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Author: Amanda Lambert

How to get PQS Approved

Insight by

amanda

Amanda Lambert

Published on

28 February 2025

Accreditations

Table of contents

Do you tick all the boxes to be PQS Approved?

Getting PQS approval depends on satisfying the assessors on a wide range of compliance issues. The specific requirements will vary based on several factors related to your business. Therefore, the first step is to ensure you have applied for the most suitable assessment.

There are several different assessment types available through PQS, so it’s important to apply for the right one. This depends on factors such as the number of employees you have and the level requested by your clients.

  • We support you every step of the way
  • Competitive pricing with no hidden costs
  • A quick, easy and hassle-free process

Why PQS Accreditation?

PQS accreditation is almost certain to open more doors and lead to more opportunities – in turn generating more business and profit for you and ensuring your own workforce is protected by robust health and safety practice.

Our service includes:

  • Up to date professional advice when you need it most
  • You, your directors and managers have direct access with a service provider who understands your needs
  • An expedient response from a professional
  • A friendly company with wide networking contacts
  • Confidence that your legal duties are covered

Call our experts on 0800 031 5404

or alternatively fill out the quick quote form.

PQS Accreditation

Completing the PQS application takes time and resources, as well as completing lots of forms and health and safety documentation.

We can make it easy for you by doing all the leg work for you. We carry out over 500 applications a year with 100% success.

For a small fee, we can take the pain away for you.

Complete the form, and we will tell you how it works and how much the whole process costs, including the PQS fee for your circumstances.

    Bespoke Risk Assessment & Method Statements

    Insight by

    amanda

    Amanda Lambert

    Published on

    7 October 2024

    Health and safety blog

    Table of contents

    Bespoke risk assessment and method statement

    Get customised risk assessment & method statements for your projects, or select one of our many ready to go templates.

    You can easily tailor the template to meet your specific needs.

    We provide standard and bespoke RAMS (risk and method statements).

    Standard RAMS

    We provide a wide range of risk assessment & method statements in template format on our website. Each can be five to sixteen pages long and contain between 3,000 and 9,000 words.

    The RAMS are within a template and cover all the principal risks and methods to carry out a specific job. The RAM Templates need the client’s involvement as there will be a comprehensive sequence of work that could apply. As the client, you would be responsible for ensuring that this sequence was relevant to yourself and, if not amended to reflect your process.

    Our standard RAMS cost from £6 to £12 per RAM or are provided free as part of our Safety Advisory service or Competent person service.

    Review our standard RAMS

    Bespoke risk assessment and method statements

    Bespoke RAMS are when the client has a very specific request that does not fall into any template we have available. Bespoke RAMS are tailored to include the process you carry out and ensure that all risks are appropriate to the job and site you are working on.

    Writing a bespoke RAMS requires input from one of the consultants, so we will charge a fee. Whatever your requirements, we will have the solution to support you.

    Use the form on this page to tell us about your requirements, and we will give you an economical fee to write it up for you using one of our templates.

    Please complete the form below and give us some details about your requirements.

    Complete the form below and we will get in touch







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      Asbestos awareness training – Keep your team safe

      Insight by

      amanda

      Amanda Lambert

      Published on

      10 September 2024

      Asbestos

      Asbestos Awareness Training

      Stay compliant and prioritise safety with asbestos awareness training. Provide your employees with the necessary training to handle asbestos safely. Developed by health and safety training experts.

      It is your employers responsibility to ensure that any employee who may come into contact or disturb asbestos carrying out their normal daily work tasks have been given the correct level of training. Enabling employees to have the knowledge to ensure that they can work safely and competently without risk to themselves or others working around them.

      There are three main levels of information, instruction and training.

      • Asbestos awareness
      • Non-licensable work with asbestos including NNLW
      • Licensable work with asbestos.

      Asbestos Awareness

      Asbestos Awareness Training can be provided in a number of forms but the most common and easiest form is to provide employees with access to Asbestos Awareness Online Training. The training is intended to provide the employees with the the information you need to avoid work that may disturb asbestos during any normal work which could disturb the fabric of a building, or other item which might contain asbestos. The training is not intended for anyone who will be involved in the removal of Asbestos.

