3 minute read
Chief Executive’s comment
Steve Sadley, Chief Executive
OUR MISSION
To give the best possible service and support to assist ARCA members and customers in providing safe, effective and ethical management of asbestos, thereby safeguarding the public.
OUR VISION
We envision being an essential strategic partner, through membership of ARCA and ATaC, to all companies providing asbestos management and licensed asbestos removal services, or services to those companies, by providing solutions which contribute to the overall success of their businesses and provide reassurance to their clients.
OUR VALUES
Our values define the culture at ARCA. The values of integrity, service, excellence, teamwork and responsibility guide the way we work, our behaviour and our commitment to support members, customers and colleagues.
Your Association continues to support you and the industry
In November 2009 Ian Lucas MP, Minister for Business and Regulatory Reform Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, said that,
‘Trade associations have a crucial role to play in promoting best practice, helping companies become more competitive and formulating effective public policy and delivery. They have tremendous potential to act as a co-ordinated voice of business when talking to Government, and great value in terms of quickly disseminating messages about Government policy to their members. Productive engagement between associations and Government is very important for the policy making process… ‘
The role of Trade Associations, as described by Ian Lucas MP, is one that ARCA takes seriously, and we recognise that this is not only our mission but our responsibility to our members.
Over the years we have fulfilled this role at both the parliamentary level, and with the European Commission when the UK was a member of the EU. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that when the Parliamentary Work and Pensions Committee needed to better understand the experience of those working with the HSE, they contacted ARCA and ATaC as the leading organisations within the industry, to provide an industry view. Following submission of written evidence to the inquiry, ARCA and ATaC were invited to give oral evidence at the second inquiry hearing.
The inquiry is looking at how the Health and Safety Executive manages the continued presence of asbestos in buildings. The inquiry is asking about the current risks posed by asbestos in the workplace, the groups of people who are most affected, and how well the current laws and regulations for the management of asbestos are working. ARCA and ATaC are pleased to have been able to contribute to the enquiry, and sincerely hope that the evidence we have provided and the observations we have made lead to some further improvements in the way asbestos is managed in the UK. A detailed report on this important piece of work is available on pages 12-19 of this issue of ARCA News.
Along the same lines is the work we have been doing in conjunction with NORAC, that is challenging the requirements being imposed upon UKAS accredited laboratories as a result of ‘Asbestos: The Analyst’s Guide’ (Second Edition) i.e., helping companies become more competitive and formulating effective public policy and delivery. More information can be found on page 31 of this issue of ARCA News.
The face-to-face ARCA regional meetings are now starting to become routine again, and it is great to continue to see everyone in person. The February 2022 round of regional meetings was a great success with good turnouts at all meetings, including the remote regional meeting which has now become a firm fixture. Members were given a brief overview of the ALFA LARC Employees system for members directly employed operatives, already being used successfully by a number of members, and advised that further development was underway to allow both supervisors and contract managers to be rated via this system. Therefore, allowing members to produce Training Needs Analysis for all of their staff who are subject to asbestos work specific training.
The ALFA app, along with the Site Audit Portal (which displays each member’s audit results and acts as a repository for all audit forms), and other digital initiatives that ARCA has planned will provide members with a suite of tools available online.
Providing these digital tools will also fulfil another of Ian Lucas’ stated roles of Trade Associations which is to promote best practice and help companies become more competitive.
If we can hit the targets, we have set ourselves for delivering the additional member benefits outlined above, then there will be lots to tell and show members at the next regional meetings and in the next issues of ARCA News.
