Health and safety obligations for a surveyor: Duty of care

All professional surveyors, and their organisations, have a duty of care to both those they work with and work for. This includes identifying a wide range of risks and having the competence to understand and mitigate them. Each individual has a different perception of ‘risk’, which may be affected by their age, gender, experience and other matters that affect human behaviour. If we can influence human behaviours to be risk-aware, we should be able to reduce the quantum of incidents that can cause injury and illness. Occupational health and occupational hygiene are two disciplines from which we can draw information to assist in the measurement of risk and how to control it. Many surveyors and/or their customers will be responsible for employing contractors or subcontractors. Within the UK, health and safety cannot be ‘contracted out’; the responsibilities and duty of care remain in line with the chain of management arrangements. Scoping, in formal terms, the responsibilities of all parties to contracts and other agreements is a key fundamental matter for a successful project. Where a serious workplace injury, or fatality, occurs, it is likely that a criminal investigation will follow. When prosecuting, the enforcement authorities are placing increasing focus on the role played by responsible individuals as well as organisations, particularly those with management responsibilities. The consequences of a successful prosecution, in terms of both fines and custodial sentences, have been greatly enhanced due to the recently published Sentencing Guidelines.