Hire Association Europe and Event Hire Association (HAE EHA) has this month announced the official launch of its SafeHire Certification.
The aim of SafeHire is to raise the standards across the industry and improve all areas of company operations from CSR policy, quality management, health and safety, environmental management and customer service standards. Several big players in the hire sector, including Hire Station, Hirebase, Travis Perkins and Speedy Hire, have already gone through the audit process and are reaping the rewards of certification.
SafeHire is currently an option, for existing members, as part of HAE EHA membership but will become a prerequisite of membership as of 1st January 2018, meaning all members must successfully complete the certification process by that time.
In order to meet the target, the Association is seeking to broaden the awareness of SafeHire Certification and its many benefits across the construction, hire and events industries to encourage take up of an initiative that has already had a significant impact on some of the UK’s leading hire companies.
To officially launch SafeHire, HAE EHA invited key industry movers and shakers to the JCB Arena on Tuesday 19 July. Senior figures from the Association discussed the aims and aspirations of certification and were accompanied by some key names in construction, events hire and health and safety sectors, who shared their successes and discussed how SafeHire has impacted their businesses. The event was hosted by Graham Arundell, MD of HAE EHA, with guests speakers including Kevin McGuinness (MD of Allens Catering Hire).
Graham Arundell, HAE EHA Managing Director commented: “SafeHire has already had a hugely positive impact on businesses that have gone through certification voluntarily. Making SafeHire a requirement of membership is 100% the right step for the industry to create the level playing field that is much needed and to help improve practices and processes of hire businesses.
“To date, awareness of SafeHire has largely been limited to our own membership, many of whom have been undertaking the requisite audit process to become certified. The next step for SafeHire is to widen awareness of certification to the end user, so that people start recognising who we are and what certification means for the industry.
“There’s been a steady recognition, from the wider industry, of the need to work with partners who have the appropriate certifications; but there’s more that needs to be done to push the message. SafeHire has the potential to become the leading certification in the industry, and we hope that it will become the trusted mark of quality for the hire sector.”
A key element to reaching HAE EHA’s goal for SafeHire Certification will be inclusion as part of procurement tenders. This is something that is already gaining traction in the UK with a number of leading hire companies reporting that national clients, such as Network Rail, Balfour Beatty and Barratt Homes, are beginning to instruct that their hire partners must be SafeHire certified in order to be considered for inclusion on preferred supplier lists.
Testimonials for SafeHire Certification:
Balfour Beatty
“Our goal was to achieve Zero Harm across all our businesses. Working with SafeHire certified companies as preferred supplies has helped us to achieve that goal.”
Lakeside-Hire
“The SafeHire process really helped to get us focusing on the right things at the right time to improve the safety of our working environment. We would encourage all to not delay in starting the process themselves because, for us, we have learnt how to better look after our employees and we are certain the SafeHire Certification will give our customers increased confidence when hiring from us.”
AFI Uplift
“Achieving SafeHire demonstrates that we have the necessary robust internal procedures in place backed up by documentation. This ensures we not only meeting but exceeding the highest standard necessary for our clients.”
Event Suppler and Services Association (ESSA)
“ESSA was involved in the initial stages of planning the standard and is pleased that the completed document addresses the specific electrical hazards inherent in the hire industry in the management system model that can integrate easily into a business’s existing HSG65 or BS8901 procedures.”
Heath and Safety Executive (HSE)
Improving workplace Health & Safety
“HSE has contributed to the development of the standard and supports initiatives intended to improve workplace health and safety.”
JCB
“SafeHIre will be absolutely key to improving best practice in the industry. It is less a case why, but when companies should become SafeHire Certified.”
Plato Catering Hire
"EHA membership, in particular SafeHire demonstrates that we have the required robust internal procedures in place to not only meet but exceed the highest standard necessary for our clients."
For more information on SafeHire Certification please visit www.hae.org.uk or www.eha.org.uk