The intervention of an external company (EC) within a user company (UC), to carry out work there, is at the origin of specific risks. To ensure the safety of all, coordination of activities is required. The prevention plan is the foundation document for preventing co-activity risks.
Intervention by an external company: how to contextualize risk?
Lack of knowledge of the activities and working methods of each, unknown sites and activities, multiplicity of actors…
The cohabitation of employees from different companies in the same place can be a source of danger. It is likely to exacerbate existing risks and create new ones.
To limit accidents at work and occupational diseases, it is essential to formalise risk assessment in a systematic way. Contextualization of risk is facilitated by compliance with this procedure:
The completion of a Prior Joint Inspection (PJI) of workplaces, facilities and equipment provided to external companies. The purpose of this visit is to: delimit the area of intervention, materialize the areas likely to present a danger, mention the traffic routes to follow, specify the access routes to the premises. On the basis of the information gathered at the ICP, employers analyse the risks of interference between activities, equipment and facilities. If risks are detected, a prevention plan must be formalized in writing.
Development of a Prevention Plan (PP). It is developed jointly between the UC and the EC. It defines the measures taken by each company to prevent co-activity risks. The PP is complementary to the Single Occupational Risk Assessment Document (SORAD), which is mandatory in all companies from the time the first employee is hired.
Good to know: why use an intervention form?
On the day of the external company’s intervention, the risk assessment must be completed with an intervention form. This document established with the direct stakeholders allows to take into account the actual conditions of exercise of the mission.
How can you better manage co-activity on your site with a digital solution?
Mandatory procedures for outside firms are not foolproof. They have several limitations:
The use of paper and Excel spreadsheets increases the chances of losing information, making mistakes, etc. It can impede the proper functioning of the risk assessment process.
The lack of aggregation of data from the field or external companies makes real-time monitoring of co-activity operations more complex.
The time spent assigning permissions, verifying information, monitoring compliance with instructions and updating documents manually is considerable. This often results in a lack of responsiveness and a considerable loss of time.
A suitable digital solution ensures the safety of all employees while optimizing the management of co-activity in factories. By replacing paper with digital forms, it reduces the risk of error and saves valuable time. The centralization of data and documents ensures better coordination of actions.