Spill Alert Issue 24

ISAS UPDATE: RAISING THE STANDARD

2022 started well with visits to the inland response companies who were either undertaking the accreditation process for the first time or completing their re-accreditation. The process for both activities is the same, with companies undertaking an assessment of their capability to deliver the service from their chosen categories. The ISAS Assessors resumed physical site visits following the lifting of all COVID19 restrictions., allowing face to face accreditations to be delivered. Recently our Senior Assessor (Land) as being with site visits in the Southwest of England and Wales, these visits are classified as validation/capability assessments to enable verification of the stage 1 and 2 process, which is a desk-based study, with a comprehensive question-set forming the basis of those stages. The accreditation process is a three-part activity.

PART 1 involves the collecting of relevant documents about the company, this

includes all legal requirements placed on the company; training which staff have gone through and/or will be going through in relation to the categories applied for; confirmation of the number of bases from which the company operates; list of equipment held at each base to allow the company to carry out the work referred to in each category; copies of any licences or permits which are required to hold; copies of any risk assessments, both generic and site specific; copies of all relevant ISO certificates and capability statement in full for each base location detailing their capability for all foundation requirements and all categories of response they have applied to be accredited for.

PART 2 conducted using Online Teams meetings, this is the most interesting part for both the companies and the assessor. Comments like there is more to this than we thought, its not difficult but its not easy either. Part 2 creates a learning phase (on both sides company and assessor).

PART 3 The validation site visit, this is where the assessor as the opportunity to meet staff, ask any questions, and see work activity, and collect the

evidence to support the responses to the questions raised in stages 1 and 2. Companies who recently hosted a visit by the Senior Assessor, have all provided positive, examples of some first-response equipment and on-going remediation work in a domestic setting is shown below.

ISAS Assessors have also undertaken site visits to several companies in Northern Ireland, the next scheduled site visits are planned to take place in late October, in addition our Principle Marine Assessor as being busy undertaking re-accreditation of our marine OSRO members who are assessed to the standard required by the MCA for contractor’s operating within the Ports/Harbour and general marine environment. There is also a midterm assessment visit which will take place during the three-year cycle of the accreditation.

Anyone wishing to find out more of the work of ISAS can do so by logging onto the ISAS website, were they can view the full details of the scheme, and register interest by using the contact link (www.isasaccreditation.org)