General Accreditations: Why They’re Not Just a Badge for the Website

When I talk to business owners about accreditations – ISO 9001, 14001, 45001, NERS, CHAS and the rest – the reaction is usually one of two things:

“We know we should probably get them… but it feels like a mountain of paperwork.”
“We had them years ago but let them lapse because no one was really asking for them.”

I get it. On the surface, accreditations can look like an administrative headache or just another annual bill.

But from what I’ve seen over the years in high-risk and highly regulated environments, good accreditations don’t just tick a box – they make you money, protect your business, and make your life easier.

Let’s break that down in plain English.

What are these accreditations – in real terms?

Very simply:

ISO 9001 – Quality management
Are you doing what you say you do, consistently, and in a controlled way?

ISO 14001 – Environmental management
Are you managing waste, emissions, resources and environmental impact sensibly and responsibly?

ISO 45001 – Health & safety management
Have you got a structured, proactive approach to keeping people safe and complying with the law?

CHAS / other SSIP schemes
Health & safety pre-qualification. They show clients that someone independent has already checked your basic H&S compliance.

NERS (and similar industry schemes)
Sector-specific competence. For example, in utilities, it proves you’re competent and approved to work on certain networks.

Individually they focus on different areas, but together they basically answer three simple client questions:

• Can you do the job properly?
• Can you do it safely and responsibly?
• Can I trust you not to land me in trouble?

The real benefits (beyond the certificate on the wall)

A lot of larger clients now won’t even invite you to tender unless you hold certain accreditations. From their point of view it’s simple risk management: if you’ve already been audited against recognised standards, you’re a safer bet than someone who hasn’t.

The benefit is twofold:

• You open doors to frameworks, preferred supplier lists and bigger contracts.
• You differentiate yourself from the “man with a van and a logo” who can’t demonstrate any formal standards.

In many cases, a single new contract more than covers the cost of accreditation.

You spend less time, money and effort

A decent management system – which is what sits behind these accreditations – forces you to:

• Standardise your processes
• Cut out duplicated effort
• Reduce mistakes and rework

Every time a job goes wrong, a delivery is missed, a drawing is revised three times, or a team has to go back to re-do something, that’s money out of the door.

ISO 9001, done properly, stops you reinventing the wheel on every job. You get:

• Clear procedures
• Clear roles and responsibilities
• Clear checks before work goes out the door

That translates directly into less rework, fewer arguments and fewer call-backs – which is pure cost saving.

Fewer accidents, claims and “near misses”

With ISO 45001, CHAS and similar, you’re not just collecting risk assessments for the sake of it. You’re putting structure around:

• How you identify hazards
• How you train people
• How you monitor what’s actually happening on site
• How you learn from incidents and near misses

Financially, it’s straightforward:

• Fewer accidents = fewer claims, less downtime, less disruption
• Better documentation = a stronger position if anything does go wrong
• Better safety culture = people are more likely to speak up before something bites you

I’ve seen plenty of businesses where one serious incident has cost far more than an entire health & safety management system would have done.

Lower insurance premiums and stronger negotiating position

Insurers love evidence of control. They’re not just interested in your last claim; they want to know how you run the business.

Being able to say things like:

• “We’re certified to ISO 45001 and ISO 9001.”
• “We’re CHAS accredited.”
• “We’ve had X years with no RIDDOR-reportable incidents.”

…puts you in a much better position to negotiate terms and premiums. Over a few years, that can be a substantial saving.

Less stress when clients, auditors or regulators come calling

Most people only appreciate the value of good systems the day something goes wrong or someone turns up asking questions.

When you’re accredited, you already have:

• Documented procedures
• Training records
• Inspection and maintenance records
• Audit trails of decisions and approvals

So instead of a mad scramble through old emails and memory sticks, you can produce evidence calmly and confidently. That keeps others happy – and massively reduces stress for you and your managers.

Easier onboarding and quicker competence in new staff

When your processes are written down, standardised and part of a recognised management system, bringing new people in becomes far easier:

• You’ve got training plans, not “just follow Dave around for a week”.
• You’ve got standard operating procedures, not six different ways of doing the same job.
• You’ve got clear expectations on quality, safety and behaviour.

New starters become productive faster, make fewer mistakes and feel more confident. That’s less time lost, less supervision required and fewer costly errors.

Protecting your reputation – which is hard to put a price on

I’ve seen what happens when things go wrong: incidents, failures, poor workmanship, environmental breaches.

One thing is always true:

Reputations are hard won and easily lost.

Robust systems don’t just reduce the chance of something going badly wrong – they also show clients, regulators and even the courts that you take your responsibilities seriously.

If something does happen, being able to demonstrate accredited, audited systems can be the difference between:

“They’re a cowboy outfit,”
and
“They’ve done what a reasonable, competent business should do.”

That difference matters – legally, commercially and reputationally.

We don’t just talk about it – we live it at DSSL

Here at DSSL, we practice what we preach. We hold ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001, we’re full members of LEEA, and we’re accredited by SOLAS and NPORS. All of these cost money every year, but we don’t just talk the talk – we walk the walk. We invest in them because they genuinely enhance our business every single day and, importantly, they keep us accountable.

How we can help with accreditation and compliance

If you’re reading this and thinking, “We know we should be doing more with this, but we don’t know where to start,” you’re not on your own. A lot of businesses feel the same.

At DSSL, we don’t just hold accreditations – we help other businesses work towards them in a practical, down-to-earth way. That can include:

• Gap analysis – a straight, honest view of where you are now versus where you need to be
• Building or tidying up your management systems so they actually work in the real world, not just on paper
• Support through audits and assessments so you’re prepared, confident and not guessing what an auditor wants to see
• Ongoing advice and mentoring as your business grows, takes on new risks or moves into new markets

My view, in simple terms

For me, accreditations like ISO 9001, 14001, 45001, NERS, CHAS and others aren’t about ticking boxes or impressing people with logos on the website. They’re about:

• Clarity – knowing how your business actually runs
• Control – being on the front foot, not constantly firefighting
• Credibility – showing clients, insurers and regulators you’re serious
• Continuity – building something that doesn’t fall apart when one key person leaves

Yes, they take effort to put in place properly. But that effort is an investment, not a cost.

If you’re thinking about going for accreditation – or dusting off systems that have fallen behind – it’s worth looking past the paperwork and asking a different question:

“What is it currently costing me not to have these in place?”

In most businesses I’ve seen, once you answer that honestly, the decision becomes a lot easier.