Contractors

[aimeeturtle90]

Morning all,

Newbie here looking for some advice.

We have a third party contractor based on site looking after the maintenance of all machines, and being general point of contract for all TPM/PPM systems.

We have another site located elsewhere, and company pool cars which are used to get there - appreciate that as a "contractor", the person will not be able to drive the company pool car as he is not technically employed by the company. The maintenance company they work for do not provide a company vehicle either.

I have hesitations about us "giving him a lift" to the other site, does anyone have anything they can shed any light on with this? The contractor needs to get there, but is it permissable for us to drive him in a company vehicle? In the event of an RTA, would we be liable in any way?

Many Thanks

[Andyblue]

I'd suggest that as long as your company insurers do not have an exclusion to carrying any non-company passengers, that the insurance would be covered. Otherwise it's down to company policy. On the face of it, why would it be a problem to take a contractor / visitor /A.N.Other in the company vehicle from one site to another? I'm sure the same company vehicles get used by your employees and they carry their friends, family or other contractors in the vehicles at other times without qualms.
I'd cover 2 areas - is there a specific exclusion in the insurance that forbids non-employees in the vehicles (Very unlikely as it usually allows passengers with permission of the policyholder - you the company being the PH), are any tools equipment needed to be carried by the contractor a problem in terms of being carried safely in/on the vehicle/s you are using.
On a practical point, if you are providing a driver to ferry the contractor around, I'd be expecting a financial adjustment being made - you are paying for transport that the contractor should provide but is actually offsetting to you. Unless, of course, you providing transport is within the contract small print!

[kevlarion]

You could get a hire car with it's own insurance and charge it back to the maintenance company.
Why would you want to tie up one of your own employees to ferry this contractor between your two sites ?

If a company is contracted to maintain your plant and it is known to be in more than one location, the maintenance company should have factored in their responsibility to get their employee, and whatever tools are required, safely to the location he needs to be to carry out the terms of the contract. If they haven't then renegotiate the contract or change maintenance company.

I can't believe any company thinks it is their customer's responsibility to move their employees around for them.