the safety rules [Outlined in 'X'] we will renew the contract with the other people who have better safety norms and practices. This is a request that if the necessities are not fulfilled till tomorrow then we will seize your work.
Signed by,
Authorised Person
Company name
You can see from the above safety letter to contractor examples the difference in the tone and consequences of the letters. It's incredible important to get the body of your safety letters as well as the tone right, and that the tone matches the violation or activity being brought to the contractor's attention.
Safety letter to contractor template - the better way to create and manage safety 'letters'
Most owners, contractors and subcontractors used to perform most of their communications via written and relatively formal letters. Safety letters were no different, and have been issued via letter or email for most projects.
Today, however, many companies have moved slowly (or quickly) transitioned many of their standard operating procedures and processes to more digital and automated methods.
While writing a letter still works for your safety letters, there are a number of benefits to be gained from streamlining your safety letters via project management and documentation software like this and like you see below.
The safety letter to contractor you see below was created in and generated by safety management software. Many companies in the industries including clients/owners, large contractors and small subcontractors use this software to better manage their information system.
You can see from the PDF export below, some of the benefits involved in converting your exisiting safety letters and other letter based communications into a proper digital format which is easier to use and share - and looks more professionally for all of your other parties.
Some of the obvious benefits include:
- Being able to create, store and manage all of your safety letters online so they stay organised and findable
- Being able to add more information including pictures, videos and detailed descriptions into the safety letter or safety notice
- Being able to export the safety letter into a professionally formatted PDF document which impresses your contractors or other parties
- Being able to access and complete the safety letter on any device - directly from site as the violation happens or back at the office on computer
- Keeping your safety letters stored with all of your other safety and commercial information - rather than floating around in folders and email servers
Preview the safety violation document below to see how much more comprehensive and professional it is than a simple letter.
Use this digital safety violation letter for your contractor or subcontractor notifications.
Improving safety collaboration and communication between contractors, subcontractors and all parties
On construction and any industrial site, safety is a team effort. Part of the safety effort involves establishing strong safety plans and expectations for the project, while much of safety management is based on communicating safety issues (and positive safety behaviour) throughout the project.
These course-corrections during different phases of work which result in new and varying safety hazards and incidents can mean the difference between a clean and dirty safety record - and the difference between a safe and unsafe working environment.
Safety letters form an integral part of this safety communication, as they are a diplomatic and accepted way for owners, contractors and subcontractors to draw attention to safety issues, and coordinate and collaborate on how to best fix them.
Improving safety communication between all parties can be achieved in a number of ways, and it's incredibly important that you focus on safety communication and collaboration in the same way that you focus on direct team safety.
You can start by using the digital safety letter to contractor or safety violation letter you saw above for free. You can also digitise and simplify other letters and manual processes by using any of our digital templates.
Contractor Performance Evaluation template
Evaluate and share contractor performance in a standardised and fair manner. See the template →People in 80+ countries use this safety management software to better manage safety.
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