A new survey suggests that companies registered with the Highways Electrical Registration Scheme (HERS) are trusted more by their clients than their unregistered counterparts.
HERS is a competency scheme run by the Association of Signals, Lighting and other Highway Electrical Contractors (ASLEC). Under the scheme, employees working in the highways electrical industry are assessed by their employers and issued with a certificate that identifies the employee as an Authorised Person allowed to carry out work appropriate to the level of competence against which they have been assessed.
In addition, the scheme requires that a technical audit be carried out at least every two years to ensure the validity of the assessment process.
More than 70 per cent of the respondents to the survey said the scheme improved the health and safety culture in their organisations, and that it was an advantage to be registered when it came to bidding for new work.
The scheme is also said to help reassure clients that high standards of work are applied consistently. It allows for organisations to provide evidence of their commitment to quality work and that any health and safety matters are taken seriously.
Chief executive of ASLEC Gareth Pritchard said: “Being registered with HERS is mandatory for any electrical work being carried out on the strategic roads network and we feel that all local authorities’ roads should receive the same benefits and guaranteed high-standard levels of work.
“We are aware that not all local authorities specify HERS in their contracts, but we’re looking to convince them of the efficiencies that HERS can bring and the contribution it makes to providing sustainable solutions and assisting clients in meeting their legal obligations.”