      Asbestos Awareness training should cover the following:

      • how to avoid the risk of exposure to asbestos
      • the effects of asbestos on health and its properties, including the increased risk of developing lung cancer for asbestos workers who smoke
      • asbestos materials in buildings and plant, the types, uses and likely hood of it being present
      • the general procedures to deal with an emergency, eg. an uncontrolled release of asbestos dust into the workplace

      We can provide access to an Asbestos Awareness Online Training for any employers looking to ensure their employees are covered.

      All other levels of asbestos and the information and training needed can be found on the HSE website.

      Available health and safety online training courses

      You can also select a course you are interested in and click on the free trial button on the course. Select any courses from the list below:

      The courses available are:

      Health and Safety Policy

      Insight by

      amanda

      Amanda Lambert

      Published on

      7 September 2024

      Health and safety blog

      Table of contents

      Do I need a health and safety policy?

      Find out why even small businesses need a health and safety policy. Learn how to write a policy that meets legal requirements and keeps your employees safe.

      If you employ less than five people, you still need a health and safety policy; you can verbally communicate to employees or others who may be affected by your business activities.

      Businesses with more than five people must have a more detailed health and safety policy that includes the organisation and arrangements.

      The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 is the primary piece of legislation covering occupational health and safety in Great Britain. It’s sometimes referred to as HSWA, the HSW Act, the 1974 Act or HASAWA.

      How to write the policy

      A policy is a written statement which has three essential parts:

      1) Health & Safety Policy

      The health and safety policy details a statement of intent. The statement of intent details your aims and objectives, health and safety policy, processes and systems to prevent accidents, train your employees, supply PPE, etc. The policy is signed and dated by the most senior person, the managing director.

      (2) Organisation of Health and Safety – Roles and Responsibilities

      The organisation of health and safety is best done by developing an organisation chart, with the most senior person at the top, then detailing the people who are responsible for the day-to-day running of all matters concerning health and safety. An example is:

      • Managing director
      • Health and safety advisor
      • Fire safety manager
      • Health and safety training manager
      • Risk assessments and method statements manager
      • PPE manager
      • Control of substances hazardous to health COSHH manager

      In small businesses, one person may have many roles

      3) Arrangements for health and safety – How are risks managed?

      The arrangements for health and safety should detail how the organisation aims to achieve its aims. For example:

      • Develop risk assessments
      • Training of people
      • Consulting with people
      • Fire and emergency arrangements
      • First aid arrangements
      • Reporting of accidents, injuries and dangerous incidents
      • Arrangements for working at height, manual handling, etc.

      Tips to write a health and safety policy

      Here are some tips for creating a health and safety policy:

      Be specific – Tailor it to your business and clearly state who is responsible for what. 

      Get buy-in – Involve all stakeholders, especially those with significant safety responsibilities, to ensure the policy is accurate. 

      Review regularly – Update the policy annually or when there are changes to the business, such as a new management structure or expansion. 

      The benefits of having a written policy for businesses of any size including: 

      • Demonstrating a commitment to the health and safety of employees, customers, contractors, and the public
      • Clarifying responsibilities
      • Building confidence when seeking new contracts or tenders

      Buy a policy

      We have written several health and safety policies. Click on the link to review them: Health and safety policies.

      We can write a policy for you if you can’t see your company type above.

      SEGURO Support

      If you would like and advice on a Health & Safety Policy, call us on 0800 031 5404 or complete the form below, and we will contact you.







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        What is Builders Profile?

        Insight by

        amanda

        Amanda Lambert

        Published on

        14 August 2024

        Health and safety blog

        Table of contents

        What is Builders Profile?

        Find out how Builders Profile streamlines subcontractor procurement. Get all the details you need in one convenient location.

        Builder’s Profile provides a service enabling clients and contractors to procure the services of subcontractors who have demonstrated compliance and provided the necessary PQQ (pre-qualification questionnaire) information.

        The accessible database allows companies to submit their information and keep it up to date easily for clients and contractors to review. If you are a client or a contractor, it gives you one location to view all the details you need to manage a supply chain, no matter how large or small.

        The idea is that subcontractors are able to fill in one PQQ instead of having to fill in different ones for each contractor they want to work with.

        The benefit for contractors of Builder’s Profile is that all the information you need to select a subcontractor is in one place.  This can help reduce the cost of procurement as well as administration.

