External Wall Fire Risk Assessments (EWFRA)

Safety inspections are a structured yet less formal method of identifying hazards, defects, or potential failings within specific activities, equipment, or work areas. They are generally more focused in scope than audits and are designed to confirm that items or tasks meet defined minimum standards or acceptable limits.

Common examples of safety inspections include:

• Routine electrical inspections

• Scaffold inspections

• Equipment and machinery inspections

• Plant inspections

• Vehicle checks

• Infrastructure inspections, such as fire alarms, emergency lighting, sprinklers, cranes, and passenger lifts

Safety inspections are typically recorded by a qualified safety professional or an appointed safety representative. There are many different types of inspections, but most follow a structured process using established procedures or checklists. This approach ensures inspections are consistent and comprehensive, regardless of who carries them out, and helps inspectors clearly identify specific health and safety concerns.

Business-to-business tendering and operations involve processes that verify the credentials of applicants—meaning your business. If you supply products or services to other businesses, you’ve likely come across the logo for Safety Schemes in Procurement (SSIP) or one of the verification schemes operating under the SSIP framework.

Supplier Management

Every business relies on a supply chain, whether for simple services like internet provision or for complex engineering or high-risk construction activities. It’s important to make sure the organisations supporting your operations can deliver to the standards your customers expect, so your services run smoothly and your revenue is protected. An effective supply chain should be reliable, compliant, and capable of meeting your requirements.

Managing suppliers brings added responsibility. In many cases, clients will expect you to have strong processes for selecting, monitoring, and reviewing your suppliers—particularly those considered key or high risk. There are also legal duties under health and safety legislation to consider. If you work with larger organisations or aim to achieve SSiP accreditation, you will need to show you have a robust system for supplier assessment, risk evaluation, approval, and ongoing review through checks, testing, and inspections.

For contract managers, successful project delivery depends on careful planning, coordination, and oversight of multiple activities. Balancing these responsibilities alongside everyday duties can be demanding. When outsourcing work to subcontractors, careful consideration is needed to keep projects on track. A structured approach to subcontractor management helps prevent issues. The first step is evaluating whether a subcontractor is capable of meeting your requirements and has proven experience delivering similar work. Identifying a subcontractor who meets both industry standards and client expectations can be challenging but is essential for project success.