Rank: Forum user 
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Like most safety managers when using a service provider I always check to see if they are accredited to any industry body. After the recent legionella outbreak in Edinburgh I completed a full risk review of our own site management including the company we employee for monitoring and testing. In doing this I checked the Legionella Control Association (LCA) website to ensure their membership was current and was astounded to read this "The fact that a company is registered does not mean that the LCA has approved their specific products or services as being effective in controlling legionella nor their individual employees or company as being technically competent". If this is the case why do these bodies exist in the first place; that would be like IOSH handing out membership without asking if the individual has any H&S experience or learning. Am I being over sensitive or does anyone else agree that if accreditation is shown there must be minimum standards?
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Rank: Forum user
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You're right no individual would be able to gain membership of a professional body without being able to prove some level of competence so why should a Company be any different.
I suspect that they will have a minimum standard which their accredited organisation should follow and that this might just be a legal disclaimer. If this disclaimer wasn't there would you take the fact that they were accredited at face value and offer them the work without carrying out any further checks?
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Rank: Super forum user
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What you need to do is to check that they test according to the appropriate British/European Standards, namely:
• BS 8580:2010-Water quality. Risk assessments for Legionella control. Code of practice
• BS 7592:2008-Sampling for Legionella bacteria in water systems. Code of practice
• BS EN ISO 11731-2:2008, BS 6068-4.18:2004- Water quality. Detection and enumeration of Legionella. Direct membrane filtration method for waters with low bacterial counts
• BS 6068-4.12:1998, ISO 11731:1998- Water quality. Microbiological methods. Detection and enumeration of Legionella.
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Rank: Forum user
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I always take up references and request competence documents (training records, references etc). I just feel that it is a waste of time having accreditation logo's and membership if the governing body puts in a disclaimer of this type.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Unfortunately, it isn't that uncommon.
Guild of Master Craftsmen anyone?
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Rank: Super forum user
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Thomas,
Isn't it the case that one has to differentiate between:
Professional Bodies: for exmaple IOSH, Royal Society of Chemistry which have strict rules about entry/membership etc and also Law Society that requires its members to hold Prof Indemnity Insurance
Trade Bodies: such a British Printing Industry Federation, Chemical Industries Assocation etc etc that exist simply to further the aims and interests of that sector of industry
Although some such bodies do run more formal schemes (I hesitate to use the word accreditation) in order to demonstrate that the member is acheiving a particular level of competence/operation in respect of H&S e.g. NASC
And then there are the formal accreditation/certification schemes such as gaining ISO 18000 certification being a GasSafe member etc.
Unfortunately accreditation means different things to different people/organisations.
Phil
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Rank: Forum user
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How many asbestos removal contactors licensed by the HSE have subsequently been prosecuted by the HSE? I don't know the exact number but it is significantly scary.
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