        There are various levels of membership available

        • Main Contractor Membership
        • Subcontractor Premium Membership
        • Subcontractor Basic Membership
        • Members of our Partner Trade Associations, Premium Membership
        • Members of Supporting Trade Associations share a discounted Premium Membership

        The Key Benefits

        • You do not need to manage multiple profiles and documents over several platforms.
        • A secure system that allows you to keep your PQQ files and documents all in one place.
        • Access to Marketplace allows you to see and tender for thousands of private and public construction market projects.
        • Access to Acclaim. Acclaim is one of the founding members of SSIP to obtain SSIP accreditation.

        What does a Builder’s Profile cost?

        For a sub-contractor, the membership fee depends on your turnover; the price range is between £149 to £349 + VAT per annum. (January 2025)

        If you hold a constructionline membership, a combined membership is possible.

        SEGURO Support

        The world of PQQ’s SSIP accreditation suppliers, such as CHAS, Constructionline, PQS, and Builders Profile, is complex.

        If you would like FREE support to help you work out the best option, please call us on 0800 031 5404, or we can contact you. Complete the form below, and we will get in touch.







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          Do you need a Fire Risk Assessment?

          Insight by

          amanda

          Amanda Lambert

          Published on

          22 July 2024

          Fire safety

          General Fire Awareness TrainingDo you need a Fire Risk Assessment?

          1. Who’s responsible

          If you’re an landlord, business owner, occupier, or other non-domestic premises, you’ll be the person responsible for fire safety. You’re known as the ‘responsible person’. The Fire Safety Order also applies if you run a bed and breakfast, guesthouse or let a self-catering property as you have paying guests.

          Responsibilities

          As the responsible person you must:

          • carry out a fire risk assessment of the premises and review it regularly
          • tell staff or their representatives about the risks you’ve identified
          • put in place, and maintain, appropriate fire safety measures
          • plan for an emergency
          • provide staff information, fire safety instruction and training

          Non-domestic premises

          Non-domestic premises are:

          • all workplaces and commercial premises
          • all premises the public have access to
          • the common areas of multi-occupied residential buildings

          2. Fire risk assessments

          As the responsible person you must carry out and regularly review a fire risk assessment of the premises. This will identify what you need to do to prevent fire and keep people safe.

          You’ll need to consider:

          • emergency routes and exits
          • fire detection and warning systems
          • fire fighting equipment
          • the removal or safe storage of dangerous substances
          • an emergency fire evacuation plan
          • the needs of vulnerable people, eg the elderly, young children or those with disabilities
          • providing information to employees and other people on the premises
          • staff fire safety training

          Help with the assessment

          You can do the fire risk assessment yourself with the help of standard fire safety advice documents.

          You’ll need to appoint a ‘competent person’ to help, eg a professional risk assessor, if you don’t have the expertise or time to do the fire risk assessment yourself.

          Your local fire and rescue authority might be able to give you advice if you’re not sure your risk assessment’s been carried out properly. However, they can’t carry out risk assessments for you.

          Why use Seguro for your CHAS Accreditation?

          Insight by

          amanda

          Amanda Lambert

          Published on

          5 June 2024

          CHAS

          Why use Seguro for your CHAS Accreditation?

          We supply bespoke documentation to help complete the sections needed for CHAS as well as a dedicated consultant for you to contact at any time through the process.

          We help you to submit all the documentation on the CHAS online portal providing you with a step by step guide for your involvement.

          We have over 25 years’ experience in the industry and successfully complete over 900 applications every year. Our job is to make your life easier letting you focus on your business.

          Call us now on 0800 031 5404 or send us a quotation request, we will reply within the same working day.

          Top Ten tips for completing a PQQ

          Insight by

          amanda

          Amanda Lambert

          Published on

          22 May 2024

          Health and safety blog

          Seguro approval

          Completing a PQQ can seem Daunting

          Here are out Top Ten tips for completing a PQQ, there are lots of sections and information about your company that you may not have had to think about before. Submitting a good PQQ doesn’t mean it will be a winning PQQ but it does mean you have a much better chance if you have shown you have taken the time to complete it properly.

          It goes without saying a good PQQ has no errors or information missing and that you have answered all questions as fully as you can.

