SafeHire Certification Scheme - Hire Association Europe & Event Hire Association (HAE EHA)
At Plato Catering Hire, we’re extremely proud to be SafeHire certified. We’ve been part of the Scheme for many years and have seen our commitment to high-quality catering equipment hire rewarded by winning SafeHire Event Equipment Hire Company of the Year in 2017 and 2021. We have been either 1 of 3 or 1 of 4 companies nationally shortlisted for the prestigious award in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
What is the SafeHire Certification Scheme?
The SafeHire Certification Scheme was established by Hire Association Europe (HAE). HAE is the industry-leading trade association for the plant, tool, and event equipment hire sector. They aim to protect, support, and grow the industry, whilst safeguarding end-users, hirers, and contractors through their commitment to skills, standards, and sustainability.
To ensure that SafeHire Certification is a robust and comprehensive accreditation, HAE developed it in conjunction with:
- British Standards Institute (BSi).
- Construction Skills.
- Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme (CHAS).
- Events Supplier and Services Association (ESSA).
- Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
- United Kingdom Contractors Group (UKCG).
This means that those who hold SafeHire Certification are operating in line with internationally recognised levels of quality and rigour.
SafeHire Certification proves a company’s:
Achieving Safehire Certification demonstrates:
- Our commitment to the leading Hire Industry Safety Standard
- Our competence and commitment to continual improvement in Safety, Health, Environmental and Quality
- Our client demands for high standards of service are being met
- Our workforce is well trained to support all of our customers
The SafeHire Certification Scheme provides an industry-specific platform for organisations who seek to continuously improve and innovate towards achieving the highest levels of quality assurance and compliance.” – Carl Bartlett, Director Certification Services, Hire Association Europe.
How long has the SafeHire Certification Scheme been in place?
The HAE SafeHire Certification Scheme was launched in 2010.
How does a company achieve SafeHire Certification?
A company must undergo a series of rigorous inspections to confirm that its operations meet stringent safety and quality criteria. These cover a wide range of business practices:
- Corporate Social Responsibility.
- Health, Safety and Welfare.
- Occupational Health.
- Environment and Sustainability.
- Quality Business Risk, Insurance and Financial Control.
- Document Control and Data Protection.
- HR and Employment Law.
Achievement of the standard is dependent upon successful assessment and, unlike some other quality standards, on-site verification of policies and management systems by Independent Assessors. This is a comprehensive process that includes:
- Interviewing employees throughout the business to ensure the company policy is truly embedded.
- Sampling key process paperwork for accuracy and effective data management e.g., hire contracts, customer service management systems and training records.
- Inspecting and testing ready-for-hire equipment.
Achieving SafeHire© affirms the supplier’s commitment to meet client's demands for exceptional standards of health & safety and quality.
It should go without saying that every piece of electrical and gas kit is cleaned, checked, PAT tested & Gas tested and prepared in accordance with the Event Hire Association (EHA) Code of Practices before every single hire.
How long is a company SafeHire certified for?
SafeHire Certification is valid for three years with interim annual on-site and deskto assessments carried out. Having such frequent assessments (and ones that take place on-site), offers you even greater peace of mind as you know that the company is consistently operating at the highest level of quality.
Is HAE SafeHire Certification a legal requirement?
Sadly, not. It’s still only optional for those companies who choose to commit to the leading industry standard. For businesses, it’s a clear way to demonstrate their credentials, which clients can use to identify between quality organisations and opportunists.
We’re seeing more companies make SafeHire certification a requirement of their procurement process because they recognise its importance. We’d suggest that they go further still by making the unmistakable orange logo part of the essential criteria for all procurement.
Why is SafeHire Certification important in catering equipment hire?
Like many others, we regard SafeHire Certification as the most important tool for catering equipment hire companies: that’s why we became certified years ago, and why we live and breathe the standards. The pandemic emphasised the importance as we, like all SafeHire Certified companies, were already operating at such a high standard that we didn’t need to implement new practices.
Your catering equipment needs to be safe, clean, and reliable. It’s integral to making an event successful so you don’t want to take any chances. So, choosing a company whose organisation and equipment have been independently assessed to high-quality standards, provides you with a much safer and more trustworthy option.
"Clients should look for the SafeHire logo. SafeHire has gone from strength to strength and it provides confidence to clients.” – Paul Gaze, Chief Executive Officer, Hire Association Europe.
How can I tell if a catering equipment hire company has SafeHire Certification?
Look for the logo. There are two ways you can tell if a catering equipment hire company has SafeHire Certification.
First, you can look out for the orange SafeHire Certification Scheme logo (as shown in our footer below). To make sure it’s genuine, you need to click on the logo. It should take you through to a verification page showing the company name, certification date and number. If you either can’t click on the logo or it doesn’t land on a verification page, the company may not be truly certified.
Second, you can search on the HAE website. You can search by location if you’re looking for a company nearby, or a specific company’s name if you want to verify an organisation’s credentials.