A BUILDING compliance company which carries out asbestos surveys, legionella risk assessments, and fire risk management assessments has become one of the first in its industry to achieve a globally recognised health and safety standard.

Following a 12-month implementation project, Eton Environmental Group, which has its head office in Darlington, was recently awarded the ISO 45001:2018 accreditation.

This internationally recognised standard is designed to reduce workplace injuries and illnesses and drive continuous improvement in the management of occupational safety and health.

This is particularly important to a company like Eton which works in a specialised field where its staff, customers and contractors can come into contact with hazardous substances or other workplace dangers.

Eton has transitioned from the OHSAS 18001:2007 standard almost a year ahead of that accreditation being withdrawn (in March 2021), which means companies who don’t achieve ISO 45001:2018 will not be able demonstrate their commitment to workplace health and safety.

Andrew Graham, Eton’s Quality Manager, said: “Our staff are responsible for carrying out surveys to identify material which, if not handled correctly, could endanger them and those who work in the buildings where the surveys are undertaken.

“This could be asbestos which may be present in a building, legionella bacteria which can get into hot and cold water systems, lead paint which can be poisonous and even pigeon droppings which can causes diseases such as listeria or e-coli.

“And they are also advising people on reducing the risk of fire in their buildings, so in all cases, it is essential that our own health and safety practices have been rigorously scrutinized and validated.

“We are therefore delighted to achieve the ISO accreditation. It is integrated with other management systems so it will help us when we work towards other ISO accreditations in the future.

“It also demonstrates an increased organisational resilience through proactive risk assessment, innovation and improvement, strengthens our legal and regulatory compliance and underlines our commitment to safe, healthy and sustainable workplace.”