CHAS or NO CHAS?

Are you thinking about getting your CHAS accreditation but not sure if it is the right one for you and your business?

Most of the requests we get to help people with their CHAS applications are from companies who have been asked to have CHAS by a client that they are working with for the first time or for a tender they are applying for.

CHAS is part of the SSIP umbrella group, so it is seen in the industry as a measure of a company’s ability to deliver its services while complying with Health & Safety. As CHAS measures the Health & Safety process within your company, looking at your risk assessments and method statements that you use on current projects to achieve the accreditation shows you meet the required standard.

The accreditation can help you gain more work and open doors for you to work with larger clients and public bodies. A membership fee is applicable, and if you choose to get help with completing the paperwork, there will also be a fee payable for that process. So, you need to make a business decision.

Is the initial cost worth it for the potential gain?

Learn more about SSIP

We have a series of articles where you can learn more about SSIP. The list of articles is below:

What is SSIP

SSIP accreditation

Do I need a Health & Safety Policy

It is a legal requirement to have a Health & Safety Policy in place in you have more than 5 employees. Employees are defined as someone who you pay through the PAYE system, this does not include anyone who you use as a subcontractor.

Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. Often referred to as HASAW or HSW, this Act of Parliament is the main piece of UK health and safety legislation. It places a duty on all employers “to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work” of all their employees.

Less than 5 employees

There may also be a time when you have less than 5 employees and you are asked for a Health & Safety Policy. This can occur if you want to become a supplier to a large company who expect a policy no matter how many employees you have. If this is their policy they will expect it from every supplier with no exception, we can help you to develop a company policy at a reasonable price.

How to write the policy

A policy is a written statement which has three essential parts:

1) Health & Safety Policy

The health and safety policy details a statement of intent. The statement of intent details your aims and objectives, health and safety policy, processes and systems to prevent accidents, train your employees, supply PPE, etc. The policy is signed and dated by the most senior person, the managing director.

(2) Organisation of Health and Safety – Roles and Responsibilities

The organisation of health and safety is best done by developing an organisation chart, with the most senior person at the top, then detailing the people who are responsible for the day-to-day running of all matters concerning health and safety. An example is:

• Managing director
• Health and safety advisor
• Fire safety manager
• Health and safety training manager
• Risk assessments and method statements manager
• PPE manager
• Control of substances hazardous to health COSHH manager

In small businesses, one person may have many roles

3) Arrangements for health and safety – How are risks managed?

The arrangements for health and safety should detail how the organisation aims to achieve its aims. For example:

• Develop risk assessments
• Training of people
• Consulting with people
• Fire and emergency arrangements
• First aid arrangements
• Reporting of accidents, injuries and dangerous incidents
• Arrangements for working at height, manual handling, etc.

Please get in touch if you would like some free advise. Complete out contact form or call 0800 031 5404.

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Contact Amanda 

amanda@seguro-safety.co.uk
0151 350 3743

Applying for CHAS and Constructionline

If you looking to apply for both CHAS and Constructionline there is a process to follow to make the application a little less daunting:

CHAS

CHAS is an assessment of your Health & Safety documentation, this is assessed remotely through an online portal. This accreditation is also part of the SSIP umbrella group so you are able to use this if you are asked for any other accreditation that falls under the group should you need too.

Constructionline

Constructionline is an online assessment of your Business this includes finance, quality, equal opportunities and Health & Safety. You can use your CHAS certificate to satisfy the documentation needed for the Health & Safety Section of Constructionline.

In order to get both accreditations it is recommended that you get your CHAS first and then Constructionline. Both need to have the assessment fee paid upfront and then you are able to access your application to see the documentation needed to complete. If you feel you need some help to get everything needed please get in touch.

Common Constructionline Questions we get asked

As a consultant we get asked alot of questions on the phone for people who think they are speaking to Constructionline Direct and not to us. Although we don’t know the answer to everything we do try to help.

1.    I can’t remember my login details?

• You will have registered with login details when you created your account. These will be your email address and the password you picked.
• If you have forgotten your details you can go Constructionline and request them to be reset.

2.    Can I register with Constructionline if I’m a new company?

• Constructionline require financial information for all companies but for new start ups you are able to submit a set of forecasted accounts with your application.

3.   Do I need to get Liability Insurance

• You will need insurance before you can complete your application. This will need to be in date.

