ECA and HCVA Health and Safety initiative

Health and Safety initiative by the Electrical Contractors' Association and the Heating and Ventilating Contractors' Association.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) welcomed the launch of an initiative by the Electrical Contractors' Association (ECA) and the Heating and Ventilating Contractors' Association (HVCA), which helps member contractors meet health and safety competences.

Many contractors undergo 'pre-qualification' assessments from clients and major contractors when tendering for work; these assessments look for evidence of contractors' basic health and safety credentials.

Sometimes contractors are required to prove these competencies for each job they tender for.

To address this issue HSE commissioned a study by J Z Carpenter , "Developing guidelines for the selection of designers and contractors under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994, Research Report 422".

Based on the report's recommendations, HSE initiated a consultation exercise with industry bodies, including the Major Contractors' Group and the Specialist Engineering Contractors' Group, to develop a set of core criteria that should be used to assess contractors.

Commenting on the launch, HSE's Richard Boland said: "I am pleased that we have been able to work with the ECA/HVCA to launch this initiative to their members and clients".

"I hope that it will prove useful in explaining what should be covered when carrying out a competence assessment".

"This is a good example of how HSE is working together with industry to deliver good health and safety practice".

According to Paul Reeve, Health Safety and Environment manager at the ECA: "We appreciate the HSE's support for this competency initiative based on the core criteria, which will help both clients and contractors in construction and importantly in other contracted activities".

"Both the ECA and the HVCA are working to ensure that our members have the know how to meet these standards and we urge clients to recognise compliance with the new criteria".

Bob Towse, HVCA Head of Technical and Safety added, "Along with all other interests within construction, the mechanical and electrical sectors have established stretching targets in terms of improving our health and safety record".

"Anything that can help ECA and HVCA in meeting and ideally exceeding - these targets is therefore both welcome and valuable." The 'core criteria' state clearly what contractors should be doing to meet basic health and safety requirements and are based on the key requirements in the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.

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