SPS coordinators: the first voluntary standard to add to your toolbox
Published in July 2016, the French voluntary standard P 99-600 sets out, for the first time, common criteria for project owners to help them choose a health and safety coordinator (CSPS).
Occupational health and risks
Falls from height or at ground level, injuries, collisions... The construction and public works sector presents the highest risk of accidents. To anticipate these, project owners call on an SPS coordinator. The latter facilitates communication between the various parties involved in the operation, optimizes the organization of construction sites and subsequent work on the structure, and anticipates potential risks.
The presence of an SPS coordinator on any operation involving more than one company (including subcontractors) is required by European and French regulations*.
"This is a recent activity that was introduced around 20 years ago to reduce accidents on construction sites. The regulations aim to strengthen coordination and integrate health and safety measures from the project design stage onwards. In addition, thanks to effective health and safety coordination, the project owner can avoid the legal risks inherent in their regulatory obligations," says Roger Piotto, president of the Groupement des Organisations représentatives des Coordonnateurs de sécurité et protection de la santé (GOC.sps) and the AFNOR standardization commission "Coordonnateurs Sécurité et Protection de la Santé."
Building and public works contractors have been faced with various issues in meeting regulatory requirements. "And this without any explanations or tools to help them prepare their tender documents, particularly the consultation rules for selecting the appropriate coordinator based on objective criteria," laments Roger Piotto.
In response, several stakeholders from the profession, government, and prevention institutions decided to take action and mobilized to define best practices for consulting and evaluating HSE coordinator services for project owners.
Initiated in 2010 by GOC.sps, this standardization work has now resulted in the publication of the first voluntary standard on the subject, standard P 99-600.
A recognized supplement to CSPS regulations
What benefits does this standard offer? "It is a practical guide for structuring the consultation, particularly the program elements to be provided by the project owner. This gives HSE coordinators more precise specifications to better meet the requirements of their assignments, better assess the risks resulting from joint activities, and better calculate the fair price for their services," replies Roger Piotto.
The P 99-600 standard has already attracted the interest of organizations coordinating European states (Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain, Portugal, etc.) as well as the European Commission. "At a conference organized by GOC.sps in the presence of the DGT (Directorate-General for Labor) and prevention institutions, the European Commission expressed its interest in this French initiative," concludes Roger Piotto.
* European Directive 92/57/EEC of June 24, 1992, transposed into French law by Law 93-1418 of December 31, 1993, and four implementing decrees, including Decree 94-1159 of December 26, 1994. All of these provisions have been codified in Articles L.4532-1 et seq. and R.4532-1 et seq. of the Labor Code.
Member organizations of the AFNOR standardization commission:
AEL INGENIERIE; AITF; BECS SARL; CFDT; CGT; CNAMTS; COORD’IF; COSEBA; CRAMIF; DGALN – DG AMENAGEMENT LOGEMENT NATURE; DGT – DION GENERALE DU TRAVAIL; FFB; FNTP; GOC.SPS–COPREC; GOC.SPS-AFCO; GOC.SPS-CINOV; GOC.SPS-UNTEC; INRS; OPPBTP; PARIS AEROPORT, SOCOTEC France; CITY OF PARIS.
