What Are the SSIP accreditations?
SSIPs are safety systems in procurement accreditations, an umbrella body for the assessment schemes such as CHAS and Achilles, and those schemes that become members of SSIP all share mutual recognition. In addition, all members align to the Government-backed construction pre-qualification document PAS 91, ensuring consistency within supply chain management. This body reduces duplication and streamlines the procurement process.
Achilles is a UK construction industry accreditation and risk management scheme. A standardised pre-qualification questionnaire streamlines the procurement process and manages risk. Having this accreditation helps buyers to identify suitably qualified contractors.
The CHAS (The Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme) is a pre-approval scheme, which allows contractors to demonstrate to potential clients that they meet the required Health and sSafety standards.
Both Crime and Fire Systems and Raised Floor Solutions have achieved the Achilles and CHAS Premium Plus. The accreditations involve an audit process to demonstrate their commitment to achieve the required standards and pre-qualify the company for the tendering of projects.
Clare Mallory, Health and Safety Manager at Crime and Fire Systems explains the Achilles accreditation in more detail in relation to their business…
“The Achilles Verify Category B2 audit includes 2 elements; a management system evaluation, and a visit to a working site. The management system evaluation is designed to assess the company’s internal policies and procedures with regards to Health & Safety, Environmental Management and Quality Assurance. The site visit allows the auditor to ascertain awareness and understanding of the management systems in place and seeks assurance that controls and requirements are being complied with at site level. Both elements are evidence based and each element contains several sub-sections, of which scores are awarded depending on the findings.”