In the interim six-month period, OSHA cited and fined three other cable operators for not ensuring that their contractors had adequate programs and training. We were sued for not ensuring our contractors were providing adequate training to their employees and won the case because we had initiated safety training requirements for contractors. We quickly recognized that this was not enough. Contractors would have to meet certain minimum criteria before they could do business with us. Aside from shared responsibility, you must address regulatory, partnering and liability issues.
Regulatory issues apply to both customers and to contractors.
Each must be in compliance. As long as we can show we made a reasonable effort to ensure our contractors comply, we will not be held accountable as a general contractor for injuries to our contractor's personnel. One of the most important regulations is the OSHA Telecommunications Standard 29 CFR 1910.268. Partnering with contractors serves several valuable purposes. The results During the 18 months we have been actively using this program, we have discovered some interesting things.