The Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA) has enhanced its searchable database of members to enable public and private sector procurers to identify ECA members that meet the standards set by Safety Schemes in Procurement (SSIP).
More than 650 ECA member firms are already included in the list. Paul Reeve, ECA Director of Business Services, says: “Clients and other buyers place considerable importance on the health and safety credentials of contractors.
"The new listing means they can find out very quickly if an ECA member, who is already electrically competent, has also passed an SSIP-recognised assessment. A firm that is SSIP compliant is one that meets or beats HSE-recognised general requirements for contractors’ health and safety capability.”
SSIP is the leading umbrella scheme for bodies that assess contractors to nationally recognised health and safety 'core criteria'. SSIP member schemes include CHAS, Safecontractor and SMAS, as well as virtually all UKAS-accredited bodies that certify to BS OHSAS 18001.
Reeve concludes: “Initiatives such as SSIP are increasingly important in construction pre-qualification, and it is vital that good electrical and other building services contractors can demonstrate health and safety management capability.
"By making SSIP compliance more visible, we also aim to encourage even greater take-up among ECA members, raising the bar for the sector as a whole.”
