Getting the required accreditation and certifications is an ideal way to ensure that scaffolders maintain the necessary safety standards for scaffolding and scaffold workers. Scaffolding team members receive professional training and practical guidance to ensure that they are knowledgeable, skilled and certified to safely execute scaffolding duties. Here are different scaffold associations and accreditations and certificates scaffolding businesses and experts should be equipped with.
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Available scaffold association
Scaffold associations play an essential role in representing scaffolding businesses and ensuring that safety standards and competence prevail in the industry. The common scaffolding associations in the UK include the following;
1. National Access & Scaffolding Confederation(NASC)
The NASC has a long-standing reputation as the trade body for access and scaffolding. Serving several scaffolding suppliers, contractors, and manufacturers, NASC has more than eight decades of maintaining, improving, and ensuring compliance with safety standards.
The confederation ensures that the members adhere to the NASC criteria, code of practice and code of conduct for scaffolding products. The organisation ensures that the safety standards are up to par and at the same time enforces the best practices while keeping up with the industry as it gradually evolves.
Some of the things NASC full members get to benefit from include the following:
- Health and safety guidance
- Availability of technical support
- Guidance on employment affairs
- Legal advice
- Proper training
- Easy access to information and potential clients
- Recognition as a regulated organisation
2. The scaffolding association
The scaffolding association is a non-profit independent organisation whose aim is to improve the safety standards, workforce skills and technical quality of the scaffolding industry. The trade body works with the members, government agencies, standard-setting bodies and other client organisations to ensure that there’s competence, high training standards and adherence to the best practices across the scaffolding industry.
The organisation is backed by the Construction(Design & Management) Regulations 2015 and it can easily demonstrate your Health & Safety compliance to your clients. A small fee is required before joining the association.
Top scaffolding accreditation
Before working with a scaffolder, you need to make sure you verify the accreditations they have so that you can know whether you’re dealing with a professional. For scaffolders and scaffolding companies, having the right accreditations is one way to assure your clients of your competence. Here are some of the top scaffolding accreditations that you can look out for.
3. Constructonline
Constructionline is a government-owned database that’s well-connected, and it provides procurement and supply chain management services. With both private and public tenders in one platform, members can easily access new business opportunities. It eases the tender process and saves the members a lot of time finding the right business partner.
There’s also the Constructonline Gold level 3 membership where members enjoy more benefits than what’s given in the silver membership. Some of the benefits include assessment in areas like quality management, diversity and equality and environmental management.
There’s also the assessment and awarding of the SSIP accreditation if the member is compliant with the health and safety laws. With this membership, members can easily bid and win more jobs because of the scrutiny they are subjected to.
4. Contractor’s Health and Safety Scheme(CHAS)
If a scaffolding company is CHAS compliant, it means they have been audited and proven compliant with the Health and Safety legislation. They are UK’s leading compliance and risk management solution providers.
They have three types of membership plans that have different benefits. The first one is the entry-level membership which includes SSIP accreditation and a health and safety assessment. There’s also the CHAS advance which helps you acquire SSIP accreditation and PAS 91 compliance. Lastly, there’s the CHAS elite which gives access to comprehensive risk assessment.
5. SMAS Worksafe
Safety Management Advisory Limited is another body that helps its members show their health and safety compliance through SSIP accreditation. The SSIP certificate is recognised by many organisations thus ensuring that your clients know you are fully compliant with the safety requirements.
6. Achilles building confidence
Achilles’ building confidence is yet another recognised standard when it comes to supplier compliance and excellence in the industry. The platform is crucial when it comes to connecting buyers with key suppliers demonstrating compliance and leading standards in the industry.
7. United Kingdom Accreditation Service(UKAS)
UKAS is a national accreditation body in the UK appointed by the government to ensure the integrity and technical competence of organisations. This accreditation body works in the public interest.
Scaffolding certification
The personnel working on scaffolding need the right certification to show that they are qualified for the job. The right certificate means they have undergone the necessary training to ensure that they can effectively and efficiently execute their scaffolding duties. Here are some of the bodies responsible for issuing certifications crucial for the scaffolding industry.
8. Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme(CISRS)
CISRS is one of the UK’s recognised and preferred scaffold training qualifications. It’s crucial for scaffolding companies to ensure that their operatives are trained, tested and issued with the right cards in accordance with the CSIRS requirements. With the CISRS certification, clients are assured that they are working with operatives that are well-trained, experienced and competent when it comes to erecting, dismantling and maintenance of scaffolding.
9. Prefabricated Access Suppliers & Manufacturers Association(PASMA)
PASMA is a recognised authority when it comes to safety standards and best practices in the scaffolding sector. Beneficial for both employee and employer, PASMA training involves being informed of the safety measures when working at height. Scaffolding operatives are trained on how to stay safe and keep others safe while conducting their scaffolding duties.
Apart from knowing the risks, and health and safety precautions, PASMA-certified operatives are more competent working on scaffolding.
There are several accreditations and associations that are recommended for companies specialising in scaffolding. If you cannot join all associations or manage to get all the accreditations and certifications, it’s advisable to prioritise those that are more recognised to ensure that your business is on the safe side. This will assure any potential clients of the businesses’ competence.