Safety schemes in procurement (SSIP) have been brought to the forefront of many business conversations by the advent of PAS-91. What is the purpose of the scheme and how do you achieve certification?
Have you heard of PAS 91 and the Common Assessment Standard?
PAS 91 is a set of standard pre-qualification questions used primarily in the utilities and construction industry. The UK Construction Industry originally developed it to streamline the tendering process for suppliers, whilst helping clients and buyers to assess suitability, and be duly diligent in ensuring that suppliers are conforming to the CDM Construction Management & Design Regulations.
Over time, the ‘Common Assessment Standard’ (CAS) was crafted by Build UK and the Civil Engineering Contractors’ Association, widely based on the PAS91 document and other relevant standard assessments. The Common Assessment Standard includes specific health & safety criteria, thus forming the basis of the health & safety assessments conducted by schemes such as ACHIILLES, CHAS, NHBC, EXOR, SMAS and Constructionline, used to establish an organisation’s ability to meet the requirements.
Once a successful assessment has been conducted, organisations are provided with an annual renewable certificate that can be submitted at tender stage to minimise the time and resources in having to complete an array of similar pre-qualification questionnaires (PQQ) for differing clients and contracts, this also demonstrates to the client/buyer that the company is committed to maintaining a high standard of health and safety.
So, what is SSIP, and what does the organisation do?
Even though the health & safety criteria being assessed is primarily uniform, differing clients/buyers often specify that their supply chains hold one or more particular member scheme certification. To reduce the duplication of work and reduce the bureaucracy and costs SSIP was formed.
SSIP is a non-profit umbrella organisation established to facilitate mutual recognition between H&S Assessment Schemes such as those aforementioned, and certification bodies issuing ISO 45001 & OHSAS 18001 certificates, and enable cost savings for clients, buyers and suppliers. Click here to view a list of SSIP Forum members.
The SSIP Forum is supported by HSE and works closely with scheme members to ensure that health & safety assessments are conducted considering the size, risks and scope of the organisation, making sure that controls are proportionate to its activities.
What does it mean for my organisation/business?
A huge problem for contractors is the need to be assessed by multiple health & safety schemes.
If you receive SSIP certification as an extension to your British Assessment Bureau ISO 45001 or OHSAS 18001 certificate, you can use this to ‘deem to satisfy’ across the forums scheme members at reduced rates, and, without the need to undergo another full health & safety assessment.
How does SSIP relate to ISO 45001?
The assessment criteria used by SSIP is based on a demonstration of compliance with construction regulations. However, the methodology and central criteria can be abstracted and applied in the general sense to all kinds of business. It essentially reviews a company’s abilities to handle risk.
The SSIP criteria is aligned with the ISO 45001 standard. It is therefore vital that if you are approaching SSIP through ISO 45001 that you let your advisory consultants know prior to commencing the work necessary to achieve the standard.
What are the benefits of having an SSIP Certificate?
Standards offer more than simply ensuring that your company meets the mandatory rules for its sector. They streamline the procurement process for buyers, confirming that suppliers meet the minimum required levels stipulated in the contract. SSIP brings together all the health and safety standards, opening up many opportunities that may have previously been unavailable to your company.
SSIP registration is a key indicator that your company can demonstrate high levels of health and safety management. It shows an ongoing commitment to best practice within the work environment and the required levels of protection for your staff and contractors. As this sector is now more regulated than ever before, SSIP is the simple way to prove that your company takes this matter seriously.
Once your business is registered with SSIP, you will not only be able to deem to satisfy registration with many other pre-qualification portals such as Altius, CHAS, Constructionline, Exor and Safecontractor, you will also be eligible for significant discounts within the cross recognition scheme.
In addition, you can significantly speed up the time taken completing tenders/PQQ’s by uploading your certificates and skipping large proportions of these often long and complex documents. Your certificate serves as strong evidence to your customers that your organisation is committed to high standards of health & safety and has established appropriate protocols and controls to adhere to CDM and other relevant statutory requirements.
A commercial commitment
Effective health and safety policies are about more than simply pre-qualifying your business for large commercial tenders. By having a firm commitment to the care of your employees you can make your company a much more attractive place for leading industry talent and of course, preventing breakages and employing safer practice is a main driver of efficiency.
It’s important to remember that there’s a real-world implication to standards that is beyond mere regulation and adherence to good practice. And with the implementation of ISO 45001, you build processes into your business that work to adopt future changes and new legislation. The advantages in today’s increasingly competitive marketplace should make this certification attractive to any business that’s serious about growth.
How we can help with SSIP?
ISO 45001:2018/OHSAS 18001:2007 is a worldwide renowned health & safety standard and is recognised by SSIP to satisfy its requirements and enable registration. By receiving an entry on the SSIP Database, you are increasing your market visibility around the world, and opening a whole new world of opportunities!
It is also worth noting that British Assessment Bureau is fully UKAS accredited. This means that your ISO 45001 certification is fully recognised and officially stamped to pre-qualify you for all contracts, including PAS-91. There is no better way to demonstrate a solid adherence to correct and efficient health and safety protocols within the SSIP framework.
Applications for SSIP
For more information on becoming ISO 45001 certified and SSIP registered, contact us free of charge on 0800 404 7007 or use our contact form.