Standard practice
August 1st 2005 By developing and implementing credible industry standards, you are in a good position to prove your competency in the market, writes Chris Netherton of the National Flood School. When the National Flood School approached BSI to see if there was a need to write a standard for water damage, a detailed discussion took place regarding the process and eventual outcome. From the initial meeting it became clear that the project would involve a substantial investment of time and expertise as it was important to involve key stakeholders in this area who were willing to invest their time, experience and knowledge in making the project a success.
The original stakeholders were:- Action Dry, Belfor, Chemdry UK Cunningham Lindsey, Dri-Eaz Products, Home Repair, Lloyds TSB Insurance, National Carpet Cleaning Association, National Flood School and Rameses Associates. In addition to these stakeholders the British Damage Management Association (BDMA) and Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) were invited to give their input in order to verify the document and ensure it was as inclusive as possible. The first meeting produced the scope of the document and the premise that this document would best represent the interests of contractors, insurance companies and the consumer. To ensure this, the facilitation process was fully transparent and involved representation at various levels from academia, the government and consumer organisations.
The decision was taken to develop a Publicly Available Specification (PAS). A PAS is a fast track, BSI endorsed specification which is developed using the same rigorous methodology as is used in developing a full British Standard. The decision to write a PAS was taken as it was seen as the quickest way to market. A PAS however may be proposed as a British Standard at a later stage and it is our hope that this will be the case.
The robust and demanding process facilitated by BSI has now resulted in PAS 64, which sets good quality expectations for all concerned. Any contractor working to this specification will be considered to be outperforming current average practice.
Key areas the PAS covers are: Records to be kept for six years confidentially Monitoring records of psychrometric readings to be available Risk assessments to be available to all parties Regularity of signage with examples of British Standard signs Samples of risk assessments Samples of drying maps with moisture readings References to other important BSI documents References to HSE health and safety documents Bibliography referencing major industry documents Acknowledgement should be made of the individuals whose hard work has resulted in a specification which will benefit all practitioners of our craft. These are: Andy Habbershaw, Laurence Mitchell, Mark Taylor, Richard Cable, Richard Ayton Robinson, Nigel Hewitt, Adam Clutterbuck, Ian Jones, Paul Pearce, Brian Garbett, Roger Woodhead, David Clifton, Chris Netherton Snr, Chris Netherton Jnr.
To order your copy of PAS 64 Professional water damage mitigation and initial restoration of domestic dwellings please contact BSI Customer Services 020 8996 9001, orders@bsi-global.com Price: £64.00 or £55.00 for subscribing network members (order from NFS on 01252 726106).
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