Information for contractors

Information on health and safety, project requirements, and permits to work for contractors working on the University of Bristol campuses.

Contractor portal

Log into our contractor portal to

request new permits to work, submit change requests and check the status of your permits.
access relevant information, guidance, and safety alerts.

Contractor Health and Safety Handbook

View our Contractor Health and Safety Handbook (PDF, 2,723kB) for detailed information and guidance on Campus Division processes, as well as our expectations of contractors working on behalf of the University of Bristol.

The PDF has been set up in an accessible format. Email us at campus-division-safety@bristol.ac.uk if you would like a Word document instead.

Permits to work

A permit to work (PTW) procedure is a formal safe system of work, under which certain high-risk activities and isolations may only be carried out with specific authorisation.

Read our Permit to Work Process Flowchart (PDF, 125kB) to see how the permit to work process works.

Please read our Activities Requiring a Permit to Work (PDF, 116kB) document to see if the high risk activity or isolation requires a permit to work.

Each PTW type required must be indicated on the Permit to Work Request form. Each type will require its own set of risk assessments, method statements (RAMS), which are specific to the hazard and detail the control measures.

Using the permit to work system

Campus Division operates a digital PTW system, using Planon. To apply for a Planon Guest account, complete our questionnaire. Please allow five working days for the account to be set up. The log in details will be sent to the email address provided.

Applying for Permits to Work

Log into the Contractor Portal to:

request a permit,
check your permit status,
submit a change request.

All PTW applications must be made 10 working days prior to work commencing. This is to allow time to process the PTW, and for the PTW to be rejected and re-submitted if the information provided is insufficient.

Job specific RAMS and any additional relevant documentation must be attached to each individual PTW. If inadequate RAMS are submitted then this will delay the approval process, hence the need for 10 working days in order to assess requests.

Please see our Planon property name guide (Office document, 36kB) if you are unable to find the correct property name on Planon.

Carrying out activities under the permit to work

Contractors must ensure that all PTW have been issued before starting works.

Once a PTW has been issued, it can be downloaded and/or printed.

All operatives on site must be made aware of the PTW, and the conditions set out within them before commencing the work activity.

PTW must be available at the work site – either in paper or digital format.

Works will stopped if they are carried out without a permit when one is required. They will only resume once a permit is approved and issued.

Ensure that the activities are only carried out during the dates and times listed on the PTW.

Permit to work documentation

Please print off relevant documents for the work you are undertaking

To ensure that you are working with the latest version of these documents, please check this page on a regular basis.

Change requests

If there are any significant changes to the work activity, or a change to the date or time, a 'change request' can be submitted via the Contractor Portal.

Completing works

Once the work activity has been completed, please ensure the relevant sign off sheets are returned to the Contractors' Offices and the PTW is 'closed'. This can be completed via the Contractor Portal.

Frequently asked questions

Read our Permit to Work Frequently Asked Questions (PDF, 130kB) document for more information on the permit to work process.

Contractor and plant room inductions

We currently have the following upcoming sessions. You can book onto these using the links below:

These inductions are suitable for new contractors working at the University of Bristol, as well as those that require refresher training. We advise anyone who was inducted over two years ago to attend. 

As soon as we have further dates arranged, we will post the links here. 

Once you have attended the Campus Division contractor induction training session, you will be issued with a contractor card. This should be kept on your person as proof that you have had an induction onto campus premises. The card will also act as a sign post for further information and the QR code will take you to this contractor webpage. 

Please note that for entry to plant rooms you will require both the contractor and plant room induction. Access to some areas of the campus may be restricted and subject to local rules. 

Plant room inductions are mandatory for anyone who requires access to plant rooms. These sessions will be available as an optional section at the end of the contractor induction. If you are unsure whether you need this induction, please speak to the Health, Safety and Quality Assurance advisor hosting the session. 

Online plant room induction

There is also the option of completing the plant room induction online. Contractors who complete the online plant room induction will need to attend 1-9 Old Park Hill to have their card stamped by a member of the Health, Safety and Quality Assurance team. 

If you have any questions, please contact campus-division-safety@bristol.ac.uk.

Health, Safety and Quality Assurance Policy

Please read our new Health, Safety and Quality Assurance Policy‌, which details how health, safety and quality is managed within Campus Division at the University.

Signing in at Contractors’ Offices

All contractors are expected to sign in at the appropriate Contractors' Office. This will usually be one of the three locations below. However, please confirm with your University of Bristol contact first.

