Last month, following a six-day audit, the British Standards Institute (BSi) recommended e.surv for certification to the ISO 45001 standard for Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems. Having previously achieved the RoSPA Level 3 award and ISO 18001 (Occupational Health and Safety), this was our first application for accreditation against ISO 45001.
ISO 45001 is the world’s first international standard for occupational health and safety, giving us parity with prestigious organisations around the globe.
The audit
The audit involved two days of accompanied visits with two of our surveyors, Steven Foreman and Martin Hunt. BSi auditor David Harris was particularly impressed by the degree of health and safety awareness, commenting: ‘Steven and Martin are a credit to e.surv and showed excellent adaptability when dealing with different occupant circumstances during their inspections’.
The remaining four days of the audit involved a series of interviews and meetings with 24 colleagues from around the business, focusing on the communication, training, application and understanding of our health and safety controls. The auditor was shown policies, processes and risk assessments relating to health and safety, along with examples of statutory training, inspections, marketing and communication material, and required documentation.
David Harris was full of praise for the colleagues he spoke with and the level of compliance and control in evidence across our business. He included the following summary in his audit report,
‘The e.surv Chartered Surveyors Ltd team demonstrated good knowledge of their roles and responsibilities and spoke with enthusiasm. The senior management team see the engagement and participation of the employees as critical to the successful delivery of an effective OH&S management system and underpinning culture. The business has been protective and swift to adapt to the COVID-19 controls and ensure the employees safety with adaptation to desktop-based surveys having been implemented’.
‘Thank you!’
Health and Safety Manager, Sarah Haigh is understandably delighted by the accolade, which reflects positively of the hard work and commitment of the Health and Safety team. She commented:
‘I’d like to personally thank everyone who participated in the six-day audit for their cooperation and openness. I’d also like to extend that thanks to everyone at e.surv for helping develop a health and safety culture. It is the responsibility of every colleague to protect their own health and safety and that of those they meet. Thank you all for your continued support’.