EXECUTIVE REPORT
SafeHire assessment
Alan Guthrie finds out how hirers are reacting to HAE’s SafeHire scheme, now that it has become mandatory.
As we reported last September, HAE’s SafeHire certification scheme is becoming mandatory. Members have to comply by 1 January 2018. First launched in 2001, it aims to raise standards in procedures and operational areas, as well as the condition of equipment, enabling companies to potentially win more business.
Several hirers have contacted EHN expressing some frustrations. Matt Dolan, Director of Alpine Hire in Warrington, said, “The first I knew we were being inspected was when a letter arrived giving the date the assessor was to arrive - which clashed with a board meeting. I am concerned that SafeHire will cut across our existing initiatives. Our local council undertakes regular safety checks at our premises, and we pay an independent consultant to assess us every six months. Admittedly, these do not cover kit specifically, but is SafeHire just adding another layer of bureaucracy?
“Also, SafeHire seems to offer more for the nationals. I understand that certificated companies can register with CHAS (Contractors Health & Safety Assessment Scheme), and that some larger contractors look for this for inclusion on preferred supplier lists, but our main customers are small builders and tradesmen. Basically, I’ll support anything that meaningfully helps to improve safety and adds value, and if HAE can convince me, I’ll embrace it.”
“Improvements could be made”
EPS Hire Centres first obtained accreditation in 2003. “It was voluntary and we were told it would set us apart from the rest and
give us a competitive edge," said Director Jason Fielden. “We stopped it in 2008 because of the recession, reapplying in late 2016, with assessment taking place in March 2017. The assessor spent a few hours at our two depots in Sowerby Bridge and Mytholmroyd. The shortfall at our depots seemed to be on written records for fire and Health & Safety policies, rather than the hire equipment and customer handovers. He was very good at advising us on how to comply, but I feel some improvements could be made to increase the value of SafeHire. Something like a star rating would be great to set hire companies apart from the competition, and would encourage them to continuously improve. I also believe HAE should raise awareness of SafeHire as a brand, so customers actively look for it, rather than placing business on price alone. SafeHire seems to have a ‘one size fits all’ approach which needs more work, and if it can be developed further and we all support it, we can all benefit.”
EPS Hire Centres’ Jason Fielden.
Another hirer, operating in the south of England, believed the cost of SafeHire inspection was too high pro rata for companies with fewer depots. “Nationals with hundreds of depots pay less per outlet and only have to have a proportion assessed each year. They should all be checked for consistency. We have had SafeHire for years and I am obviously not against the principle of raising standards, but I feel there is no real template to follow to monitor progress. We would appreciate regular updates on issues that assessors have encountered that all hirers should be aware of. It should be done in a spirit of assistance, not just assessment.”
“We would not be without it” Matt Dolan of Alpine Hire. 21
However, some hirers are enthusiastic about SafeHire. “We would not be without it,” said Mike Clegg, MD of PSM Plant & Tool Hire Centres in Sidcup. “There are many procedures and regulations hirers should abide by. SafeHire makes you comply before an incident happens that could land you in court. We find the assessors knowledgeable about hire when they check our three depots,
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