CHAS Accrediation Awarded
We are pleased to announce that after several months of hard work by our Quality Assurance Department we have been awarded CHAS Accreditation for our quality of Health and Safety standards.
The CHAS (Contractor Health and Safety Assessment Scheme) has been developed by Local Authority health and safety and procurement professionals, with the support of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The aim of the scheme is to offer one accreditation system for public and private sector organisations to look for when selecting a contractor.
Historically, when applying for a tender, companies had to complete full information of their Health and Safety policy and procedures. This is a very time consuming exercise, especially considering it had to be done for each and every tender. Once the application had been submitted, companies often found that whilst their policies had been adequate to win a tender from one organisation, it had been deemed insufficient by others.
The CHAS Accreditation system was set up to combat these issues. Companies wishing to apply for tenders can now go through the process to become CHAS Accredited, this then certifies that their health and safety is adequate for consideration for all tenders within all Local Authorities.
CHAS Accreditation is renouned for its complexity and the high level of supporting documentation required. Quality Assurance Manager, Jane Owens commented: "According to CHAS, 4 out of 5 small and medium sized companies fail to gain accreditation on their initial attempt so we were particularly pleased when we passed first time! This accreditation indicates to our customers that they can be confident that our company operates to a high standard of health and safety."
To continue to be accredited we will now undergo annual audits to ensure we keep up this high standard. But that's not all we intend to do; CHAS has an optional Environmental element that we hope to apply for over the coming year.
If you are involved in service procurement or the tendering process, look out for the CHAS logo; you can be confident that companies who hold it will meet your health and safety requirements and it could save you vital time during the tendering process.
To view our CHAS Certification click here (please note, this link will open in a new window)
13.08.08