More than ticking boxes – it’s another accreditation for Reliance High-Tech! Are your existing partners really qualified for the job?

 

This week, we learned that Reliance High-Tech has been awarded the NSI Health and Safety Gold scheme, ensuring compliance with ISO 45001:2018. This is the latest in a series of accreditations that differentiate Reliance High-Tech and speak to the rigorous systems, well-trained people and shared expertise that customers benefit from, as a result.

To understand why ISO 45001 is significant and how it strengthens our work with customers, I posed some questions to Darrel Skinner, QESH Manager at Reliance High-Tech, who manages our accreditation process.

What is ISO 45001?

“In being awarded ISO 45001, an organisation is tested on its occupational health and safety. The accreditation includes close inspections of systems as well as the site – or workplace – itself. It involves two stages and a lot of employee training. The accreditation is awarded for three years, but there is an annual audit to ensure organisations don’t slip backwards. That’s important because it ensures we are dedicated to continuous improvement. It’s one thing to get the standard, but another to keep it, and we cannot rest on our laurels.”

Why is ISO 45001 important?

“Having ISO 450001 improves the safety culture throughout our organisation. Ultimately, it reduces workplace accidents by addressing and understanding risk and identifying hazards. It ensures legal compliance, of course, but it also enhances the reputation of our business: in effect, it says we can be trusted to work on a customer site, for example. It’s increasingly true that many organisations prefer to work with suppliers and partners that have ISO 45001 certification, as it demonstrates a higher level of reliability and risk management.”

This latest accreditation comes on the back of plenty more, of course. Tell us about those. 

“Yes, the list is already long, and it’s getting longer! We are pretty much unique in the industry for having Cyber Essentials Plus, ISO 27001 and ISO 22301. The latter is the international standard for implementing and maintaining effective business continuity plans, systems and processes, while ISO 27001 addresses information security and talks to our IT expertise. We also have ISO 14001, ISO 9001, we are NSI Gold and SSAIB certified, we are a SafeContractor, and we work to PD 6662, NSI NCP 104 and NSI NCP 109. Our Category II alarm receiving centre has the highest accreditations, including BS 8418 for the installation and remote monitoring of detector-activated surveillance technology, BS 8484 for lone worker, and BS 5979 certification is accepted by the police service to ensure customers receive a response.”

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It’s thanks to Darrel and the entire team at Reliance High-Tech that we have these accreditations because gaining them and keeping them requires a team effort. It takes a lot of time and, yes, money, to gain these accreditations but I firmly believe it is important as a means of demonstrating our expertise, reassuring customers and being the best in the industry.

At Reliance High-Tech, we have been saying for years that it’s not just about the technology but that users have to partner with the right people. The technology may be important, but in today’s complex and rapidly changing world it is more important that you work with a trusted partner who understands the implications. Do they have Cyber Essentials Plus? Are they certified to ISO 27001, or ISO 22301? Does your current installer carry all of these? If not, forget about what cameras you are using, for example, because it’s a secondary concern. Come talk to us.