Overcoming the challenges of contractor engagement

Building stronger partnerships to reduce workplace accidents by 1% 

Contractor engagement in risk prevention remains a significant challenge—both for companies that rely on contracting and for the contractors themselves. After all, contractor workers are often the ones exposed to the most hazardous tasks and face higher accident rates in outsourced industries. 

Over the years, many solutions have been proposed to address this issue: stricter regulations, improved work coordination, and selecting contractors with strong safety records. However, these approaches often fall short when they overlook the true nature of contracting. 

If we want to make workplaces safer and reduce fatal accidents by even 1%, the idea I’m proposing might seem simple. But after years of witnessing contractors being treated merely as task executors, I suggest we view them instead as full-fledged strategic partners. Their prevention-related decisions are shaped by a wide range of factors—far beyond simply performing tasks in exchange for payment. 

It’s essential to treat contractors as equals, not just service providers. Contracting should be a collaborative exchange, not a one-sided transaction where a perceived hierarchy gives the owner authority and leaves the contractor unsupported or constrained by rigid expectations that fail to consider their reality. 

My research leads me to question the existing power dynamics between owners and contractors. While some owners try to enforce strict safety rules, issue penalties for non-compliance, or replace contractors who fall short, this often proves counterproductive. Replacing a contractor mid-project is costly and disruptive. Penalties or discipline toward a contractor tend to create stress and a negative climate for everyone involved. 

Rather than reinforce bureaucratic controls, it's far more effective to build true collaboration, starting from the project’s earliest stages, with shared objectives and a proactive approach to health and safety performance. 

So here’s my challenge to you: 

Would you be bold enough to cocreate your prevention requirements with your contractor?  

Would you be willing to set hierarchy aside and build a relationship of trust—one where the contractor can suggest new ways of doing things, or even sit down with them to develop project-specific standards? 

Yes, it would require a degree of flexibility that might feel uncomfortable in today’s paradigm where standardization is the norm. But whether you’re ready or not for that big step, let me suggest three smaller steps that are accessible and fundamental elements to consider strengthening contractor engagement in prevention: 

1. Resource availability 

Contractors' ability to engage in prevention depends heavily on the human and financial resources they have at their disposal. If deadlines are tight or site presence is limited, their ability to invest in safety is compromised. Clients have a vested interest in co-investing to ensure safety remains fully integrated to the work.

2. The Project’s Importance to the contractor and owner 

Projects that are strategically important or high-risk for the owner often benefit from better planning and higher engagement—even when the tasks themselves are hazardous. The same is true when contractors are required for specialized expertise or face technical challenges.They have to think about everything more to ensure success in all aspects, including safety. In contrast, less critical tasks—such as prep work, cleaning, or routine operations—may receive less engagement. In these cases, additional effort and support may be required to maintain strong safety performance. 

3. Organizational culture alignment 

Both the owner’s and the contractor’s culture play a key role in determining engagement. Including cultural alignment in contractor selection and evaluation processes is an effective way to identify whether prevention is embedded in their professional identity.  At the same time, owners must also reflect on their own culture—especially how contractors are integrated into their prevention strategies. 

In summary, to improve contractor engagement in safety and health, we must move beyond seeing them as risks to be managed. Instead, recognize them as essential actors, understand their realities, and build relationships based on collaboration and trust. This mindset shift can mark the beginning of a new and promising paradigm in prevention.