NEW UKAS CHIEF EXECUTIVE

ABCB Chairman and Managing Director of NQA, Matt Gantley, has been appointed as the new Chief Executive of UKAS, taking over from Paul Stennett on 1 September 2018.  ABCB would like to thank Paul Stennet for his support and assistance in significantly improving the relationship

NEW ABCB CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Trevor Nash will be retiring as Chief Executive of ABCB at the end of 2018, after nine years.  He will be replaced by Wayne Terry who will take over on 1 January 2019.

UKAS CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SURVEY

The results of the UKAS customer satisfaction survey for quarter 1,of 2015/16 are available through the following link

THE GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO CONSULTATION ON TRANSFORMING REGULATORY ENFORCEMENT

In the middle of 2011 the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills issued a consultation document on transforming regulatory enforcement. ABCB responded to the consultation to promote the use of accredited certification to support regulatory enforcement.

THE DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS ISSUES GUIDANCE TO UK BUSINESSES ENCOURAGING THEM TO USE NATIONALLY ACCREDITED CERTIFICATION.

ABCB has been successful in prompting the Department of Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) to state the UK Government’s support for UKAS accredited certification. BIS has published a statement on its website in which it encourages UK businesses, Government and local authorities seeking third party certification to do so with a certification body that is accredited by the UK’s national accreditation body, UKAS.

CAMPAIGNING AGAINST MISREPRESENTATION AND MISLEADING CLAIMS

It came to the Association’s notice that there was a certification organisation using the name ISO in its company name. It was quite likely that some people reading this organisation’s web site and promotional literature could believe that it was part of ISO. This organisation was not accredited by a national accreditation body.

ABCB CONTINUING TO PROMOTE NATIONALLY ACCREDITED CERTIFICATION

Recently it came to the Association’s notice that in Northern Ireland the Buildsafe-NI Action Plan had a requirement that all contractors seeking to tender for public sector works contracts shall have a health and safety management system certified by a third party.

ISO 45001 PUBLISHED

The long awaited ISO 45001 Occupational health and safety management systems – Requirments for Guidance and use was published in MArch 2018. A three year period has been agreed for OHSAS 18001 accredited certification bodies to upgrade their accreditation