When One Principal Contractor Just Isn´t Enough – OH&S Requirements And Large Building Projects

The New South Wales Occupational Health and Safety Legislation requires an owner of a place of work to appoint a principal contractor 'for the construction work' carried out by, or on behalf of, the owner.

But what happens when two separate contractors are employed by the owner to work on the same site simultaneously where neither contractor has possession or control of the entire site?

This commonly occurs on large construction projects with 'green-fields' sites where, for example, both a civil contractor and a building contractor are working simultaneously on the one "site".

The New South Wales Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (Regulations) are silent as to whether more than one principal contractor can be appointed at a place of work.