June 2002 SAFed raises the standard of competency The Safety Assessment Federation (SAFed) has implemented a standard for the recruitment, training and competency of engineering inspection and assessment staff. By complying with this standard SAFed full member companies will be showing demonstrably that their inspection and assessment staff are fully competent to undertake their work activities Richard Morgan, SAFed's Technical Director commented. "By implementing this standard we are helping to achieve SAFed's main aim of increasing the standards of safety in the workplace. In addition there will be positive effects on the level of expertise within the independent engineering inspection industry leading to greater customer confidence." SAFed full member companies provide safety engineering inspection and assessment services both in the UK and internationally. Between them SAFed full members employ over 2,200 inspection staff with specialist expertise covering an extensive range of mechanical and electrical plant, equipment and systems. Collectively they undertake on a daily basis safety inspections and assessments of thousands of items of plant, equipment and systems. These range from relatively simple items such as a hot water boiler in a restaurant or a car jack in a garage, to major items such as a steam generator within a nuclear power plant or a tower crane on a building site. Richard Morgan continues. "In order to undertake these wide ranging safety inspection and assessment activities SAFed full member companies need to employ inspection staff that collectively have the appropriate experience, knowledge and understanding over the complete spectrum of plant, equipment and systems that are the subject of the inspections and/or assessments." SAFed full member companies recruit their inspection staff from already experienced and mature personnel holding a range of differing levels of professional qualifications in appropriate engineering disciplines. Once recruited and prior to being deployed as inspection staff, personnel are subjected to extensive individualised training aimed at providing the appropriate knowledge and skills to enable them to undertake their inspection or assessment activities both competently and safely. Richard continues. "Once deployed, all inspection staff are subjected to periodic professional review and re-assessment by their employing company. This ensures that they maintain and where appropriate extend their skill and knowledge base in order to be able to carry out their inspection or assessment activities with a high degree of professionalism and competence." Ends Back to Press Release Index