Aced the audit!

Anyone who even glances at our blog will see just how seriously we take safety. That’s why we’re in a celebratory mood. During the first half of December, Force was audited by BSI for compliance under the AS/NZS 4801 Safety Management Systems certification and the ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems standard.

Our Sydney branch at Girraween, Homebush Major Inspection’s, Perth and Acacia Ridge sites were audited by BSI with no non-conformances found. The certifications extend across our entire network in Australia and help reinforce Force’s HSE (Health, Safety and the Environment) Management System commitment.

Here’s what it all means

BSI is the British Standards Institution. It develops standards for a myriad of products and services, but it also certifies companies under standards like ISO and AS/NZS. Its trademark, nicknamed the ‘kitemark’—it looks a bit like a kite—is one of the most recognised certification marks in the world; BSI operates in 150 countries worldwide. The “Kitemark” is one of the most recognised standards symbols in the world.

Force was the first to achieve safety certification

The AS/NZS 4801 certification is one we are particularly proud of. We were the first rental company in Australia to achieve this certification, and we believe achieving this is vital, particularly when hiring out high risk equipment such as elevated work platforms. This is Australia’s benchmark standard for health and safety management systems. As part of AS/NZS 4801, we have identified training requirements for our staff, set our objectives in health and safety, and detailed our recording system. For full transparency, BSI has published an on-line checklist showing the path to compliance.

One of the great things about AS/NZS is the way it aligns with other standards; it is smoothly incorporated into our overall management system. It works particularly well with ISO certifications.

ISO is the biggest standards writer in the world

ISO is the International Organization for Standards. Formed in 1947, today it maintains over 19,500 standards covering almost every aspect of technology and business. You may have heard of the ISO 9000 family of standards; they cover quality assurance in manufacturing. The 14000 series covers environmental measures. ISO 14001, the certification we have earned, pertains to environmental management systems. It assures our customers that environmental impact is being monitored and measured. The certification process recognises our environmental policy, which includes objectives, targets and internal programs. ISO just maintains the standard; it doesn’t certify. Organisations like BSI do the certification.

Why should our customers care about this? When you rent an elevated work platform or other access equipment from us, you can be assured we have a standardised safety policy that is written down, monitored and recorded. Safety is our top priority. The 14001 certification makes it clear that we believe in environmental responsibility. We have set out measurable goals to continuously improve our environmental performance.

That’s two more reasons Force stands out from the crowd.