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What are the National Highways Sector Schemes?

National Highway Sector Schemes (NHSS) are bespoke integrated management schemes which supplement ISO 9001:2008.

The schemes were developed in partnership with key stakeholders of the highways industry to interpret ISO 9001 and its specific application to highways maintenance activities. They are designed to:

Provide industry benchmarks
Ensure that all processes are planned
Provide a basis for continuous improvement
Focus on quality as an objective
Reduce overall costs for the client and supplier
Provide and maintain a properly trained and competent workforce
Involve all sides of the industry in scheme ownership within a partnership framework
Ensure that Certification Bodies use auditors with technical knowledge and experience of the sector concerned
Promote confidence in quality management systems by provision of a robust, transparent system.

The schemes provide the Highways Agency and local authorities responsible for the operation and maintenance of the road infrastructure in the UK with an assurance that only competent organisations are carrying out work on their behalf.

The bodies responsible for the road system include local authorities in the case of ‘local’ roads and the Highways Agency in the case of major trunk roads and motorways. They have a statutory duty to maintain the road system.

Which sectors are the Schemes relevant to?

National Highway Sector Schemes are relevant to organisations undertaking a variety of highways activities under contract with the Highways Agency.

The current list of Schemes certified by NQA is as follows:

Scheme 2A Sector Scheme document for the Design and/or Supply, Installation and Repair of Fences for Infrastructure Works.

Scheme 2B Sector Scheme document for the Supply, Installation, Maintenance and Repair of Vehicle Restraint Systems

Scheme 2C Sector Scheme document for the Design, Supply, Installation and Repair of Environmental Barriers

Scheme 5A Sector Scheme document for the Manufacture of Parapets for Road Restraint Systems

Scheme 5B Sector Scheme document for the Installation of Parapets for Road Restraint Systems

Scheme 6 Sector Scheme document for Minor Structures

Scheme 7 Sector Scheme document for the Application of Road Marking Materials and Road Studs to Road Surfaces

Scheme 8 The overseeing and/or Installation and/or Maintenance of Highway Electrical equipment and supporting works

Scheme 9A Sector Scheme for the Deisgn, Assembly and/or Provision of permanent and temporary road traffic signs

Scheme 12A /12B Sector Scheme document for static temporary traffic management on motorways and high speed dual carriageways including on-line widening schemes

Scheme 12C Sector Scheme document for Mobile Lane Closure Traffic Management on Motorways and other dual carriageways

Scheme 12D Sector Scheme document for Installing, Maintaining and removing Temporary Traffic Management on rural and urban roads

Scheme 13 Sector Scheme document for the Supply and Application of surface treatments to road surfaces (Previously Sector Schemes 13A and 13B)

Scheme 15 Sector Scheme document for the Supply of Paving Bitumens

Scheme 17/17B Sector Scheme document for Vehicle Recovery at Highway Construction sites (17) and Vehicle Recovery and Removal on Control Roads

Scheme 18 Sector Scheme document for the Natural Environment and Landscape including Ecology

Scheme 19 Sector Scheme document for corrosion protection of ferrous materials by industry coatings.

Benefits of certification

Ability to win more business - particularly where procurement specifications require certification as a condition to supply. The Schemes are included in the procurement process referenced in the Specification for Highway Works (SHW). For Highways Agency contracts their use is a mandatory requirement of SHW.

Customer satisfaction - through service delivery that consistently meet customer requirements

Reduced operating costs - through continual improvement of processes and resulting operational efficiencies

Improved stakeholder relationships - including staff, customers and suppliers

Legal compliance - by understanding how statutory and regulatory requirements impact the organization and its customers

Improved risk management - through greater consistency and traceability of products and services

Proven business credentials - through independent verification against recognized standards

How to gain registration

NQA provides certification to the National Highway Sector Schemes as an extension to scope of an ISO 9001 registration. The process of registration follows three simple steps:

Application for registration is made by completing the QMS questionnaire

Assessment to ISO 9001 and relevant NHSS is undertaken by NQA - the organisation must be able to demonstrate that its quality management system has been fully operative for a minimum of three months and has been subject of a full cycle of internal audits

Registration is granted by NQA and maintained by the organisation.

Maintenance is confirmed through a programme of annual surveillance visits and a three yearly re-certification audit.

Initial Certification Audit

The assessment process for achieving certification consists of a two stage Initial Certification Audit as follows:

Stage 1 - the purpose of this visit is to confirm the readiness of the organisation for full assessment.

The assessor will:

confirm that the quality manual conforms to the requirements of ISO 9001 and relevant NHSS

confirm its implementation status

confirm the scope of certification

check legislative compliance

produce a report that identifies any non-compliance or potential for non-compliance and agree a corrective action plan if required.

produce an assessment plan and confirm a date for the Stage 2 assessment visit.

Stage 2 - the purpose of this visit is to confirm that the quality management system fully conforms to the requirements of ISO 9001 and NHSS in practice. The assessor will:

undertake sample audits of the processes and activities defined in the scope of assessment

document how the system complies with the standard

report any non-compliances or potential for non-compliance

produce a visit plan for the first surveillance visit

Please note that if any major non-compliance is identified, the organisation cannot be certified until corrective action is taken and verified.

Contact us

For more information about this service, contact our friendly team today on 08000 522424. We will be pleased to help you.

Please also visit www.scheduleofsuppliers.com for the NHSS Schedule of Suppliers.

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