Radio site build and antenna system installation specialists, LARS Communications, have gained recognition for their commitment to high safety and quality standards by achieving a string of vital accreditations.
The company, which was established thirty years ago in Kendal, has recently received Alcumus Safe Contractor accreditation, passed the Achilles Utilities Vendor Database (UVDB) Audit with a near perfect score and secured a five-star rating in its Railway Industry Supplier Qualification Scheme (RISQS) Audit. LARS also announced in May this year that it had achieved ISO 27001:2013 certification, the international standard which outlines best practices in information security management systems.
“We have invested a great deal of time and money to ensure that we continue to provide our clients with the best possible service. Our commitment to safety and quality has always been our main priority. In our industry, it is vital that we can prove to our customers that we conform to the very highest regulations, and obtaining these accreditations is recognition that we are doing exactly that”, said Julian Cooper, Business Development Manager at LARS.
In May this year, LARS achieved ISO 27001:2013 certification, the international standard which outlines best practices in information security management. The achievement was a huge boost to the whole company, reinforcing the company’s commitment to providing the highest level of information security management. Furthermore, in conjunction with the ISO 27001 audit, other accreditations previously awarded to LARS were also reassessed. These included ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001, and no non-conformities were recorded.
Recent inspections and audits saw LARS being awarded accreditation from Alcumus SafeContractor for achieving excellence in health and safety in the workplace. As a typical day at LARS could include operating heavy machinery, working at height, abseiling or carrying out excavations, Alcumus SafeContractor not only provides customers with peace of mind that the business has the relevant health and safety paperwork in place to meet industry standards, but also promotes a commitment to health and safety best practice.
LARS also achieved a near perfect score in this year’s Achilles UVDB Audit, an audit operated by Achilles on behalf of all major UK utilities organisations. The audit is a rigorous two-day process where LARS’ Management Systems (MSE) and Site Activities (SITE) are put under the microscope, but the positive outcome gives buyers confidence in LARS, knowing that they have been pre-qualified, as well as audited, by an industry leading accreditation organisation.
As part of its day-to-day operations, LARS also works in the transport sector and is required to conform to industry-specific requirements, ensuring it can provide assurances to the 110-plus industry buyers that the company is a trusted partner. LARS’ five-star rating in its RISQS Audit, which reviews management systems and rail specific requirements, ensures that it can demonstrate the ability to meet the Network Rail Health, Safety, Operational and Competence standards, and therefore meet the buyers’ criteria when it comes to work processes and safety.
Adds Ian Turner, Managing Director at LARS, “This year has seen a fantastic team effort which has led to great results in all of the necessary industry-related accreditation and certification schemes. We have also recently been recognised for work carried out in conjunction with Morgan Sindell at a Cumbrian-coastal site, where we received the Safety Award of the Month, testament to the team’s positive safety culture on site.
“We regularly assess our systems and practices, ensuring that we continue to work to the very highest standards and provide our customers with unparalleled levels of service. I would like to say a huge thank you to all involved. It’s this level of hard work which means that LARS will continue to be on the radar of some of the UK’s leading blue-chip companies.”
