Welcome to the Safety Schemes In Procurement (SSIP Forum) website. Where safety is at the heart of procurement.

Since its launch last year it is gratifying to see that SSIP is already making inroads into reducing the burden of bureaucracy faced by small and medium sized businesses. Even more encouraging still is that the forum has further plans to help suppliers and those who buy services from these suppliers, maximise the benefits that SSiP can offer. Through making information about a supplier's certification available to buyers, this will further eliminate the need for suppliers to subscribe to multiple competence schemes and we start to embrace SSIP's core philosophy of mutual recognition.

Whilst it is inevitable that it will take time for industry to fully accept mutual recognition, the encouraging progress made to date should be seen as an indication that the goal can be achieved. With the ever-present prospect of government being prepared to legislate to reduce bureaucracy, SSIP should be seen in the context of an industry taking control of its destiny.

With construction having been through a particularly difficult time recently and everyone involved in the industry having to closely monitor costs, this serves to highlight why SSIP's work is so vital. The contribution that SSIP makes in helping buyers and suppliers manage costs should be seen as a positive contribution to reducing the cost of procurement. As the umbrella body for health and safety prequalification schemes, SSIP remains committed to making further progress towards our vision of driving unnecessary bureaucracy out of proving competence.