As a contractor, safety compliance is essential for the well-being of both your team and the people you are servicing. Proper preparation for safety compliance can help ensure your work is in accordance with safety regulations, reducing the chance of penalties or injuries. Having an inclusive plan that everyone understands is key to maintaining safety compliance throughout projects regardless of their size or complexity.

In pre-qualification systems such as ISNetworld® and Avetta®, a new year means a new set of account maintenance tasks.  

Avetta® Contractor Compliance:

Avetta® asks that all companies complete a variety of questionnaires, nearly as time-consuming as the initial account setup.  Aside from validating client-specific questionnaires, contractors are also requested to submit an Annual Update.  

The Avetta® Annual Update requires the following information:  

• Previous year’s OSHA 300 and OSHA 300A logs
• Average employee count and hours worked
• Details of any OSHA violations or fines
• Details of any recordable injuries
• Current Experience Modification Rate or Workers’ Compensation Loss Run Reports
• MSHA hours and details (if relevant)

ISNetworld® Pre-Qualification for Contractors and Suppliers:

Similar to Avetta®, the goal is to provide annual statistics for the previous year.  ISNetworld® opens up their questionnaire for the 4th quarter along with the entire previous year’s Key Performance Indicators and Metrics.  This section of the ISNetworld® questionnaire contains questions relative to employee count, hours worked, recordable injuries.  An MSHA section will also be populated, if relevant.

ISN occasionally takes advantage of the new year to open up new sections of the Questionnaire for general profile purposes.  Hiring clients often edit their requirements during this time as well.

ISNetworld® will also require completed OSHA 300 and OSHA 300A logs.  OSHA logs will be thoroughly reviewed for accuracy and must match the information which was self-reported.

Annual Update completion is part of our Maintenance Plan.  Our team works diligently to complete open tasks and monitors for review acceptance.  We answer any new questions, gather and submit all required documents.

Getting Compliant For Contractor Approved Lists

Having a vetting system that is current and complete is extremely important.  Most hiring clients plan future projects at the start of the year and.  It’s necessary for contractors and suppliers using these systems to have all profile components completed to earn placement on Contractor Approved Lists.  From January to the end of April, we see a mad rush of anxious contractors and suppliers looking for good grades and safety compliance.  The opportunity for new bidding opportunities is one of the top reasons for contractor investments in vetting systems such as ISNetworld®, Avetta® and Veriforce®.  

Safety Compliance Help - FAQs for the New Year:

Q:  What is the deadline for Annual Update completion?  

A:  Each hiring client has the ability to assign variations of requirements.  The systems themselves generally allow until around the first of March.  We highly suggest completing the process as quickly as possible due to the often-long review process.

Q:  What happens if my OSHA logs are rejected?

A:  Thoroughly review your logs for accuracy, noting that each component is accurate and complete.  Your pre-qualification system will likely provide reasons for your rejections.

Q:  What is an EMR?

A:  EMR stands for Experience Modification Rate and can be obtained from your workers’ compensation insurance agent.

Q:  What happens if I report injuries on my OSHA logs?

A:  Annual injuries will impact on your safety statistics.  Your hiring clients have specific requirements related to your LTR, DART and TRIR.  You’re likely to see a drop in your grades with injuries.  You may need to directly communicate with your client if your new submissions remove you from compliance.

Q:  I’m a small company and am not required to submit OSHA logs.  What do I do?

A:  As part of our Annual Maintenance Plan, Industrial Compliance and Safety will happily complete these on your behalf.  The purpose is to accurately report employees, hours and any injuries.  

Q:  My scorecard shows that I’ve had a fatality and I have an F grade – why?

A:  Many hiring clients consider your safety statistics across a three-year period.  Until your previous year’s safety statistics are submitted, this particular component of your grade will be impacted.

Our Expert Safety Consultants Make Staying Compliant Easy

Overall, annual updates across all platforms (even Veriforce®, Complyworks® and Cognibox®) can be very time consuming and require a great deal of time for review.  It’s ideal to tackle the new tasks as quickly as possible to prevent missed deadlines.  Having a clean and up-to-date profile can certainly enhance job opportunities.  

Our Annual Maintenance Plan was developed to save companies time and optimize the investment made in pre-qualification systems.  We work quickly to complete weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly tasks.  Our Safety Consultants have over 20 years of experience and take personal approaches to compliance.  Don’t wait for the new year, be proactive and contact us online or call us today!