https://sparksafeltp.co.uk/news-item/benefits-of-sparksafes-sampling-based-auditing-service/
Background to SparkSafe’s Compliance Auditing Service
The SparkSafe Licence to Practise system focuses on protecting Clients and Contractors from the safety, quality, and value for money risks associated with the employment of unqualified, underqualified, and semi-skilled electrical workers.
Part of our service includes a free compliance auditing service. Auditing provides Client organisations with an independent means to determine the level of compliance with the Licence to Practise contract conditions. SparkSafe’s compliance auditing service is designed to drive improvement on behalf of industry Clients by placing an obligation on main contractors to ensure that only licenced electrical workers are employed on their projects.
New Sampling-Based Auditing Process
As part of our continuous improvement efforts, we can advise that a new improved sampling-based strategy is now in place, meaning that not all projects will be subject to audit. The improvements have been introduced to create a more efficient and effective method of auditing for Clients and main contractors. The rigor, evidence gathering and reporting processes will remain the same. The frequency of audit will be dependent on the number of projects linked to each main contractor. All main contractors will be subject to audit and where multiple projects are registered, the sampling strategy will be used. Projects selected for audit will be representative of the Client, as well as the size, duration, and value of the project.
Benefits of Compliance Auditing
The objective of the SparkSafe audit process is to strengthen Client engagement with the industry by improving supply chain accountability regarding the qualifications, skills and experience of electrical workers.
The SparkSafe audit aims to
What we audit
SparkSafe compliance audits are structured around a series of questions based on obligations contained in the Licence to Practise contract conditions. We report directly to the Client on the extent to which the main contractor has used the system to ensure that unqualified, underqualified, and self-designated electrical workers are not employed on the project.
The audit examines both the directly employed and subcontract workers. We audit the main contractor to ascertain if they have taken sufficient steps on behalf of the Client to ensure that electrical workers are licenced and connected to the project before commencing work on site and throughout the contract period. A pass/fail audit report with recommendations and/or commendations is forwarded to the main contractor and the Client following the audit.
Why we audit
The SparkSafe audit is carried out to provide Clients with an important due diligence report that underpins their quality, safety, and value for money objectives. The absence of an audit process leads to a lack of transparency, inadequate control measures, and unreliable outcomes. The UK electrical contracting industry obliges its Clients to rely on a system that fails to establish workforce competency ratios and provide effective workforce composition compliance auditing. This means that projects are often loaded with underqualified and semi-skilled electrical workers. Auditing compliance, against the Licence to Practise contract conditions addresses a blind spot, that Clients have historically been obliged to tolerate.
If you have any questions regarding the compliance auditing service or process, please get in touch. We are here to help and our team can provide support and training to help Clients and contractors become familiar with the online system, exploring the reporting tools and capabilities, while learning how to ensure compliance with LtP contract conditions.
