We are a highly accredited blind and curtain company and ensure our employees adhere to all the latest health and safety standards at all times. We are members of the British Safety Council, the British Blinds & Shutter Association and Alcumus SafeContractor Accredited.

Alcumus SafeContractor is one of the first and largest SSIP schemes in the supply chain compliance space to receive its UKAS accreditation.

The SSIP and PAS91 contractor accreditation scheme checks that we meet the necessary requirements around health and safety, equal opportunities, diversity and environmental management practices.

Our clients can be confident about us and reduce risk in their supply chain.

Solent Blind & Curtains is proud to have been awarded both CHAS and Constructionline accrediations.

This is a huge achievement for our team, as CHAS (the Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme), were key to developing the core criteria held in the Approved Code of Practice—which supported the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 (now recognised as CDM 2015)—as well as acting as a founding member of SSIP (Safety Schemes in Procurement).

Construction Line membership validates Solent Blind & Curtains company credentials for environmental management, quality management, equal opportunities, modern slavery act adherence, and anti-bribery and corruption policies. Some of these policies form part of the Cabinet Office Selection Questionnaire (SQ), with which the public sector is expected to comply.

For more information on CHAS and Constructionline, and the vital work they do, keep reading.

Who Are They?

CHAS are dedicated to improving standards in the health and safety of contractors. By working with both suppliers and purchasers, CHAS help organisations save time, money, and resources—while also helping to protect employees, customers, and the general public from harm.

What Do They Do?

For a contractor to gain CHAS accreditation, they must first pass a rigorous and lengthy process of assessment. This involves providing documentary evidence that shows they comply with all relevant health and safety legislation (including CDM 2015). Once approved, CHAS carry out random audits on accredited members to ensure they maintain these high standards.

What Is the Accreditation Process?

As mentioned, achieving health and safety compliance to the CHAS standard is often a time-consuming process.

Initially, the contractor must put together a comprehensive portfolio of evidence that demonstrates their compliance in specific areas, such as:

• Health and safety policy statement
• Risk assessments
• Active safety training and company safety advisor expertise
• COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) assessments
• Insurance cover
• Method statements/plans of work
• Employee training records

Once the application has been submitted, a CHAS assessor will carry out an on-site visit. This usually lasts between one and two days, during which time the assessor will interview employees and review all documents relating to health and safety procedures.

If the assessor is satisfied that the contractor meets all the necessary criteria, they will be awarded with CHAS safety accreditation. If unsuccessful on the first attempt, they will be given a list of improvements that need to be made before re-applying.

How Does This Help a Business?

If you’re tendering for work with the public sector, you may be asked to provide evidence of CHAS accreditation. In order to be awarded a place on the Crown Commercial Service’s (CCS) Supply2Gov framework agreement, for example, contractors must first demonstrate they have achieved CHAS certification.

The CCS is an executive agency of the Cabinet Office that helps government and local authorities to buy common goods and services efficiently and effectively. They award places on their frameworks to suppliers that offer the best value for money—and in order to do this, they need to be able to assess and compare bids quickly and easily. Asking for evidence of CHAS membership at the outset helps them to do this.

In this sense, CHAS accreditation assists your business in the tender process, setting you apart from other clients and other contractors, and helping you win work which you may not have been able to otherwise.

How Does This Help an Individual?

Working with a CHAS accredited contractor gives peace of mind that they have been assessed against—and have met—stringent health and safety standards. This should give employees, customers, and members of the public confidence that the contractor is taking their health and safety seriously.