SMAS Worksafe Schemes offer a fast, efficient

and cost effective way of demonstrating your

Health and Safety competence and gaining a

nationally recognised SSIP Member Scheme

certificate. SMAS is a H&S Assessment organ-

isation that takes great pride in its professionalism, customer

service and efficiency. Working with many of the major UK

housebuilders it has developed experience and expertise in

new build construction but also deals with many other con-

struction organisations.

As a dedicated H&S assessment company SMAS does

not get distracted by other activities such as H&S Training or

Consultancy. This also means that individuals can be confi-

dent that there is no conflict of interest in any of our assess-

ment decisions. Additionally, all of its Assessors are quali-

fied H&S professionals, have completed the SSIP Assessor

Training and are audited annually by an independently

appointed SSIP Auditor.

Explaining the approach taken to assessment and approved

contractor management, SMAS illustrates: “We have developed

our own software to manage our Contractor database which

means that we process work smoothly and efficiently. Allowing

technology to manage much of the routine work means that our

staff can concentrate on talking to our members, guiding them

through the process and exceeding their expectations.

“All of our assessments are undertaken In-House allow-

ing us to offer a consistent standard across assessments. The

minimum standards we assess against are clearly set out in

the SSIP Core Criteria. The skill of the assessor is to inter-

pret the information provided and ensure it relates to the

nature and scope of the business being assessed.”

SMAS can also offer a free, professional and efficient

H&S pre-qualification solution to Clients and Principal

Contractors who employ Sub-Contractors. In compliance

with the Construction (Design and Management)

Regulations 2015, Clients and Principal Contractors are

required to ensure that anyone appointed or engaged to work

on any construction project, has the skills, knowledge, expe-

rience and, where relevant, the organisational capability to

do so - this check can be done in house but can often be a

costly and time consuming process.

By adopting an SSIP approach to Stage 1 assessments and

simply ensuring that a contractor holds a valid and in date

certificate issued by an SSIP member Scheme, businesses can

be confident that the assessment satisfies the requirements of

the SSIP Core Criteria and that a reasonable and robust

judgement has been made that the SSIP standard has been

met. The SMAS Contractor Assessment Management

Programme offers a total Stage 1 H&S outsourcing solution

to Clients. It is web based, simple to use and most important-

ly free to Clients and Principal Contractors.

Commenting on how SMAS can simplify the process, the

organisation explains: “With over 6 years’ experience of run-

ning Client ‘approved contractor lists’ we are able to manage

all aspects of your Stage 1 assessments, ensuring that your

contractors meet the SSIP Core Criteria. Every Programme

managed by SMAS is individually tailored to meet the

Client's specific needs... We are confident that by adopting

an SSIP ethos to contractor assessments and by using SMAS

to manage the process you will be able to save significant

time and money and free up your own staff to focus on more

business critical areas of your business.”

Worksafe With SMASThe fast, efficient and cost effective routeto achieving accreditation with an SSIPMember Scheme

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HEALTH & SAFETY: SCS TECHNASEAL

72

Established in 1992, Sealant

& Construction Services

Ltd is a specialist provider

of construction services

including: mastic joint seal-

ing, diamond drilling and cutting, concrete

repairs and coatings, and fire protection.

Experienced in all aspects of diamond

drilling, floor sawing in concrete and

asphalt, track sawing, chasing and con-

trolled demolition, maintenance of move-

ment joints, and the application and refur-

bishment of industrial coatings; Sealant &

Construction Services offers a nationwide,

one-stop-shop upon which key industry

clients rely, such as Balfour Beatty, Morgan

Sindall, BAM Nuttall and more.

Of course, it is testament to the compa-

ny's good name that it has been able to

work with such reputable names as these,

however even more-so when considering

the way in which it has been able to develop

long term relationships and repeat business

from these very clients. As Pip Alden,

Managing Director of Sealant &

Construction Services explains: “We are

proud to have developed many long term

relationships with both local and national

clients. Our professionalism ensures that

time and time again we are called upon to

carry out works on a 'repeat order' basis.”

And through developing these relation-

ships, Sealant & Construction Services has

all but ensured its continued prosperity

within the sector and successfully estab-

lished itself as a sub-contract partner of

choice to many”.

Health and Safety at Sealant &

Construction Services is paramount and

ContinuedProsperitySealant & Construction Services was established in1992 and services the whole of the UK.

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HEALTH & SAFETY: SCS TECHNASEAL

73

“Every item of plantowned and hired by

Sealant &Construction

Services has an HAV rating”

with the benefit of a full-time Health and

Safety Manager, the company is able to

ensure that all works are compliant and up

to date with the latest legislation. The com-

pany has also invested heavily into indus-

try-recognised, accredited schemes such as:

SMAS, SSIP, CHAS, ConstructionLine

and Achilles, along with its ongoing ISO

9001, 14001 and 18001 accreditations to

make sure that all our processes are fully

compliant.

