Policy & Risk Assessment
Written H&S policy, risk assessments and method statements specific to your actual operations.
What weak health and safety evidence costs you
Without current H&S accreditation, a buyer assumes an uncontrolled or poorly supervised site, higher likelihood of incidents and delivery disruption, weak duty-of-care toward your own people, accreditation that has lapsed without anyone noticing and a business that reacts to incidents rather than preventing them.
None of that may be true of you. It does not matter. In a tender, the assumption is what gets scored.
The health and safety point most manufacturers miss
Most manufacturers think of H&S as paperwork that sits in a folder. Auditors do not read the folder first. They walk the floor, then check whether the paperwork matches what they just saw.
Buyers do not want a policy document. They want proof that if something goes wrong on your shop floor, you already know what happens next.
What health and safety support covers
Accreditation
SafeContractor, Achilles or an equivalent SSIP scheme, current and matched to the accrediting body's register.
Incident Management
RIDDOR reporting, accident tracking and corrective actions tracked to closure.
Site Discipline
PPE, inductions, machinery inspection records and a named person with real authority to act.
What health and safety looks like inside a manufacturer
- Risk assessments are specific to the actual operations, not generic templates.
- Accreditation certificates are current and match the accrediting body's register.
- Accident and near-miss logs are maintained and reviewed, not filed and forgotten.
- Machinery has current maintenance and safety inspection records.
- Staff can describe the evacuation plan without prompting.
- Inductions happen before anyone new sets foot on the shop floor.
- Corrective actions from incidents are tracked to closure.
- A named person owns H&S with real authority to act.
How health and safety affects your tender score
| Tender criterion | What this service contributes | Score effect |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | Direct, primary evidence category | Major |
| Risk | Incident history and controls read as operational risk | Major |
| Compliance | Accreditation is a stated SQ gateway requirement | Major |
| Quality | Documented procedures signal process maturity | Moderate |
| Delivery | Fewer incidents means fewer delivery disruptions | Moderate |