Achieving accreditation involves a lengthy process where companies are assessed against the SAFEcontractor Charter Standards. The standards not only cover core elements such as policy, risk assessment and first aid but also include specific requirements relating to the activity for which accreditation is being sought. SAFEcontractor is operated by international safety, health and environmental risk management specialists, the National Britannia Group and allows potential or existing clients to benchmark health and safety performance.
Rittal’s application for SAFEcontractor accreditation was driven by the need for a uniform standard across the business and to demonstrate to current and potential customers its commitment to health and safety. Clients have a legal obligation to ensure that contractors operate in a safe way so there is therefore a need to assess contractors’ arrangements, and increasingly this is being carried out through SAFEcontractor.
Many large organisations now opt to use SAFEcontractor as their primary means of selecting contractors as it effectively provides an approved contractor list.