RoSPA Press Office : Press Release
January 31, 2008
NEW BENEFITS FOR ORGANISATIONS UNDERGOING A RoSPA AUDIT
RoSPA’s flagship health and safety management audit system has been enhanced by the introduction of new features for first-time and existing clients.
The safety charity’s unique Quality Safety Audit (QSA) provides an in-depth analysis of the specific factors at the heart of an organisation’s safety performance, assessing them against the principles of HSG65, BS8800 and OHSAS 18001.
The new developments are founded on RoSPA’s belief that good performance and continuous improvement in health and safety management should be both encouraged and recognised.
Organisations implementing QSA have the option of applying for a QSA Award, which serves as a public declaration of their achievement. For the first time, insurance company AIG UK is offering lower premiums to organisations achieving Platinum (formerly Level 4) or Diamond (formerly Level 5) QSA Awards.
Another new feature will be the presentation of Platinum and Diamond certificates during the glittering evening ceremonies at RoSPA’s Occupational Health and Safety Awards in Birmingham in May or Scotland in September. Organisations achieving QSA Award Levels 1-3 will receive their certificates during the daytime ceremonies.
A ‘switching service’ for organisations currently using another audit package, but wishing to transfer to QSA, has also been developed. RoSPA inputs an organisation’s back-data into QSA, enabling a smooth transition to the new system and ensuring that previously-collected information is not lost.
Errol Taylor, Deputy Chief Executive of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, said: “Good records on the prevention of workplace accidents and ill-health are increasingly seen as a competitive advantage that is attractive to shareholders, potential business partners and customers alike. Conducting an audit to check that the foundations for managing health and safety are up to scratch is therefore a valuable exercise in any organisation.
“Our clients frequently cite the Quality Safety Audit’s flexibility, quantitative nature, benchmarking ability and practical suggestions for continuous improvement as key reasons for choosing the system. Their testimonies tell of reductions in the number of accidents - and associated costs - since introducing QSA.
“We hope the new features will further benefit organisations undergoing this thorough assessment of their health and safety management system.”
Organic yogurt maker Yeo Valley Farms has used QSA for seven years and has moved from Level 3 to Level 5 in that time. Terry Kelly, Human Resources Manager, said: "Though we were confident that our health and safety management policy and procedures were good and our 'culture' comparable or better than that of most other companies, the RoSPA QSA process clearly identified many areas requiring improvement.
“Initially, we saw an apparent increase in the incidence of accidents, as a result of an improved reporting system. However, last year we reduced the incidence of accidents by over 20 per cent, with an average ten per cent reduction in RIDDOR reports for each of the last three years.
"The RoSPA QSA has also been invaluable in achieving the 'buy in' to health and safety of all of our directors, management and other staff. It is the intention of the directors to continue to have regular audits, through the RoSPA QSA system, as part of our commitment to continuous improvement and maintenance of the highest possible standards of compliance. "
See www.rospa.com/audit/qsa/, email consultancy@rospa.com or call 0121 248 2034 for more information.
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RoSPA is a registered charity: Registered Charity No: 207823 Patron: Her Majesty the Queen RoSPA Head Office: Edgbaston Park, 353 Bristol Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B5 7ST, UK |
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