          We have compiled a handy top ten tips list that should should help:

          Top Tips

          1. Read the PQQ fully as the beginning so you can understand what is required of you.
          2. When putting the PQQ together take it one question at a time.
          3. Always provide evidence and supporting documentation when asked for.
          4. Ensure your answers focus on the requirements set out in the specification and evaluation criteria.
          5. Provide all of the information requested. If you cannot provide some of the information, for whatever reason, ask for advice or as a minimum give a reason for not providing the information so they know you have not just skipped that section.
          6. Where relevant, cross-reference the answers or responses in your PQQ to the questions as this will make it easier to evaluate.
          7. Be clear on your pricing model and state any assumptions you have made when pricing. This will enable the assessor to see the reasons you may be more expensive or indeed cheaper.
          8. The assessor can only evaluate what you have submitted. The assessor cannot refer to any previous knowledge or experience it has had with you unless it is in your submission
          9. Make sure you are aware of the objective of the contract – this will help focus your submission.
          10. Don’t be put off by the PQQ documentation – you can always ask for help.

          A must for every PQQ is that you complete and return the document by the deadline and in the correct format that has been requested. Failure to do that simple thing could mean your PQQ isn’t even looked at.

          If you still feel you need some help after reading our Top Ten tips for completing a PQQ we are more than happy to see if there is anything we can do.

          Get in touch with us via our General PQQ submission.

          CHAS Training guidance

          Insight by

          amanda

          Amanda Lambert

          Published on

          14 March 2024

          CHAS

          Table of contents

          CHAS Training Guidance

          You will be required to prove that your personnel have been trained and you have the correct training and procedures to show they are performing their jobs responsibly with Health & Safety.

          The training requirements often differ depending on which sector you are in and the business size. CHAS has identified some set minimum criteria, and it is a good place to start for all companies.

          To comply with the standard, you may be required to train your personnel in the following courses if you have not already done so.

          CHAS will accept any training qualification provided it meets the content requirements and an organisation of suitable expertise has independently approved it.

          Such organisations include:

          • Relevant Trade Associations, e.g. BESA, ECA
          • Safety organisations, e.g. RoSPA, IOSH, IIRSM
          • Government agencies, e.g. CITB
          • Regulated training authorities, e.g. City & Guilds

          Seguro health and safety training

          We offer a vast amount of health and safety elearning courses at a fraction of the cost  you’d expect; this health and safety e-learning has the bonus of a minimal loss of productivity because it’s efficient and flexible.

          You can try them for FREE.

          Learn more about CHAS

          We have a series of articles where you can learn more about CHAS. The list of articles is below:

          Which Accreditation is best for my business?

          Insight by

          amanda

          Amanda Lambert

          Published on

          7 March 2024

          Constructionline

          Which Accreditation is best for my business?

          The question which accreditation is best for my business is asked on a daily basis, as a consultant that is not a question we can answer for your business. There are a number of factors you should take into account when you are making the decision:

          • Have you been asked by a client to have a particular one?
          • Are you looking to get on a certain clients supplier list – they may have a preference?
          • What is the purpose of the accreditation?
          • Do you have a budget in mind?
          • Do you have all the necessary paperwork?

          If you have an answer to any of the above then that accreditation is the best one for your business as there is already the promise of a return on your investment.

          Our advice where a client has no preference and there is a possibility that they will need both in the future is to follow this process:

          Which assessment company do you select?

          CHAS
          PQS
          Construction line
          Safe Contractor
          SMAS
          CQMA
          Builders profile
          Avetta

          The most expensive is CHAS, and the least costly is PQS. Due to the Deem to Satisfy system by SSIP, a PQS accreditation is equivalent to a CHAS accreditation, and for a small fee, you can obtain certificates for both.

          The driver for selection usually is your customer; if they insist on CHAS, you can get accredited with PQS and request a certificate for CHAS within the process.

          Impartial advise

          Feel free to call us, and we can advise you on the best selection for your needs. We have completed thousands of applications and understand the market inside out. We don’t mind which company you select; the assessment process is the same, thanks to SSIP.

          Who is Seguro

          Seguro Health and Safety Management employs qualified health and safety consultants who complete the application to obtain accreditation from all the assessment companies. Seguro removes the pain of completing all the documentation and ensuring you comply.

          Stage one: Apply for your PQS accreditation as this can be used for the Health & Safety Section of CHAS or Constructionline as well as being able to be used for many deem to satisfy schemes under the SSIP umbrella scheme.

          Stage Two: Once you have your certificate for PQS apply for your CHAS and Constructionline status.

          Each business is individual so if you want to get bespoke advice, please give us a ring on 0800 031 5404