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I
t’s a privilege to work with
supply chain businesses
in the events industry. I’ve
been supporting suppliers
and contractors of various
types for over 10 years as an
independent quality, safety,
sustainability and general
process adviser, and in other
forms for long before that.
This has kept me close and,
in a way, protective of the
part of the industry that
carries the lion’s share of
operational risk and liability.
Collaborating with suppliers
that are always under
pressure with complex
practical, budgetary and
logistical challenges to help
them build and maintain
processes ensuring safety,
efficiency and great
customer experience can be
exhausting for both them
and me, but it’s always
rewarding.
ESSA’s launch of its new
accreditation for contractors
was intriguing. I’ve helped
clients achieve similar
CHAS and SafeContractor
schemes for many years as
well as ISO standards for
safety, environment, quality
and information security so
a new scheme on the block
was of great interest to me
and to clients who were also
ESSA members.
I’ve worked with Showlite
for five years now and it has
been particularly enjoyable.
I love working with the
wide array of different,
colourful characters, and
have had many laugh out
loud moments with Rob,
Paul, Roger and Ross, I
particularly remember
Roger’s “manual handling”
text - I wonder if he does?
48 — March
Safety first
Showlite embraces ESSA’s Safety Accreditation
Scheme by retained advisor Lee Holloway
One thing everyone in the
business has in common
is modesty – a desire to do
a good job and maintain
high standards, but to do
so quietly without making
a fuss or banging their own
drum.
So, when the business
achieved CHAS a few years
ago – the Contractors
Health and Safety
Assessment Scheme – it
didn’t shout from rooftops.
When Ross achieved his
NEBOSH certificate,
the business celebrated
internally but played it down
externally. Likewise when
it launched its Showlite
Licence – providing free
health and safety training
to its subcontractors, an
industry first that others
have followed – it didn’t
broadcast loudly.
So, when Showlite is
awarded the new ESSA
Accreditation, it will
be another humble
achievement that you’ll
probably not hear about
unless you ask, but the
thought and effort that
has gone into achieving
this standard of working
over recent years is worth
every bit of recognition it
grudgingly gets.
Don’t just think about
on-site safety practices,
working on steps, ensuring
electrics are safe and so on.
What’s great about the ESSA
scheme is that it recognises
what Showlite has achieved
at its production premises,
including workshop
equipment and plant
training, inspection and
monitoring regimes,
COSHH control, facilities
management…
I won’t go into more detail
other than to say Rob, Roger
– you both know the effort
you and your teams have
put into this (not forgetting
many others at Showlite
who have also contributed).
But, if you’re an event
organiser, client or prospect
of Showlite, and understand
your legal duty to vet your
suppliers against health
and safety criteria, then I’m
hoping all of this is good,
relevant news to your ears.
Contracting businesses
are hard to run and it’s
notoriously difficult to
maintain high, consistent
standards but – much as the
team will resist telling you
how well they actually do
this – Showlite has and does,
and I’m sure the business
will (quietly) enjoy being
amongst the first exhibition
sector safety accreditation
holders.
To find out more about how
Showlite can help please call
01264 365550 or visit the
website at www.showlite.co.uk