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Information for contractors

Safety, project requirements and work permits for contractors working on the University estate.

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.

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Permits to Work

A Permit to Work procedure is a specialised type of safe system of work, under which certain high risk activities may only be carried out with the specific permission of an Authorised Person. Please note that works will stopped if they are carried out without a permit when one is required. They will only resume once a permit application is approved. Read our Permit to Work Process Flowchart (PDF, 125kB) to see if you need one and what to do if so.

Applying for a Planon Guest account

Permits to Work are managed through our Computer Aided Facilities Management (CAFM) system, Planon. This allows you to submit your own Permit to Work requests and manage them. To request or view issued Permits to Work, contractors must have a UoB Planon Guest account. To apply for a Planon Guest account, complete our questionnaire.

On submission of the completed questionnaire, please allow up to 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

Once you have received your Planon Guest account details you can: 

Please note that you will not be able to view the full permit to work prior to it being issued, but you can view the status of the permit application using the link above.

There are many properties across our campuses that are known by various names. Please see our Planon property name guide (Office document, 36kB) if you are unable to find a property name on Planon.

Risk assessments and method statements

All Permit to Work requests must include job specific risk assessments and method statements (RAMS) along with any other relevant information, giving 10 working days notice for the permit. If inadequate RAMS are submitted then this will delay the approval process, hence the need for 10 working days in order to assess requests. You can submit these using the permit documentation upload form.

Activities requiring a Permit to Work

The Campus Division issues Permits to Work for all activities carried out to the buildings and infrastructures of the University estate where works fall into the categories listed in the Activities Requiring a Permit to Work (PDF, 116kB) document.

Each Permit to Work type required must be indicated on the Permit to Work Request form and each type will require its own set of RAMS which are specific to the hazard and detail the control measures. See below for more details.

Electrical Permits to Work

Please note that the process for electrical permits has been amended. The Campus Division Safety Team will only issue a permit to the Authorised Person once it has been approved. The Authorised Person will then attend site with the contractor and confirm that the power supply has been locked-off prior to giving the permit to the contractor. This step is essential to ensure that works do not take place on live electrical circuits.

Once this step has been confirmed as completed and works have been approved to start, all other named personnel on the permit will be given access to view the permit online as normal. Upload of site documents and permit extension requests can then be applied as normal to the online permit via the change control process.

Permit to Work documentation

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

Recording of scaffold structures

Campus Division has recently reviewed and updated the Scaffold Procedure (PDF, 234kB). We would ask all contractors to review this document to ensure that their duties are understood, and Campus Division processes are followed. 

Contractors must complete the Scaffolding Alarm System Register (Office document, 54kB) where a scaffold is installed on University of Bristol estate. The completed form must be emailed to campus-division-safety@bristol.ac.uk so that it can be logged on our Scaffold Register. If you'd like to view the Register in another format, please email the team at the address above.

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.

General Conditions for Work

  • All contractors and associated sub-contractors must abide by University of Bristol procedures, in particular Campus Division procedures.
  • All contractors are expected to undertake induction training or awareness training, depending on the nature and location of the work activity. Generic induction information is below, however, please discuss this in more detail with your UoB Contract Supervisor/Project Officer.
  • 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 UoB Contract Supervisor/Project Officer first.
    • 1-9 Old Park Hill, Bristol BS2 8BB for works around the Precinct.
    • Hollybush Lane, BS9 1JB for work at the Clifton and Stoke Bishop Residences.
    • The Contractors Office, BS40 5DU for work at the Langford Campus.
  • It is expected that contractors working for the University of Bristol's Campus Division will be signed up to at least one SSIP (Safety Scheme in Procurement) such as Constructionline, CHAS, Exor etc or be accredited to ISO 45001 certification. More information can be found on the Safety Schemes In Procurement (SSIP Forum) website.
  • It is also expected, but not currently mandatory, that all Campus Division contractors working on University of Bristol premises will carry a CSCS (Construction Skills Certification Scheme) card. More information can be found on the CITB website.

Contractor Induction Training sessions

We currently have the following upcoming Contractor Induction Training 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.

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

Plant Room Inductions

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

These inductions are mandatory for contractors or staff that require access to plant rooms. We advise anyone who last attended over two years ago to reattend. As soon as we have further dates arranged, we will post the links here.

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

Face coverings on campus

In England, face coverings are no longer required by law.

The government suggests that you continue to wear a face covering when:

  • you are coming into close contact with someone at higher risk of becoming seriously unwell from COVID-19 or other respiratory infections;
  • COVID-19 rates are high and you will be in close contact with other people, such as in crowded and enclosed spaces;
  • there are a lot of respiratory viruses circulating, such as in winter, and you will be in close contact with other people in crowded and enclosed spaces.

Read guidance on face coverings set out by UK Government.

Further information on procedures

Please refer to the document below for further information on procedures:

Risk assessments

The contractor is required to provide relevant 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 sub contracted staff have read the method statement and risk assessment before any work commences on site.

Construction, Design and Management Regulations

All construction activities that are carried out by Campus Division staff or contractors on university buildings and infrastructure must be carried out in accordance with the Construction, Design and Management (CDM) Regulations 2015. The CDM 2015 regulations placed a number of new duties on existing defined roles, and created a number of new roles. Read the CDM Duty Holders and Roles (PDF, 305kB) document to learn more about duty holders' main responsibilities.

The Campus Division has produced further CDM documentation:

CDM clients' duties (PDF, 154kB)

CDM designer risk assessment (PDF, 127kB)

CDM record form (PDF, 226kB)

Accident and emergency 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, the names of whom 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.

If works involve interacting with the fabric of our buildings, always check for the presence of ACMs in the Asbestos Register. Where no information is available ACMs must be assumed to be present.

The Asbestos Register can be accessed via the Contractor's Office or through the University of Bristol contact.

Some known areas of asbestos contamination/high risk areas will have restricted access with specific asbestos lock-off padlocks. Authorised access is required in advance.

Contractor staff must receive Asbestos Awareness training as a minimum. If there is the potential to disturb ACMs this must be Level 2 training.

In the event that damaged ACMs are discovered, the contractor should stop work immediately. Inform your University of Bristol contact as soon as possible and follow the emergency procedure within the University Asbestos Management Plan.

Generic Project Requirements

The Generic Project Requirements 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 email estates-gpr@bristol.ac.uk.

Procurement information

Visit our Procurement pages for information on invoicing the University, our Purchase Order policy and how to trade safety with us.

Tender Opportunity Portal

Suppliers can register on the University's Opportunity Portal where tenders run by the University are advertised. Registering will enable you to respond to tenders and will also help us send them to you.

Health and Safety Policy

Please read our new Health and Safety Policy (PDF, 130kB), which details how health and safety is managed within Campus Division at the University of Bristol.

Quality Policy

The Quality Policy (PDF, 169kB) sets out the Campus Division objectives for achieving quality assurance, customer service and continuous improvement.

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