RR1016 - Insight into procurement of construction by private clients
Homeowners when commissioning construction work within their homes may not necessarily contemplate the risks that may be involved when such work is undertaken. This present research explored the perceptions of homeowners in respect of what constituted construction work; whether they thought about health and safety issues before or during the work; and the influencing factors in choosing contractors when commissioning such work within their homes. The findings showed that the majority of the homeowners used recommendations from various sources, such as friends and family when needing to select a contractor, but that very few homeowners considered health and safety issues when such work was done within their homes. The homeowners were more likely to discuss safety concerns with the contractors if children were present in the home or if they had previous experience of poor workmanship. They were of the opinion also that new rules and regulations for contractors who work on domestic premises were not required at the present time; but those who had poor experiences were more likely to suggest that contractors should improve on their work practices.
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