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Safe Contractor Accreditation Schemes

SMAS Accreditation Help

Safe Contractor Accreditation Help

CHAS Accreditation Help

Are you looking for Safe Contractor Accreditation Help? or Help with SMAS Accreditation? or CHAS Accreditation Assistance?

If you are, you are in the right place. We can help you get your health and safety ready for succesful CHAS, SMAS or Safe Contractor Accreditation. If you just want help without reading the rest of the page, call 01793 852951 or use the contact form on this page.

You may have ended up here as a result of being asked by a potential or existing client to become a member of a contractor safety accreditation scheme and asked yourself:

“What is that all about then?”

We are contacted frequently by businesses of all sizes who have been asked to register with a contractor safety accreditation scheme (for example CHAS, Safe Contractor, SMAS etc), the aim of this page is to help you understand the process and answer some frequently asked questions.

I need Help Now or In the Near Future!

If you just need help, here is what you need to know:

 

  • We can help with all the regular accreditations – CHAS, SMAS, Safe Contractor, Acclaim and more
  • We can help you fill out your forms
  • We can log into your online profile (with your consent) to upload documents
  • We can review, create or update your risk assessments, Health and safety policy and other health and safety documents
  • We can help you compile the evidence needed to complete the accreditations
  • We can do this from our office or by visiting you (most risk assessment reviews are likely to need a visit so we can properly see the work you do)
  • We can discuss your application with the accreditation people to help you get through to approval
  • Once we have all the documents and evidence from you, we’ll ensure your application is submitted in 2 working days

Have You Ever Read or Been Asked one of these Questions?

If you have been asked or have read one of these questions or something similar (which is likely to be related to a health and safety accreditation scheme) we can help you. This is exactly what our contractor safety support retained competent health and safety adviser services are for.

 

Do you utilise an external source for accessing competent Health & Safety advice?

Please describe the role they play in managing health and safety within your company and give an example of advice that they have given and the action taken as a result?

Please provide the contact details of your Health & Safety adviser or consultant

Do you obtain advice for construction Health & Safety that is different to any other Health & Safety adviser/consultant you utilise

Please provide the contact details of your Health & Safety adviser or consultant

Please provide evidence of a current business arrangement with your construction Health & Safety adviser/consultant

Please describe the role the external consultant plays in managing construction health and safety within your company and give an example of advice that they have given and the action taken as a result

Please provide the contact details of the individual or organisation that deals with your health and safety

Please provide evidence of their health and safety qualifications or relevant experience

Please provide a brief explanation of the advice given to you by this person or organisation within the last 12 months

 

 

If these are you, don’t hesitate to give the Health and Safety Team a call!

What is a Contractor Safety Accreditation Scheme

What is a Contractor Safety Accreditation Scheme?

A contractor safety accreditation scheme is an assessment of an organisation’s health and safety system and practices carried out and certified by a 3rd party. It enables potential clients to reduce the amount of administration required when assessing if your H&S standards meet their requirements. Common Schemes include:

  • CHAS
  • SMAS
  • Safe Contractor
  • Construction Line (Acclaim)
Why Get Accredited to A Safety Scheme?

Why Get Accredited to A Safety Scheme?

Membership to a contractor safety assessment scheme is often required by clients as part of the pre-qualification process to establish safety standards to be in place to allow an organisation to tender for work. In addition, having a contractor safety accreditation scheme in place may make your business more attractive to potential clients as it will demonstrate a recognised safety standard.

Is There a Legal Requirement to be Part of a Contractor Safety Scheme?

It is not a legal requirement under current health and safety legislation to have an approved accreditation, but as outlined above they can be a useful business advantage or even a must in some cases for certain tenders.

What is Involved in Becoming Accredited?

What is Involved in Becoming Accredited?

Different schemes (i.e. SMAS, CHAS, Safe Contractor etc) will have different requirements depending on the level of accreditation that you are aiming for (e.g. Contractor, Principal Contractor, Designer, Principal Designer). Typically, the process will require you to submit health and safety-related documents for review by a scheme assessor (usually by email or uploaded via a website) and then depending on the outcome the assessment will be passed or you may be asked for further documents to be provided (this may be over a set period of time) or the assessment may be failed. The type of items you will be required to submit:

  • Signed (in the last 12 months) H&S policy that reflects the extent of your undertaking
  • Valid insurances i.e. Employers liability and public liability insurance
  • Recent Risk Assessments and Method Statements that reflect your work activity
  • If you use any hazardous chemicals examples of recent COSHH assessments
  • Records of employee H&S training carried out in the last 12 months (e.g. CSCS cards, asbestos awareness, etc.) and evidence of trades qualifications (e.g. NVQ, C&G, etc.)
  • Arrangements you might have in place for monitoring H&S, i.e. safety inspections, toolbox talks, etc.
  • Arrangements for how you communicate H&S to your employees, i.e. site briefings, health and safety meetings
  • Details of how you receive competent Health and Safety advice, i.e. external consultants such as us (Safewell Ltd)!
What are the Costs?

What are the Costs?

Depending on the scheme a fee is paid in advance and usually lasts for 12 months. Each scheme will charge a different rate depending on the scheme you are applying for and the level of accreditation you want to achieve. The details are on each of their respective websites.

I am already a member of a recognised scheme do I need others?

I am already a member of a recognised scheme: do I need others?

Some companies will only accept membership to a particular scheme as the standard they want in place and do not permit negotiation around that standard. Depending on the scheme you are currently a member of, it may be possible to apply for membership of another scheme with reduced fees and administrative activity. The SSIP (Safety Schemes in Procurement) website explains this further. Sometimes, despite SSIP being in place, some 3rd parties will insist on the scheme they prefer.

SSIP Accreditation - Does it Exist?

SSIP Accreditation doesn’t exist as such. SSIP is the umbrella scheme that means, in theory, a company that has one type of accreditation, such as Safe Contractor Accreditation should not need to pay again for another, such as SMAS Accreditation. The company should be able to demonstrate they have one recognised contractor accreditation scheme in place to the supplier and this should be sufficient. This is not always the case in practice but is worth being aware of and raising if the situation arises.

OK, I Need Accreditation - How can Safewell Ltd Help Me?

OK, I Need Accreditation – How can Safewell Ltd Help Me?

Depending on how you manage your current H&S system, accreditation may be challenging; you may not have enough knowledge about H&S or you may simply not have the time. All of the health and safety team at Safewell believe that having a compliant H&S system and having contractor safety accreditation scheme recognition are not mutually exclusive. Safewell can assist you by acting as your retained competent H&S advisers and helping you build a sensible and proportionate H&S system that allows you to comply with the H&S legislation and achieve contractor safety accreditation scheme recognition. The best thing to do is call us or drop us an email and we’ll talk you through your situation and if necessary pop out for a free meeting.

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Coral Affleck
November 1, 2019

1st Choice Stairlifts Limited

We would definitely have no hesitation in recommending you to anyone – you are the most normal down to earth H&S person we have ever come across and we are delighted with your service.

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