Building to high standards

Based in Leicestershire, Apex Construction Ltd works on contracts across the UK, and has extensive experience in:

• Construction and refurbishment of bridges and marinas
• Water treatment and sewage works
• Heritage work on listed structures using traditional construction methods and materials
• Refurbishment projects where the focus is on the environment
• Concrete repairs
• General civil engineering projects

In 2006 Harry Staniforth Associates Ltd supported the Company in obtaining the ISO 9001 Quality Standard. In 2009 The Company once again called on Harry Staniforth Associates Ltd. to help them obtain the ISO 14001:2004 Environmental Standard and the BS OHSAS 18001:2008 Health and Safety Standard.

In December 2009 they were awarded both Standards by ISOQAR.

UK Palettes gain accreditation through
Harry Staniforth Associates

UK Pallets is committed to providing and maintaining a safe workplace for all and doing everything it can to support and maintain the environment within which it does business. As a measure of their confidence in their progress, they decided to subject this part of the business to the rigours of external scrutiny. Hence they sought and gained accreditation under the two independently recognised management programmes – ISO 14001:2004 (Environmental) and BS OHSAS (Occupational Health and Safety Advisory Services) 18001: 2007.

These programmes addressed the objectives for UK Pallets regarding Health & Safety and Environment (HSE) in order to create a culture that recognises that personal actions can and do make a difference; and to implement positive personal actions to look after their health, safety, environment and the wellbeing of their people and visitors.

Bringing the two standards together and creating the Integrated Management Systems has enabled UK Pallets to cover both standards in one assessment, and with continuous improvement on the planning, documentation, training and development, auditing and non-conformance and corrective and preventative actions.

Preparation started in April 2009 using external consultant Harry Staniforth Associates Ltd in readiness for the external assessment by LRQA in October. Harry Staniforth said afterwards, “In 20 years of consulting and supporting over 110 companies achieving various standards, I cannot remember any company coming under such intense scrutiny – eight days – at all levels, with only minor issues being raised. This is a credit to all at the company.”