A safety passport and competency profiling scheme is
said to be raising standards in hazardous industries
while helping organisations cut costs
HSM first reported on the EMSS
scheme in 2009. Since then
Essential MiniA safety passport and competency profiling scheme is
said to be raising standards in hazardous industries
while helping organisations cut costs
HSM first reported on the EMSS
scheme in 2009. Since then
Essential Minimum Safety
Standard (EMSS) has received support
from both the HSE and British Safety
Council which the scheme's organisers
says is testament to its innovation.
"HSE's strategy for health and safety in
the 21st Century calls on organisations to
show leadership including in the sharing
of knowledge and good practice. EMSS is
an example of knowledge sharing to meet
the needs of the current world of work,
helping companies and individuals to
access training records and to verify
levels of competence in a mobile
workforce," comments HSE chair Judith
Hackit, adding: "EMSS provides an
effective system for recording health and
safety competence."
Julie Nerney, chief
executive of the British
Safety Council has also
said that the BSC fully
supports the scheme.
EMSS is an
independent and 'not
for profit' social
enterprise comprising
of decades of expertise
drawn from within the
industry. The mantra
'by the industry, for the
industry' has been
embraced domestically
and is quickly
spreading throughout
the world and across all
industry sectors.
"No-one is making a
profit out of the EMSS
as any monies left are
put back into the
scheme for improvements and in future
will be invested into other training and
development programs. As Chairman
of the Tees Branch of IOSH I
believe supporting EMSS will
benefit a wide range of employers
and individuals" explains Pete Walker,
chairman IOSH.
EMSS not only serves as an umbrella
scheme for minimum safety qualifications
but also allows users to upload other
training to their online profile. Client sites
can instantly audit them and see proof of
their competence when they turn up on
site or before they arrive.
"EMSS is not looking to exclude
anyone; all the most popular safety
passport schemes currently in the
industry have been audited to a stringent
standard using the best expertise available
coupled with HSE Guidance. If you have
one of these safety passports why should
you have to prove yourself again to get
on a different site that recognises a
different safety passport? This money
would be better spent on more industry
specific safety or induction training?"
explains Alan Bassett chairman of
NESHEP.
Prior to EMSS, clients had to validate
contractors' safety passports and request
copies of training certificates to prove
they were up to the job they had come to
do. EMSS provides a universal vehicle to
access all that information on their profile
instantly.
EMSS is said to benefit the industry
from several perspectives:
Users
Users can upload their relevant industry
training to their profile and instantly
share it with their employer and any sites
they will attend. The minimum entry
requirement for an EMSS card is an
approved, valid safety passport or
equivalent qualification. There is no need
for a new qualification to enter the EMSS
scheme. Audited and approved schemes
are BSC Level 2 Award or BSC Level 3
Certificate, CCNSG, The National Safety
Passport, SPA, VCA (European Passport),
IOSH Managing Safely and NEBOSH
General Certificate. EMSS not only asks
for proof of a candidate's safety passport,
we also audit their qualification with the
awarding body providing even more time
and cost savings to the industry.
Employers
Employers can network staff to a free
'network profile'. From here they can add
in house training for their people and
instantly share their profiles with clients
prior to the individual attending a site. No
more need for sending over documentary
evidence of staff's relevant skills; they can
be instantly shared electronically saving
both employer and client a great deal of
admin, time and money.
Client sites
Client sites can access any EMSS card
holder's training records and assurance
that they have an in-date, audited and
approved industry standard safety
passport or equivalent. Sites can live audit
EMSS card holders via web on the job or
when they arrive on site. EMSS card
holders can also share their profile via
email before they even arrive on site.
Contractors can also share multiple
profiles with a client site ahead of a job
saving everyone time and money in
unnecessary admin. This system is at zero
cost to the clients.
Visit: www.emssonline.org and click on
the 'I' icon for more information.
