The North East Safety Health & Environmental Partnership (NESHEP) has launched a new scheme called the Essential Minimum Safety Standard (EMSS) to improve health and safety standards in hazardous industries that is set to save the sector millions of pounds. The initiative was given the go ahead after funds were secured towards its development by Business Link.

Stockton based EMSS Ltd is a social enterprise which was launched by NESHEP to revolutionise and bring under one umbrella the various safety passport schemes currently being used by construction companies.

Alan Bassett, Chairman of NESHEP, commented: “In recent years a recurring theme of NESHEP's consultations has been a request for a standardisation of the numerous passport schemes, which have sprung up throughout the UK. “ “While over the years members have acknowledged that passport schemes have a vital role to play, it is often felt that many of them cover exactly the same items with the same training requirements, while others do not even meet the essential minimum standards required to keep the workforce safe.”

The NESHEP training and development subgroup, headed up by Dave Swalwell of Deborah Services Ltd, decided to address the issue through the development of EMSS, an online tool which could be used by companies to check the qualifications of full-time, part-time and temporary contract staff working on site and which provides a competency profile on each worker. They were also keen that any profits made from the product were pumped back into the industry to benefit the safety of the workers and reduce the cost to the industry as a whole.

Alan added: “The previous system was manual, often ignored and companies would put their staff through duplicated training just to ensure that the worker was able to work safely onsite and understand local specific site/plant inductions. The EMSS system allows time and funds that would have been used to put operatives through a multitude of very similar passport schemes, to be better used for more relevant and specific Safety, Health & Environmental training requirements for the workforce.”

Project part-financed by the European Union European Regional Development Fund 2007-13 After getting the scheme to its initial stage, the NESHEP sub-group was keen to develop the functionality required to make it accessible for the industry as a whole. In February 2010 the team contacted Business Link for advice in taking the business to the next level.

As a social enterprise with limited funds to invest, Business Link adviser Mark David has worked closely with EMSS to identify suitable sources of finance to get the scheme up and running.

He said: “The team at EMSS had a genuine passion to reduce the costs being incurred unnecessarily within the industry and they also had plans to develop other similar products in the future. I was therefore able to identify the Innovation Voucher scheme, designed to help North East businesses to buy expertise from the region’s colleges and universities, as a suitable funding source and to guide them through the application process.”

Innovation Vouchers form part of the Government’s Solutions for Business package, designed to encourage businesses to innovate including by reaching new markets, developing new products or services or improved processes. Innovation Vouchers are accessed through the Business Link service, delivered through the North East England Investment Centre (NEEIC).

Len Wilson, EMSS office manager said: “The innovation vouchers along with the support of Cognition Media and Sapere Software (NESHEP Members) enabled us to develop the system architecture and build the new secure database in its current form and provide the competency profile online. This would not have been possible without the help and support received from Business Link”.

The company is due to launch the EMSS system to representatives from the high hazard industries at an event taking place at Middlesbrough’s Riverside Stadium on 29th June. It also has plans to develop phase two of the scheme which will include specific trade competency modelling and skills gap analysis.

Project part-financed by the European Union European Regional Development Fund 2007-13 Mark David added: “It’s great to see a Stockton based company design an innovative tool which will potentially be used throughout the world.”

Business Link has a team of expert advisers who offer advice, help and information to individuals and companies across the region, giving them access to the ‘business brains’ who will help to get their business idea off the ground, or grow their existing company. For further information about Business Link visit www.businesslink.gov.uk/northeast or call 0845 600 9 006.