Licenced small arb contractors?

[Ian C]

We use HS direct as our health and safety consultants and are a member of

SMAS, its not cheap but 100% necessary. Even the smaller developers now are asking contractors for accreditation. When you look at the expense of the kit and wages it pales into insignificance .

 

HS direct will bash you into shape and make the SMAS easier to comply with https://www.hsdirect.co.uk/

 

SMAS Home - SMAS

 

Bob

We have smas as well, 50quid as it's "piggy backed" of CHAS I do all the H&S paperwork every year never use an out side firm.

 

Sent from my SM-N910F using Arbtalk mobile app

[AA Teccie (Paul)]

Good morning all, and sorry I'm late to the party here.

 

However in so being at least I haven't stifled conversation, not that I would anyway of course , and I think that overall there has been a balanced view on the pro's and con's of the scheme.

 

The scheme does cater for smaller businesses these days, including sole traders, and we have several who seem to benefit from such.

 

Because it's been mentioned specifically, the Bartlett's scenario is still being investigated by other parties and with no conclusive outcome it would be wrong of the Association to strip a company approval because of the actions of one individual. We are working closely with them and will take any appropriate action when / if the time is right...and we will also offer help and support to improve where required.

 

If you would like to know more and understand the scheme better please do try to get along to the workshops, they're free, but I know there's still a cost to you as a non-productive day and travel etc., but then you can better judge for yourself.

 

For small/smaller businesses the amount / depth of 'paperwork' we require is far less than previously and most of what we do require is available on the website to help. Yes, there is still paperwork to be done, and sometimes we need to see a little bit more, but this is because the world of (commercial) contracting and 'compliance' is more complex these days and hence the scheme has to reflect that need.

 

Thank you for everyone's posts here in contributing to a healthy debate.

 

Best regards,

Paul

[markieg31]

Not just Bartletts many others as well.

 

Being aaac doesn't actually mean anything, in the scheme of things it is very affordable to us to be part of the aaac scheme and the support and help they offer makes it worth it. For us.

 

I do get frustrated by it though, and when quoting it's not a selling point and I never make mention of the fact we are aaac approved as it really means nothing to the client imo, to say aaac contractors offer a higher quality service to industry approved code of practice is nonsense there are many companies who operate in our area who are not aaac approved who work to equally high standard to us and often cheaper.

 

For us and commercial clients having chas or similar is more of a selling point, the ability to produce good quality RAMS also makes the difference, having CSCS is not this has been waived for us on many sites as we currently do not have it.

 

I am looking at getting the core team through the "relevant" (I say relevant as some of us do have CSCS cards but they are just labourer cards) going for ROLO CSCS will cost us probably £700 per man with 8 to put through this, which is a bit of a burden but going forward for us it may help.

700 a man I have got CSCS white card and gold supervisor liss card. I think it cost me under 250. But rarely do I get asked for my supervisor card- waste of time going for the extra test. Does pee me off when you go the EXTRA mile to do things by the book and then another company without can do the same job. I want to turn up and get a slap on the back for being such a good chap.

[Marc]

700 a man I have got CSCS white card and gold supervisor liss card. I think it cost me under 250. But rarely do I get asked for my supervisor card- waste of time going for the extra test. Does pee me off when you go the EXTRA mile to do things by the book and then another company without can do the same job. I want to turn up and get a slap on the back for being such a good chap.

 

That's cost to business per man, paid day, course costs and loss of earnings.

[monkeybusiness]

That's cost to business per man, paid day, course costs and loss of earnings.

 

That's my gripe with ROLO - cost to business is huge for a course that doesn't actually teach anyone anything that hasn't already been covered in their NPTC training. The HSE touch screen test can be passed by pretty much anyone with a small degree of common sense - that is an inexpensive box ticking exercise that should be enough in conjunction with relevant industry certification (CS units etc).

I have no issue whatsoever investing in training that upskills my staff - ROLO is nothing more than a tax to allow staff on site though. Even if a firm had to pay a nominal fee per man to an auditor who could cross reference individual competencies against the passing of the relevant HSE touch screen test and then award a relevant CSCS card it would be a far better/more cost effective system than the current joke that is ROLO IMO.

Back to the thread topic - if you have any interest in the Arb Association (or any other possible trade body) at all then I would definitely recommend attending one of their seminars. Very informative, absolutely no pressure, gives a good indication of what is required (in terms of paperwork etc as well as financially), and can open eyes to how things should be done properly (I think anyone attending would come away looking at the way they do certain things within their businesses and seeing scope for improvement).

[Chris Day]

My point to the op is we as a business have hit a point where we take the dangled carrot and jump through the hoops then potentially get the work or don't or we politely decline and continue as is. The choice is ours, the hoop I have chosen to jump through is chas and will probably be a few days lost work for quals I've neglected and some late nights doing paperwork but he tho it's a choice.

 

I think the systems are in place for the one man band it just means complying with things we aren't perhaps used to in paperwork terms but probably do anyway with visual assessments of kit or dynamic risk assessments of tasks.