Umbrella passport scheme enjoys success...

1. Helping to protect people at www.hsmsearch.com MANAGING SAFETY
Umbrella passport specific safety or induction training?”
explains Alan Bassett chairman of
NESHEP.
Prior to EMSS, clients had to validate
scheme enjoys success 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
A safety passport and competency profiling scheme is instantly.
EMSS is said to benefit the industry
said to be raising standards in hazardous industries from several perspectives:
while helping organisations cut costs
Users
Users can upload their relevant industry
H
SM first reported on the EMSS and individuals” explains Pete Walker, training to their profile and instantly
scheme in 2009. Since then chairman IOSH. share it with their employer and any sites
“
Essential Minimum Safety EMSS not only serves as an umbrella they will attend. The minimum entry
Standard (EMSS) has received support scheme for minimum safety qualifications requirement for an EMSS card is an
from both the HSE and British Safety but also allows users to upload other The mantra ‘by approved, valid safety passport or
Council which the scheme’s organisers training to their online profile. Client sites equivalent qualification. There is no need
the industry, for
says is testament to its innovation. can instantly audit them and see proof of for a new qualification to enter the EMSS
their competence when they turn up on the industry’ has scheme. Audited and approved schemes
“HSE’s strategy for health and safety in site or before they arrive. been embraced are BSC Level 2 Award or BSC Level 3
the 21st Century calls on organisations to “EMSS is not looking to exclude domestically Certificate, CCNSG, The National Safety
show leadership including in the sharing anyone; all the most popular safety and is quickly Passport, SPA, VCA (European Passport),
of knowledge and good practice. EMSS is passport schemes currently in the spreading IOSH Managing Safely and NEBOSH
an example of knowledge sharing to meet industry have been audited to a stringent General Certificate. EMSS not only asks
the needs of the current world of work, standard using the best expertise available
throughout the for proof of a candidate’s safety passport,
helping companies and individuals to coupled with HSE Guidance. If you have world and we also audit their qualification with the
access training records and to verify one of these safety passports why should across all awarding body providing even more time
”
.
levels of competence in a mobile you have to prove yourself again to get industry sectors. and cost savings to the industry.
workforce,” comments HSE chair Judith on a different site that recognises a
Hackit, adding: “EMSS provides an different safety passport? This money Employers
effective system for recording health and would be better spent on more industry Employers can network staff to a free
safety competence.” ‘network profile’. From here they can add
Julie Nerney, chief in house training for their people and
executive of the British instantly share their profiles with clients
Safety Council has also prior to the individual attending a site. No
said that the BSC fully more need for sending over documentary
supports the scheme. evidence of staff’s relevant skills; they can
EMSS is an be instantly shared electronically saving
independent and ‘not both employer and client a great deal of
for profit’ social admin, time and money.
enterprise comprising
of decades of expertise Client sites
drawn from within the Client sites can access any EMSS card
industry. The mantra holder’s training records and assurance
‘by the industry, for the that they have an in-date, audited and
industry’ has been approved industry standard safety
embraced domestically passport or equivalent. Sites can live audit
and is quickly EMSS card holders via web on the job or
spreading throughout when they arrive on site. EMSS card
the world and across all holders can also share their profile via
industry sectors. email before they even arrive on site.
“No-one is making a Contractors can also share multiple
profit out of the EMSS profiles with a client site ahead of a job
as any monies left are saving everyone time and money in
put back into the unnecessary admin. This system is at zero
scheme for improvements and in future cost to the clients.
will be invested into other training and Visit: www.emssonline.org and click on
development programs. As Chairman the ‘I’ icon for more information.
of the Tees Branch of IOSH I
believe supporting EMSS will Tel: 01642 619330
benefit a wide range of employers 56944 www.hsmsearch.com/enquiry
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