All RISQS To One Side

Inspectors have given HBPW a clean bill of health following the firm’s latest annual RISQS rail assessment.

RISQS stands for Railway Industry Supplier Qualification Scheme and is the supplier pre-qualification service used by buyers of all products and services throughout the British rail industry.

It is a benchmark to say that firms are more than capable and that everyone is working to agreed standards: without it HBPW would be excluded from large projects that it currently delivers on for the likes of Network Rail.

Paul Jacklin, the HBPW Associate responsible for maintaining standards within the firm, has maintained a blemish free record for several years but not without considerable effort.

“Records and processes have to be maintained and implemented meticulously and, part of my job, is to also ensure that members of the team adhere to those rigorous standards required by RISQS.

“ ‘Systems’ by definition can be exhausting to maintain but therein lies the challenge which, if successfully met, gives the likes of Network Rail absolute confidence to know that they are dealing with the right sort of firm.”

The latest audit, which took the best part of two full days, achieved a 100% perfect score, maintaining an unbroken record that dates back several years.

“The accreditation exists for a reason,” added Paul, “not only allowing professionals to safely work trackside for the likes of Network Rail, but also enabling them to complete all aspects of engineering design within the rail sector efficiently, effectively and to an agreed set of standards.”

“I never take 10 out 10 as a reason to rest on my laurels,” added Paul “because the second you do is the second you start to fail. Needless to say I am delighted for the entire HBPW team that we remain on track for the next year.”

RISQS helps suppliers sell in to the British rail industry by providing an open, fair and transparent way for them to be formally recognised as capable providers of products and services.

It supports Network Rail, Transport for London, passenger and freight operating companies, rolling stock organisations, main infrastructure contractors and many other buying organisations, in the management of supply chain risk.

RISQS is industry-owned and sponsored by a board of representatives from across the rail industry. This, in turn, reports into the RSSB Board (Rail Safety and Standards Board) to provide a range of services that support operational delivery of the scheme.