WSC 2026 Annual Conference

Sessions Speakers Exhibitors Floor Plan

Outsourced, Contracted, Or Uncontrolled Risk? – Strategies For Effective Contractor & Supplier Management

Outsourcing and utilization of contractors continues to be a practice on the rise throughout many organizations. Although, outsourcing is often thought to reduce risk by putting it on “specialists” to perform the work, some new challenges may arise for the business. This presentation will review what ISO 45001-2018 and ANSI Z10-2019 require with regard to outsourced and contractor operations. The presentation will then review hazards created by outsourcing work and the business risks that result from those hazards. Finally, the presentation will share methods and strategies used to control those hazards and reduce risk throughout the organization while engaging and supporting contractors who are performing work on behalf of an organization. Strategies discussed will include contractor management programs, contractor safety leadership programs, contractor procurement specifications (as written by HSE), qualification considerations including compliance, safety maturity (using the NSC Safety Maturity Index), and organizational culture, and appropriate levels of engagement for contractor parties.