Competence Assessment Scheme

WHAT IS IT?

The BESA Competence Assessment Scheme verifies members' compliance with recognised industry and legal requirements, and ensures that your clients can be confident that their project is in safe hands.

Through a simple but rigorous process, BESA validates all members by scrutinising commercial capability, workforce commitment and technical competence.

Successful compliance with BESA’s Competence Assessment Scheme is mandatory for membership, and ensures that as a BESA member you can demonstrate that you work to the highest standards.

There are also a lot of business benefits to be gained.

 

THE BENEFITS

DEVELOP YOUR BUSINESS

The rigour of the BESA Competence Assessment process demonstrates your professionalism and commitment to quality providing you with a competitive edge over other businesses

The health and safety assessment in particular gives you all the evidence you need to satisfy most tender pre-qualification requirements, putting you one step ahead of your competitors

SAVE TIME AND MONEY

Reduce duplication – complete the online Health & Safety Assessment and receive SSIP recognition at no additional cost to your business 

Qualify for other schemes – through completing the Competence Assessment process, you meet the core health and safety criteria for other schemes such as Competent Persons, and Refcom Elite

Receive discounted registration for key industry services such as Constructionline and Exor

DEMONSTRATE SOUND BUSINESS PRACTICES

The Competence Assessment process satisfies the mandatory health and safety requirements and Building Regulations governing the industry sector

Completion of the Competence Assessment process signals, technical competence, a financially healthy business, good customer service, investment in your workforce and a fair deal for clients and sub-contractors

By completing the Competence Assessment process and being a member of BESA, you are also able to access a whole range of other membership benefits such as discounted technical publications, preferential commercial insurance rates and free technical advice.

 

What is Involved

The BESA Competence Assessment Scheme is straightforward. In a nutshell, there are two main elements to the process:

1. An online health and safety assessment which can be carried out in as little as 15 minutes if you are registered through any other SSIP mutually recognised scheme – if not the submission of evidence to meet the requirements should take approximately 3 hours.
2. An office and on-site technical audit will review all aspects of your business to satisfy the legal and regulatory requirements, and demonstrate that you follow industry good practice and guidance.

The online health and safety assessment is an annual requirement. However, the frequency of the office and on-site technical audit depends on how long you have been a BESA member and your post-audit performance.

Click the relevant button below to find out more about the requirements for your business:

 

WHAT IS INVOLVED - NEW MEMBERS

Process for a new member (and for one further year after joining)

 

What is involved - Established member

Process for an established member

 

TIMESCALES

Typically the full audit process takes 3 months to complete from start to finish

The online Health & Safety assessment will take 15 minutes, If you are SSIP registered as you are then classed as ‘deemed to satisfy’. If you are not SSIP registered it will take around between 3 hours to complete – don’t forget though, that by completing the full assessment, you will qualify for SSIP registration at no additional cost to your business.

The office and on-site technical audit typically takes no more than a day to complete

You will receive regular and timely email notifications throughout the process alerting you to when you need to take action, confirming the stage you are at in the process and when you should next receive an update.

 

Help Available

We want to ensure that members feel supported as they go through the assessment process. With that in mind, we have put in place a range of help and guidance resources to make the process as simple as possible:

Joining and membership

The BESA Guide to The Competence Assessment Scheme gives information on the site based technical audit, an overview of what is involved and practical help to satisfy the site visit part of scheme

Guide to the BESA Competence Assessment Scheme

For advice and guidance about the overall process, contact us on 0207 313 4900

Health and Safety Online AsseSsment

BESA Health & Safety Assessment System Video is 90 second video that explains the Health and Safety Assessment process and benefits to your business.

BESA Health & Safety Assessment System Members’ Quick Guide

BESA Health & Safety Assessment System - Full Guide

For support and guidance, contact our Health and Safety Advisors, Paul Kenny or Jean Mounsey on 01768 860452 or email hssupport@besca.org.uk

Technical on-site audit

The BESA Guide to The Competence Assessment Scheme gives further details of the site based technical audit including an overview of what is involved and practical help to satisfy the site visit part of scheme

Regional Support

And don’t forget, your BESA Regional Manager is experienced at taking members through the process, they are always on hand to help.