The Construction Health and Safety Assessment Scheme (CHAS), is the national standard for basic health and safety compliance in construction. Brick-Tie have consistently achieved this standard, with no gap in accreditation for 15 years.
It is the essential minimum standard for construction heath and safety – independently audited, and a crucial thing to look for before employing any structural repair, wall tie replacement, or damp-proofing specialist. That said, it is a basic standard, and achieving it, though important, wasn’t such massive challenge for us. Afterall, for many years we set the standard for health and safety in our industry.
Why CHAS ADVANCED?
Health and safety tends to focus on the obvious hazards, falls from ladders, electric shock and back injuries. But beyond that are underlying poor practices that drive poor health outcomes for employees, and poor project performance for clients. CHAS ADVANCED addresses these drivers at source. By including these ‘off site’ issues, we can reduce pressure on employees and managers to perform, at the expense of health and safety, and employee well-being.
CHAS ADVANCED takes the foundations of the standard Chas assessment, and adds in deeper compliance checks. These include modern slavery, financial, corporate governance, diversity, and environmental standards.
Why do these things matter to clients? Sadly, the construction industry, even the specialist parts, have been plagued with problems. These include poor workmanship, and bad health and safety practice. Deaths at work have been reduced and that’s real progress, CHAS STANDARD has played its part in this. It does what is says and checks that contractors have sufficient health and safety management in place.
CHAS Advanced was designed to address underlying issues that are often present, but which can be traced as the route cause of many accidents. Firms who don’t value safety at work are often poorly managed across the board. Bear in mind that poor management of health and safety is illegal, so clearly, if a firm is willing to break the law on this clear moral, and legal obligation, standards are likely to be be shoddy across the board.
Poor cash-flow, and unprofitability tends to hit health and safety first. Cancelling training days, safety courses, cut-backs on equipment maintenance, and reusing worn-out tools are just some things that lead to injury or damage. When a company is in financial trouble moral goes down, service suffers, quality falls as corners are cut.
Evidence of companies paying cash-in-hand to save tax and NI is growing. Exploitation of immigrants and minorities, vulnerable people, even minors, is a growing problem. Exploited and unhappy staff do not care about quality – why should they, if the boss doesn’t care about them? Insurance being reduced or cancelled due to lack of cash is another issue. These matters are addressed by the CHAS ADVANCED audit.
Financial transparency and fairness for all.
Brick-Tie was established in 1986. In 2022, after 36 years of family management we became employee owned. Soon we’ll be 40! It’s important for us, that safety, health, and good employment practices remain our top priorities. This isn’t just a promise, it is independently verified by CHAS ADVANCED. Putting customers and employees at the heart of what we do, we carry forward our values of integrity and service. .Cherishing these, whilst striving to build on them.
Thanks go to all the team, and to Kirstie Park, who has made such a super impact since her arrival this year, and has been in the center of this effort – thank you Kirstie!
For advice, surveys, and service with a smile, contact us on 0800 591541 or via our contact page.
