What is a Principal Contractor?

What are the roles and responsibilities? 

The HSE government page lists the following as the main roles and responsibilities of a Principal Contractor (Source HSE)

• Plan manage, monitor and coordinate the entire construction phase
• Take account of the health and safety risks to everyone affected by the work (including members of the public) in planning and managing the measures needed to control them
• Liaise with the client and principal designer for the duration of the project to ensure that all risks are effectively managed
• Prepare a written construction phase plan (PDF) before the construction phase begins, implement, and then regularly review and revise it to make sure it remains fit for purpose
• Have ongoing arrangements in place for managing health and safety throughout the construction phase
• Consult and engage with workers about their health, safety and welfare
• Ensure suitable welfare facilities are provided from the start and maintained throughout the construction phase
• Check that  anyone they appoint has the skills, knowledge, experience and, where relevant, the organisational capability to carry out their work safely and without risk to health
• Ensure all workers have site-specific inductions, and any further information and training they need
• Take steps to prevent unauthorised access to the site
• Liaise with the principal designer to share any information relevant to the planning, management, monitoring and coordination of the pre-construction phase