In addition, the company's team has

individual capabilities which further

extend the expertise available at Sealant &

Construction Services, as Pip illustrates:

“All our operatives are directly employed

and either trained to NVQ Level 2 or

above or industry accredited. We take a

pro-active approach to training and are

pleased to enrol our operatives on

Apprenticeship schemes which has proved

highly successful for many years. Using a

combination of external and in-house

training, we ensure that all of our opera-

tives have the appropriate training to carry

out their job to the highest standards in the

safest possible manner, including the

recent introduction of Environmental

Awareness training via E-Learning.”

Sealant & Construction Services has

also invested in researching and obtaining

plant that performs with the lowest vibra-

tion levels available. This means that not

only are the company's operatives exposed

to minimal hand-arm vibration but that

maximum productivity is achieved in the

undertaking of the works; this translates

into greater efficiency of operations and

therefore cost savings for customers. Every

item of plant owned and hired by Sealant

& Construction Services has an HAV rat-

ing which we then translate into permissi-

ble trigger-time for the health & well-being

of the team. Several years ago, the compa-

ny took the decision to engage an

Occupational Health and Wellbeing con-

sultant to ensure that all our employees are

regularly examined and fit for their role.

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HEALTH & SAFETY: SCS TECHNASEAL

74

Further to this, the company's in-house

PAT testing facility also ensures that all

items of plant are regularly checked and

breakdowns can therefore be minimised.

Specifically, the company recently

invested in a new, fully-automated comput-

er-controlled track-saw which is pro-

grammed on-site to cut reinforced concrete

walls and slabs to precise depths and

lengths. This hi-tech piece of equipment

isolates the operative from the cutting head

to ensure complete safety at all times. It can

be used safely in areas where hoists and lifts

are unavailable by replacing the cumber-

some hydraulic pack found on most tradi-

tional track saws.

The company owns an extensive range

of equipment for its drilling and saw cutting

division, such as large petrol, diesel and

electric floor saws, petrol and hydraulic cut-

off saws, ring saws and chain saws, con-

crete crunching & bursting plant, a huge

range of diamond drilling rigs, mag drills

and much, much more!

Most recently, the company has been

involved in a number of key, noteworthy

projects, of which its recent contract with

Momart is most prominent; working on

behalf of the Landmark Trust, Sealant &

Construction Services were asked to drill

holes for the installation of a sculpture on

top of the Martello Tower in Aldeburgh.

Specifically designed and built by Antony

Gormley, creator of the Angel of the North

and to celebrate the Landmark Trust's 50th

anniversary, the installation is the first of

five to be installed at five different

Landmark sites across the UK.

The company's mastic joint sealing divi-

sion has also enjoyed one of its busiest

years yet, thanks to the securing of numer-

ous large scale contracts such as the sealing

of several Biogas tanks for a German con-

tractor as well as on the refurbishment pro-

gramme of lodges and villas at Center

Parcs Resorts and works on new Premier

Inn hotels across the UK.

www.scsukltd.co.uk

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HEALTH & SAFETY: SCS TECHNASEAL

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SCS technaseal.qxp_feature 2 19/11/2015 11:49 Page 75

Safecontractor was initially developed as a

bespoke project for a property management

client who wished to outsource the annual vet-

ting of contractors on its approved list. Interest

shown by other similar clients identified the

potential for a standardised system that could be offered to

the whole of the company's client base. In 1999 SupplyLine

was then born. After further development the product was

expanded to provide web based access to its clients and was

re-branded as Safecontractor in 2003. Steady growth and the

adoption of the system by some major brand names such as

Kellogg, Debenhams Retail Plc, Home Retail Group and

General Motors UK, saw entry into new client markets and

further growth in contractor members.

Safecontractor is operated by Exor (Services) Ltd, part of

the Santia group of companies and is owned by BECAP, the

private equity investment vehicle for Better Capital Limited.

Better Capital aim to unlock the enormous potential within

the Santia group of companies through commitment to

additional investment that will maintain and build upon the

high levels of quality and service that we endeavour to pro-

vide to our customers. More than 300,000 organizations

globally use the environmental management standard and

have achieved ISO 14001 certification.

With clients increasingly looking at the impact of their

supply chain on their environmental management goals it is

more important than ever to be able to demonstrate environ-

mental management credentials. The ISO 14001 standard

outlines how to put an effective environmental management

system in place. It is designed to help businesses remain

High levels of Quality &Service

Safe Contractor.qxp_feature 2 16/11/2015 14:01 Page 76