Posted By Paul Can anyone tell me which is the better safety management to establish the safe T scheme or the OSHAS 18001. There is a lot of similarity and the benefits are similar but the Safe T Cert system is considerabley cheaper to register with and maintain. Can anyone who is familar with these schemes let me know which one they would recommend? Contact me on paul.gildernew@phoenix-ops.com

Posted By Hilary Charlton This would all depend on your perspective and how far you want to go with this. If you are a quality company who are accredited to ISO 9001 and you are likely to follow through to the Environmental Standard ISO 14001 then it is advisable to go with OHSAS 18001, after all you wouldn't buy two thirds of your tea service in Crown Derby and go to Royal Worcester for the last third because it's cheaper would you? On the other hand, if this is a standalone accreditation then there should be no problem with the Safe T scheme. I understand the business reasons for this. We are constantly getting EH&S questionnaires as part of large contracts, the difference between having a certified management system and not having it may be the difference between securing a £1m order and not doing so - kudos aside, this is a sound business decision. I agree that everyone should be doing H&S, but being able to prove quality, environmental issues and health and safety systems is far easier when you are certified. Hilary