Address and phone numbers for Contractors' Offices

Clifton Campus

1-9 Old Park Hill, Bristol, BS2 8BB

What3words: ///froze.red.famous

0117 331 7038

North Somerset Campus

Contractors Office, Langford House, North Somerset, BS40 5DU What3words: ///cadet.searcher.chipper

0117 331 9009

Stoke Bishop (all residences)

Holly Bush Lane Workshops, Hollybush Lane, Stoke Bishop, Bristol

What3words: ///chill.paying.rider

0117 903 4004

General conditions for work

All contractors and associated sub-contractors must abide by University of Bristol procedures, in particular Campus Division procedures.

Competence and training requirements

Competence requirements for contractors working at the University of Bristol are determined by the Project Manager and by legislation.

All contractors must have the necessary capabilities, resources, competent personnel and experience to ensure the health and safety of themselves and others. It is the responsibility of the contractor to ensure their staff are competent.

Accreditation requirements

It is expected that contractors working for the University of Bristol's Campus Division will be signed up to at least one Safety Scheme in Procurement (SSIP) such as Constructionline, CHAS, or Exor. Alternatively, contractors can be accredited to ISO 45001 certification. Vist the SSIP website for more information on accreditation.

Risk assessments

The contractor is required to provide relevant job specific risk assessments and method statements for all jobs to be undertaken. These are to be submitted to and accepted by their University of Bristol contact before work commences. A Safe System of Work is also required for activities which present a significant hazard and a more detailed assessment is required. It is the contractor’s responsibility to ensure that a Safe System of Work is followed at all times.

The contractor shall ensure all of their staff and any subcontracted staff have read the method statement and risk assessment before any work commences on site.

Accident and incident procedures

All accidents and near misses, including those resulting in injury, damage to or loss of property must be reported to your site supervisor or project manager. You must also complete your own accident report form. If the injured party requires first aid, contact a local first aider. First aider names are posted on local notice boards.

Please note that the completed accident form must be submitted to your University of Bristol contact within 48 hours of the incident. You should however notify your contact verbally as soon as possible.

Asbestos

The University will endeavour, so far is reasonably practicable, to prevent the exposure to asbestos containing materials (ACMs). Where this is not possible, we will ensure that the risks present from asbestos are minimised.

Asbestos register

When planning minor repair and maintenance works, the asbestos register must be checked in advance to ascertain the extent and condition of any asbestos containing materials. The asbestos register is held on a digital system, access to the register can be arranged via your University of Bristol contact.

Please note that the University of Bristol asbestos register is based on information from an asbestos management survey, and not a refurbishment and demolition survey. Where no information is available, ACMs must be assumed to be present. 

Some known areas of asbestos contamination/high risk areas will have restricted access with specific asbestos lock-off padlocks. Contractors are required to request access to restricted areas in advance via the Permit to Work system.

Competence

Contractor staff must receive asbestos awareness training as a minimum. If there is the potential to disturb ACMs this must be level 2 training.

Discovery of asbestos

If there is any doubt regarding the presence of asbestos at the start of works or exposed during the course of works, immediately stop work, evacuate the local area and prevent access. Do not disturb the material or stay longer in the affected area than is essential. Alert your University of Bristol contact immediately, or the emergency security number in their absence.

Recording of scaffold structures

We ask all contractors to review the Scaffold Procedure (PDF, 234kB).

Contractors must complete the Scaffolding Alarm System Register (Office document, 54kB) where a scaffold is installed on University of Bristol campuses. The completed form must be emailed to campus-division-safety@bristol.ac.uk so that it can be logged on our Scaffold Register.

The completed form must be emailed to campus-division-safety@bristol.ac.uk so that it can be logged on our scaffold register.

The installation of scaffold alarms is a pre-requisite where intrusion is reasonably foreseeable. This includes, but is not limited to, scaffold structures erected in areas at possible risk from unauthorised persons seeking to climb the structure, or are located in remote or isolated locations. The scaffold must be fitted with a local scaffold alarm able to detect persons climbing up or through the scaffolding.

The fitting of scaffold alarms, where appropriate, must be scheduled in with the scaffold erection, to avoid a gap in cover post erection. In line with University of Bristol arrangements, all work involving the erection, modification, use and/or striking of scaffold requires a permit to work.

Please note that all scaffold structures should be logged on the register, even if they are not alarmed, to enable us to hold an up-to-date inventory of scaffold structures across the University estate.

Drone operations

If you would like to operate an unmanned aerial vehicle on the University estate, please speak with your University contact. They can arrange permits via our Drone Safety Group. Read our Drone operations page for further information.

Generic Project Requirements

The Generic Project Requirements (GPR) set out the matters that are important to the University. Designers must ensure completed projects meet these requirements, as well as relevant regulations, standards and agreed best practice. If you require access to them, please speak to your University of Bristol contact or email estates-gpr@bristol.ac.uk.

If a deviation from the GPR is required, this must be discussed with your University of Bristol Contact, who will add the request to the system.