4 .  I’ve got another certificate will that help with my constructionline application?

• If you have any of the SSIP certificates such as CHAS, you will be able to upload the certificate and you will not need to fill in the main Health & Safety Section.

5.   What are the fees i have to pay ?

• The fees for are based on your turnover and as you are signing up Construcionline will tell you what they are.

If you have any other Constructionline Questions or think we may be able to help you with your application get in touch with us today.

Who are Seguro and why do we get confused with CHAS and Constructionline?

We get a number of calls on a daily basis from companies who are looking to speak to CHAS or Constructionline direct. We are a third party consultant that helps with CHAS and Constructionline applications. Our service is to assist companies that may not have the paperwork in place to show their competency with regards to Health & Safety.

Our web listings highlight our service as well as how we can assist you with your application.

Looking for products and services on the internet can be a minefield the best thing to do is to make sure you know who you want to contact and read the information before you click through and contact a company direct:

• Always read the link before you click on it.
• Check the url in the link to make sure it is the one you expect to contact.
• When you click and land on a web page make sure it is the company you are looking for, you will always see a logo and contact details.
• If your not sure phone the number instead of sending all your contact details to a company that might not be the one you want.

If you are looking to contact CHAS direct their number is 0208 545 3838 and Constructionline is 0844 892 0313

Complimentary Safety Advisor Service

Here at Seguro we pride ourselves on adding value to our services. When we help our clients to achieve an accreditation we also provide them with a Safety Advisory service.

This is where we remain as their contact throughout the year of their accreditation to help them to:

• Implement the new documentation into their business
• Provide support ongoing should they need it.
• Provide off the shelf risk assessments and method statements should they be needed (bespoke ones are chargeable)
• Enable our clients to name us should they need to on PQQ documentation

The following accreditations are eligible (less than 5 employees)

• CHAS
• Safe Contractor
• Constructionline
• Exor
• Altius
• Avetta
• Builders Profile

If you are looking for any help in acquiring an accreditation and would like to take advantage of our complimentary service please get in touch on 0800 031 5404 or contact us

Remote Competent Safety Advisor Vs Onsite Visiting

We often get asked the question about our Competent Safety Advisor Service to see what the benefits are compared to having someone employed onsite. The obvious one is cost, it is much more cost effective to have a remote competent person as a service, a service like ours starts from £50 per month compared to a full time salary.

Why use an outsourced service?

• We supply a comprehensive Health and Safety Management System
• We develop a bespoke company Health and Safety Policy for your business
• We work with you to develop a company employee handbook
• We develop an Environmental Policy specific to you
• We provide assistance in Accident Reporting to Enforcing Authorities/Accident Investigation
• We will liaison with Enforcing Authorities on your behalf

Ongoing support

• Access to telephone advice on an unlimited number of occasions
• Updates on any changes in Health and Safety legislation
• Access to over 80 risk assessments and various supporting documentation held on our website
• Yearly review of all documentation and revised documents issued
• Monthly newsletters giving you latest Health & Safety News as well as legislation updates.

With over 200 clients we provide a comprehensive service that is affordable and reliable so SME’s can have peace of mind that they are compliant with their legal obligations.

There are no hidden fees and we pride ourselves with having an 95% retention record year on year. You can see testimonials on our website or on Trust pilot which is an independent review platform.

If you would like to speak to us or get more information please get in touch.

Manual Handling E-learning

In certain industries and workplaces employers have the legal obligation to ensure that their employees have access to knowledge and training for correct manual handling techniques. This is to ensure that employees are protected from the risk of injury through manual handling tasks in the workplace.

Why should i train my staff?

Not knowing the correct techniques and carrying out manual handling incorrectly is one of the most common causes of injury at work. It causes work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) which are responsible for over a third of all workplace injuries.  Manual handling can be for any load such as a person or an animal, or a box or a ladder.

Workplace analysis

Manual Handling is not just about putting your employees on a course there also needs to be considerations made within the workplace:

• Does the lifting have to take place
• Could the lifting be carried out by machinery instead of a person
• Can the item be delivered direct to where it is needed
• Can the item be pushed rather than pulled?

These are all things that can be looked at a risk assessment should take place to ensure you have thought about how you can help within your working environment.
Manual Handling E-learning is the easy way to give your staff access to training without having to send them on a course which may disrupt the working day. If you are looking for Manual Handling E-learning we can help.