#sub-contracts

Company directors remain responsible and accountable along with managers and to some extent all workers for health and safety.  

Business can be complicated, project teams, deadlines with a limited appetite in taking on permanent staff in a new areas of operation.  The opportunity to contract out to a specialist firm for a fixed fee or delivered specification just makes good sense.  

For a single company to seek to maintain a good health and safety record; leadership needs to come from the top and all workers need to buy in and report issues and generally work in a safe way (as is understood through training which is provided).  

To what extent does the contracting and subcontracting mechanisms of modern business dilute and subvert the above? Especially when considering the proliferation of zero-hour contracts in an employers market.  How can you be alerted to bad cultures with contracted workers being reluctant and/or discouraged to report risks so as to be given work tomorrow?  

How can the above be improved to the benefit of all for health and safety but without making the otherwise useful contracting relationship bureaucratic?

Thoughts welcome...