Your guide to safe, compliant EV charging installations

Why’s your role in choosing competent contractors so important for safety and compliance?

What are the dangers of not carrying out due diligence during procurement?

This article explains the importance of health and safety in charging installations – and why contractor choice is crucial.

The importance of contractor choice

You – as the client – are responsible for the work of the contractors you select to undertake your infrastructure implementation. The benefits of getting it right – and the dangers of getting it wrong – can have a significant impact on your organisation’s bottom line, its reputation and even its ability to carry out its normal duties.

What to look out for

Take the time to research contractors’ suitability for the installation work. In particular, consider:

1. Accreditations and insurances

Use a tool like the SSIP portal to check contractors’ accreditations across awarding bodies like SafeContractor, Achilles and Veriforce CHAS. ISO 45001 – perhaps the most widely recognised certification – is an international standard for occupational health and safety management systems.

The Common Assessment Standard (CAS) is a government scheme specifically for high-end, high-risk work. It provides a pre-qualification questionnaire for use in procurement to save time and reduce administrative complexity.

Check contractors’ insurances based on the nature of the work you’re commissioning. Contractors may need public liability or corporate indemnity insurance, for example.

2. Risk assessments and method statements (RAMS)

These documents are crucial for creating and maintaining transparency in terms of both project plans and roles and responsibilities.

Risk assessments are a legal requirement for construction projects. They outline potential hazards, implement required controls and mitigation to reduce the likelihood of harm.

Method statements feed into construction phase plans – which Construction (Design & Management), or CDM, Regulations require – and detail the steps involved in completing project works.

Look for comprehensive RAMS documents and try to gauge how familiar staff and sub-contractors are with their contents. Thorough, well-communicated RAMS documentation is usually a sign of a contractor that prioritises health and safety.

3. Health and safety culture

Although this can be harder to judge, try to understand how engrained health and safety processes are within a contractor’s working culture.

Listen out for whether managers discuss health and safety as a priority – even over commercial matters. Look at whether there’s an obvious health and safety focus on contractors’ websites or in their literature – and whether there’s evidence of employee engagement. Ask what management systems are in place and check case studies to see whether the contractor effectively monitors health and safety during works.

If it proves difficult to find this information, check whether contractors have ISO 45001 certification, audited by a UKAS-accredited body. This will give a good indication of their overall safety and compliance culture. Alternatively, ask them some questions.

4. Questions to ask

Once you’ve shortlisted potentially suitable contractors, don’t be afraid to ask them:

• Whether they have a safety management system in place
• If so, whether they employ safety advisors to deliver legal compliance
• Whether they have supervisors on-site during works
• To provide evidence of the required skills and training within their team
• How they promote health and safety initiatives internally
• Whether they employ sub-contractors – and if so how they go about communicating health and safety practices to all workers involved
• How they record incidents, near misses and hazards – and whether they follow up with investigations
• What similar works they’ve carried out in the past – and whether they can provide case studies

5. Red flags

Carrying out comprehensive due diligence gives more chance of danger signs appearing. ‘Red flags’ – signs that you should doubt the safety and compliance credentials of contractors – might include:

• A purely commercial focus
• Difficulty providing suitable RAMS
• Reluctance to provide evidence of expertise or workers’ details
• Lack of recognised accreditations
• Lack of reported incidents, near misses or hazards in previous work
• Lack of evidence of investigation following incidents
• Lack of evidence of a culture of safety and compliance

The risks involved

Non-compliant EV installations can have consequences on human health and life – and on clients’ reputations, their finances and even their license to operate.

Injury and/or illness

In the UK, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) – the regulator for health and safety and enforcer of health and safety laws – classifies EV charging installations as ‘Construction’ work.

Construction work’s consistently ranked as the second most dangerous sector in terms of worker injuries and fatalities. HSE data shows that, during 2023/24, approximately one in every 42 construction workers experienced an injury.

But the risks extend beyond those to contractors operating machinery and making electrical connections. Construction projects carry further risks to clients – of employee, customer and public injury.

Regulatory enforcement action

In certain circumstances, non-compliant clients risk losing operating licenses or necessary insurances, making them unable to carry out their normal works.

In the UK, if the HSE’s not satisfied that clients are managing risks and complying with its laws, it may issue one of two types of ‘enforcement notice’.

• An ‘improvement notice’ gives the client a deadline to fix a contravention
• A ‘prohibition notice’ immediately stops an activity that poses a risk of serious injury

Receipt of such notices are publicly available and can impact clients’ operations and reputations.

Regarding product safety and building control, the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) is the primary regulator for EV charger safety standards and enforces legislation like the Public Charge Point Regulations 2023 and the Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021. For installation, especially in new buildings, the Building Safety Regulator and Approved Document S also play a role by providing guidance on safety and installation requirements under the Building Safety Act 2022.

Financial and reputational damage

Non-compliant clients risk reputational damage and subsequent impact on business relationships and commercial opportunities.

There can be more immediate financial implications, too, in terms of potential removal and rebuild works, delays incurring additional costs and disruption to other operations. And it’s not just the installed hardware that can be at fault. Clients can face prosecution – and substantial fines – for poor project planning, failure to provide safety measures, lack of supervision and high-risk activity without sufficient controls in place.

The benefits of getting it right

In the majority of cases, safe construction works lead to high-quality results. Similarly, high-quality results are usually the result of safe working practices.

Taking the time to plan for safe, compliant works means peace of mind in terms of worker, manager and end-user safety. It gives your organisation reassurance that its investment meets regulatory requirements and reduces the chances that it’ll require upgrading. And it protects your company’s reputation against the risks of accident, injury, disruption or failed audits.

Key takeaways

• Make the time for health and safety due diligence
• Familiarise yourself with the CDM Regulations
• Carry out comprehensive assessment to select suitable contractors
• Insist on high standards of safety and compliance throughout site works

Disclaimer

We’ve used all reasonable efforts to ensure that the content in this article is accurate, current, and complete at the date of publication. However, we make no express or implied representations or warranties regarding its accuracy, currency or completeness. We cannot accept any responsibility (to the extent permitted by law) for any loss arising directly or indirectly from the use of any content in this article, or any action taken in relying upon it.