Avonside Group has been awarded accreditation from Safecontractor for its commitment to achieving excellence in health and safety.
Safecontractor is a leading third-party accreditation scheme, which recognises very high standards in health and safety management amongst UK contractors.
The company’s application for Safecontractor accreditation was driven by the need for a uniform standard across the business.
Tony Burke, managing director at Avonside Group commented: “Our certifications provide our customers with the reassurance that we deliver uniform and consistently high levels of quality, efficiency and accountability. We are proud to have been successful in renewing our Safecontractor accreditation.”
Avonside believes that having Safecontractor accreditation will enhance its ability to attract new contracts and when the company liability policy is up for renewal, its insurers will view its commitment to safety positively.
Safecontractor is applicable to most sectors although it is particularly relevant to food manufacturing, property, facilities management, retail and leisure sectors, all of which are big users of contracted services.
John Kinge, technical director of Safecontractor said: “Major organisations simply cannot afford to run the risk of employing contractors who are not able to prove that they have sound health and safety policies in place.
“More companies need to understand the importance of adopting good risk management in the way that Avonside Group has done. The firm’s high standard has set an example, which hopefully will be followed by other companies within the sector.
“Safecontractor plays a vital role in supporting our clients in meeting their compliance needs, whilst working with their contractors as they progress through the accreditation process.”
Under the Safecontractor scheme, businesses undergo a vetting process, which examines health and safety procedures and their track record for safe practice. Those companies meeting the high standard are included on a database, which is accessible to registered users only via a website.
Client-organisations who sign up to the scheme can access the database, enabling them to vet potential contractors before they even set foot on site. These clients agree that, as users of the scheme, they will engage only those who have received accreditation.
Over 210 major, nation-wide businesses, from several key sectors, have signed up to use the scheme when selecting contractors for services such as building, cleaning, maintenance, refurbishment or electrical and mechanical work.
