Contractor Pre qualification /approval systems Hi There,
In reply to Chris Alderson's post as we are all aware that the prequalification situation is broken. However, no new system will work for SMEs until it is NZ wide government-led solution and not a sector driven approach. Currently, I can get a WOF that works nationwide on State Highways or on a rural road, I can choose a food shop on a national grade etc but currently, even government organisations can't agree on which prequalification to use let alone the corporates.
Prior to the dearth of these companies arriving over the last 6 years, we were developing a programme to run our own independent audit of our company to our requirements. The aim was to get real genuine, fit for purpose feedback that would have had real tangible safety benefit for our staff and our organisation. However, with the heavily rising cost of prequalification and the reality of no client ever accepting our own independent audit, we ceased this programme. One of the key outputs from this plan was to identify key areas where to increase expenditure in HSQE that again would have had high value to our staff. With the horrendous cost, (annual cost plus time plus loss of client due to prequalification exceeding revenue of work) over the last 6 years, this has not been an option.
Now don't get me wrong we have operated for over 25 years in high-risk environments with no serious harm. We have used and maintained a safety management system since we started and are extremely proud of what we do, how we do it and what we achieve. What we really wanted to do was to be more exceptional and aspirational. Prequalification systems have killed this, we simply do not have the budget or resource time it to do it anymore.
So until its a cast iron guarantee that any new system or new idea will work for all industry from Kaitaia to Bluff and accepted by any PCBU then I will only be expecting more erosion of genuine business focused safety. Now i must go finish yet another prequalification for another company, only because i cant even ask for work from them unless i have it and i though gambling was illegal.