Prepare for the upturn by ensuring compliance, says QHSE Aberdeen expert

Energy firms can prepare for improving fortunes across the industry by ensuring they have the right systems in place.

David Rusling, managing director at QHSE Aberdeen, said that companies can gain a competitive advantage by ensuring that processes are fit-for-purpose. He believes that by taking a strategic approach to integrated management systems now, businesses can reap the rewards of improved performance and profitability.

David, a qualified engineer and lead auditor with 20-plus years’ experience, specialises in building and maintaining customer relationships through the development of value-added QHSE management systems.

He commented: “Our approach is centred around the continuous development of solutions that help organisations achieve significant process improvements and cost-savings.

“Generally, before we start working with a new client, they have a limited amount of documentation without any formal structure in place. For instance, they may have a vendor list but no clear controls in place to identify who is critical to the organisation, and how they are monitored and controlled.

“A management system brings clarity to a company’s operations. By going through the rigours of implementing an integrated management system, organisations can demonstrate to their clients a genuine commitment to doing business in the correct way.”

Firms can utilise several practical measures which will help streamline workflows, increase confidence among staff and supply chains, and provide complete scalability to support business growth.

Businesses should also carry out regular audits of their processes and systems to provide assurance that they are still relevant to the evolving needs of its staff and customers.

Here, David has outlined five key steps that businesses can implement to ensure their operations are “upturn ready”.

• Cut-out inefficiencies by implementing an ISO management system
• Upskill your workforce with internal auditor training
• Ensure your organisation is compliant with GDPR and health and safety legislation
• Check your carbon footprint and get verified to PAS 2060
• Reduce waste and cost, while improving quality and service

QHSE Aberdeen recently supported a client, operating in the oil & gas and renewables sectors, develop an effective set of policies and processes that would ensure compliance.

Working in partnership, David and the team helped create a robust ISO integrated management system, encompassing ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 for quality, environmental, and health and safety disciplines. Following two stages of UKAS audits, the company was recommended for certification.

David added: “As a relatively young company, having recently moved into its first office, management recognised the need to have ISO certification to progress successfully through tendering processes.

“The business could foresee the potential workload looming due to the increase in the price of crude oil and committed to being proactive in outsourcing the development and implementation of an integrated management system, utilising the knowledge and expertise of the QHSE Aberdeen team.

“Our client was delighted with the outcome, our service, and the potential for future prospects due to the new certification. It has since been awarded a front-end engineering design (FEED) contract to provide all control and instrument engineering support for a large overseas greenfield project.

“The new system has brought immediate benefits as the company has been able to win work and gain access to additional frameworks and vendor lists, as well as being more streamlined, user-friendly and responsive to the needs of the business as it scales up.”

QHSE Aberdeen specialises in the creation and implementation of robust quality, health and safety, and environmental management systems that not only comply with the latest ISO standards, but help clients document their operations in a logical, no-nonsense way.

Led by directors David Rusling and Angela Scott, QHSE Aberdeen is trusted by clients locally and around the world because of its professional approach; encompassing the expertise of a large organisation with the personal touch of a small company.

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