Contractors to rate site workers with new app

The Asbestos Labour Feedback App (ALFA) has been developed by the Asbestos Removal Contractors Association (ARCA).

It will allow contractor members to rate the performance and behaviour of operatives supplied by ARCA labour supply members.

The association said: “Having an overall performance rating available for an operative, as well as certificate information, available in one app, will provide the contractors with a better understanding of the competency of an agency operative before they arrive on site.”

“The Association has a membership of virtually half of all licensed asbestos removal contractors in the UK, and many have told us that their biggest issue is the quality of labour. That is the competence, knowledge, skills and behaviour.

“Therefore, supporting better performing labour became a key goal for us.

“The question was how? ARCA already delivers asbestos training, and has developed and provides qualifications, needed by the industry.

“So, we held discussions with some member contractors and labour supply members, which resulted in ARCA taking the initiative to resource the development of a performance feedback app.”

The association said benefits of the app will include:

• Reassurance of labour competence – being able to view an overall performance rating provides reassured of the competency and attitude of an operative.
• Performance feedback – an ARCA Member Contractor can rate an operatives’ performance across nine categories, with ratings used to calculate an overall performance rating.
• Identifies training needs – feedback can support an operative’s development and future selection.
• Automated system – using ALFA labour supply agencies can manage jobs and assign operatives, and contractors can view assignments and operatives’ information.
• Certificate management – certificate information for operatives is immediately available within the App and ALFA highlights certificates due to expire, so supporting renewal management.

How does ALFA work?

After receiving a request for short-term labour for a specific job, an ARCA Labour Agency uses ALFA to set up the job (who for, where and when), and then finds and selects suitable operatives to send to the contractor. They can search for operatives by various criteria, including location, specific training (e.g. confirmed space) and CSCS Card.

Then when an operative is working for an ARCA Member Licensed Asbestos Removal Contractor, the contractor’s site supervisor will receive an email from ALFA requesting a performance rating for the operative. Ratings, which cover nine categories from RPE to time keeping, are requested on the last day of an assignment or every two weeks where applicable.  Once rating information is provided, ALFA will automatically update the operative’s overall performance rating.

Ratings, which can be from a number of contractors across a number of assignments, are used to calculate the overall performance rating for an operative, which is displayed by stars. An operative’s overall performance rating, and average rating per category, is then available to an ARCA Member Contractor if/when that operative is selected for their asbestos removal job by an Agency within ALFA.

updated: 02/09/2020