Health & Safety Support for Construction & Maintenance
Construction Is One of the Highest-Risk Sectors in the UK. Your H&S Support Should Reflect That.
Practical, experienced health and safety support for contractors, maintenance teams, and construction businesses — helping you manage risk, meet your legal duties, and work safely on every site.
The Regulatory Landscape
Construction and maintenance businesses operate under some of the most demanding health and safety legislation in the UK. The sector accounts for a disproportionate share of workplace fatalities and serious injuries each year, and regulatory scrutiny from the HSE is correspondingly intense.
Key legislation includes:
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Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 - overarching duty of care
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Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 - risk assessment, competent person, and management arrangements
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Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM) - applies to all construction projects, placing duties on clients, principal designers, principal contractors, contractors, and workers
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Work at Height Regulations 2005 - one of the most frequently cited causes of construction fatalities
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Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) - including silica dust, asbestos awareness, and chemical exposure
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Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 - significant risk in all construction and maintenance activities
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Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 - selection, provision, and maintenance of appropriate PPE
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Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) - safe use and maintenance of tools, plant, and equipment
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Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) - mandatory reporting, with construction among the most frequently reported sectors
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Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 - relevant for sites with welfare facilities or occupied buildings
For businesses seeking to win contracts, pre-qualification schemes such as SSIP (CHAS, SafeContractor, Constructionline) require evidence of robust health and safety management - an area where we provide direct support.
The Challenges We See
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CDM compliance - many smaller contractors are uncertain about their duties under CDM 2015, particularly when acting as principal contractor or when projects cross the notifiable threshold
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Subcontractor management - managing the health and safety performance of subcontractors and supply chain is a common challenge and a significant liability risk
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Dynamic risk - construction sites change daily, making static risk assessments insufficient without regular review and on-site management
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Working at height - ladders, scaffolding, roof work, and MEWP operations remain among the leading causes of serious injury and fatality
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Lone working and remote sites - maintenance operatives and small contractors frequently work alone or in locations with limited oversight
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Pre-qualification pressures - winning contracts increasingly requires demonstration of formal H&S competence through SSIP schemes, PQQs, and tender submissions
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High staff and subcontractor turnover - creates ongoing induction, competency, and supervision challenges
How We Help
Retained Competent Person - your named H&S professional, available for day-to-day advice, incident support, and legislative updates.
Audit & Site Inspection - construction and maintenance site inspections identifying real risk in real working conditions. We look at what's actually happening on site, not just what the paperwork says.
Risk Assessments & Method Statements (RAMS) - bespoke, site and task-specific risk assessments and method statements written to reflect your actual activities — not copied from a generic template and filed away.
Toolbox Talks & Training - delivered on site to your teams, covering working at height, manual handling, COSHH, plant and equipment safety, and other topics relevant to your activities. All delivered by an AET-qualified trainer.
Incident Investigation & RIDDOR - prompt, independent investigation of site incidents and near misses, with RIDDOR reporting support and root cause analysis to prevent recurrence.
Safety Management Systems - H&S policy, COSHH assessments, induction documentation, and a broader safety management framework to support your operations and demonstrate competence to clients.
Why Harlequins?
Construction and maintenance carry real consequences when safety fails. We take that seriously, and we bring practical site experience - not just desk-based knowledge - to our work in this sector.
Whether you're a sole trader needing to demonstrate competence for a contract, a small contractor building out your safety systems, or a maintenance business managing a mobile workforce, we provide support that is proportionate to your size and risk profile, and practical enough to actually work in the field.
