PAS 43: Risk Management
What is PAS 43?
The 2018 version of the PAS 43 standard has been published and all previous registered organisations should be aware that it will immediately supersede the PAS 43:2015 version which will be withdrawn.
Some of the changes in the 2018 version are updated requirements for recovery vehicles and associated equipment, plus enhanced training and competence requirements for recovery technicians, which also includes specialist personnel.
PAS 43 is the specification for the safe working of vehicle breakdown and recovery operations. The standard is sponsored by SURVIVE (Safe Use of Roadside Verges in Vehicular Emergencies) which exists to improve the safety of breakdown operatives, employees and customers at breakdown and recovery situations.
The scheme is applicable to all vehicle breakdown and recovery operators and similar organizations working on the Highways Agency motorway networks.
We provide certification to PAS 43 standalone registration as an inspection service or a combined management system certification in association with an ISO 9001 certification.
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Gaining PAS 43 certification
We provide certification to PAS 43 standalone registration as an inspection service or a combined management system certification in association with an ISO 9001 certification. The process of registration is:
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Application for registration is made by completing the quote request form
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Assessment to ISO 9001 and PAS 43 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. Standalone PAS 43 inspection service – the organisation must be able to demonstrate that it’s PAS 43 management system has been fully operative for a minimum of three months.
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Certification is issued by NQA and maintained by the organisation
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Maintenance is confirmed through a programme of annual surveillance visits and a three yearly re-certification audit for ISO 9001 and PAS 43. For PAS 43 only, an annual inspection audit is conducted.
Initial certification for PAS 43 as a standalone system
Initial Inspection – The purpose of this visit is to confirm that the PAS 43 Management system fully conforms to the requirements of PAS 43. All fleet vehicles used for roadside recovery or repair will require inspection as part of the PAS 43 audit process.
Please note that if any major non-compliance is identified, the organisation cannot be certified until correction action is taken and verified.
Safe Use of Roadside Verges in Vehicular Emergencies
1998 saw six vehicle recovery operators killed on the motorways and hard shoulders of Britain and, as a result, the AA and the RAC funded the establishment of SURVIVE in March 1999. The purpose of the group was to promote the safety of persons working or stopping on motorway hard shoulders and high-speed dual carriageways.
The SURVIVE report was published in May 2000 and included a large number of conclusions, including:
- Some organizations were unable to give sufficient advice to operatives or to demonstrate effective training
- Members of the public are frequently unaware of the dangers of stopping on a hard shoulder
- No standardised practise for the livery or lighting of recovery vehicles.
As a result, the following recommendations were made:
- The extension of motorway lighting at junctions has clearly shown a reduction in accidents and should be continued
- ‘Rumble strips’ have shown to be effective in improving safety and should be introduced across the entire motorway network
- Information regarding these issues should be standardised and better disseminated to the public
- A common code of practice should be introduced for breakdown and recovery operators, including requirements for training, competence and best practice
Following the recommendations made by SURVIVE, a committee comprising representatives from the Police Force, the Government, motor services organizations and the motor industry, was set up to create a specification (PAS 43) encompassing these recommendations.
Steps to Certification
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Step 1
Complete a Quote Request Form so that we can understand your company and requirements. You can do this by completing either the online quick quote or the online formal quote request form. We will use this information to accurately define your scope of assessment and provide you with a proposal for certification.
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Step 2
Once you’ve agreed your proposal, we will contact you to book your assessment with an NQA Assessor. This assessment consists of two mandatory visits that form the Initial Certification Audit. Please note that you must be able to demonstrate that your management system has been fully operational for a minimum of three months and has been subject to a management review and full cycle of internal audits.
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Step 3
Following a successful two stage audit, a certification decision is made and if positive, then certification to the required standard is issued by NQA. You will receive both a hard and soft copy of the certificate. Certification is valid for three years and is maintained through a programme of annual surveillance audits and a three yearly recertification audit.