At Elmleigh, we go through the annual process of preparing and submitting documents and evidence to the audit team at Alcumus to renew our SafeContractor SSIP accreditation, every year. We’re pleased to say that we passed the test once again in 2022/2023.
However, sometimes it can feel an arduous task meeting all the requirements of these accreditations and many businesses wonder if it is worth all the time and expense. At Elmleigh, we’ve gained experience from working through many accreditations over the years and have developed a clear understanding of the value customers place on being able to demonstrate our credentials in this way. We're all aware that time is money, so being able to reduce time spent checking credentials by using a recognised system gives a strong competitive edge in 2023.
As a business, we strongly believe that the benefits of gaining SSIP accreditation far out-weight the time and cost spent in renewing and these days have a strong preference for our own subcontractors to similarly demonstrate their own credentials through SSIP accreditation. By ensuring our sub-contractors are accredited to the same level as Elmleigh, we can confidently tender for and complete projects using our wide network of electrical and mechanical installation experts.
What is SafeContractor Accreditation?
The SafeContractor scheme provides an SSIP accredited health and safety audit service for businesses who want to reassure their clients that health and safety is being handled correctly and sufficiently on their sites. Being entitled to use the widely recognised SafeContractor logo and present our certificate has certainly opened doors to new clients in 2023 but most importantly means that we may not have to complete quite so many PQQs or collate bundles of training, insurance and other documents prior to being engaged at new client sites. This has allowed us to win many projects over the years thanks to the ease of the process.
Should Subcontractors have a SafeContractor Certificate?
It’s through our engagement of subcontractors that the benefit of the SafeContractor scheme becomes most apparent. Our General Manager, Chris Southwell, runs an ‘Approved Contractor’ process within our management system that requires an initial and then annual assessment of all subcontractors and their H&S credentials.
Initially, we know for sure that if a subcontractor holds a valid SafeContractor certificate they have met the same requirements as Elmleigh have. This means they must maintain all of the necessary systems and controls to present for work at site in compliance with the mandatory employment and safety regulations. Without it, we must ask for the names, qualification certificates, trade licences etc. for each and every employee that may be engaged through the subcontractor and maintain the validity of these credentials within our own management system. This ‘maintaining credentials’ is a long-winded and time-consuming process for both parties and is often cause for some discontent in what are otherwise very positive working relationships.
At annual assessment, if the subcontractor holds a valid SafeContractor certificate, all they need to do is present this to complete the process. It is much easier than having to send through copies of insurance documents, training certificates, trade licences, PAT records and so on.
In summary, our view at Elmleigh is that by signing up to SafeContractor or other SSIP accreditation scheme in 2023, subcontractors would eliminate much of the hassle in demonstrating their hard-earned H&S credentials and compliance to each other. So, to all our valued subcontractors, and those who we may not have met yet, we strongly encourage you to sign up to a suitable scheme. The benefits are worth it in many ways.
Find out more about SSIP accreditation here.
At Elmleigh, we specialise in the installation of automated electrical and mechanical systems from simple conveyor belts to large, multi-functional sortation sites. For more information on our electrical installation expertise, or to discuss a project you would like to undertake, please talk to us today.