I've helped people with CHAS before - it depends if he's under or over 5 as the form for micro-businesses is simpler. You should be able to dowload the application form & notes from the website.

SBH

Firstly, and as lorna has already mentioned, it depends on the size of the business.  If it's less than five, the process should be fairly routine.  However, if the company is bigger than that, it becomes more difficult unless there's already a system in place.

CHAS (and a myriad of other similar accredition schemes) are largely based upon a desktop audit of a company's health and safety systems/procedures, and they therefore require the applicant to forward a shedload of documents to prove that there's a workable H&S system in place.  As others have mentioned, this includes stuff like site specific RAMS, training records, policies, SoP's, qualifications, proof of CSCS cards etc, etc.

With "very little" in place, I would think it would be difficult to obtain CHAS accreditation at this stage, and would probably be best left until such time as you've completed your gap analysis, and put at least some arrangements in place.

Not quite sure how the "specialist" companies can obtain accredition from scratch in a couple of weeks for a company with virtually nothing in place, but I've never used them, so can't say how they operate, or how they get around the lack of supporting documentation.

fhunter

Thanks for the info - I had considered that as possibly their only option, but then (naively !) dismissed it because I didn’t think they’d be so “unethical” as to go down that particular route!

 I’ve obviously led a sheltered life  :-)

I could be wrong, but I think I might know why you don’t want to digress into a separate opinion piece on CHAS…

boigy77

It's been a while since I was involved in a "less than 5 employee" scenario, but from memory (and just as a guide because it might have changed), I seem to recall that it was something along the lines of 2 x Site Specific Risk Assessments, 2 x Site Specific Method Statements, 2 x COSHH Assessments, Evidence of Asbestos awareness training (where applicable) , Copies of training certificates and training records for employees, Evidence of your assessment process for sub-contractors (if applicable).  Plus of course you'd also need to complete the application form and submit the assessment fee (which for under 5 employees is just shy of £200 + vat)

Hope this helps.

A Kurdziel

I hear what you're saying and wouldn't necessarily disagree with your sentiments.  All of these safety related schemes (including the CSCS card, the merits of which have been discussed on many occasions on this forum) are supposedly "well meaning", but the cynical among us might see them in a slightly different way (ie money making rather than safety making).  However, I'm much too young to be so cynical, so I couldn't possibly comment personally...  :-)

However, their value is I suppose "in the eye of the beholder" and if having such accreditations brings in additional business or at least maintains it (as it often does these days), then it could be argued that it is worth it to those companies/individuals.

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