The QSS Group - Safety, Quality, Environmental and Engineering Management Systems

Established in 1995, the QSS Group is a specialist consultancy for the development, integration and assessment of safety, quality, environmental and engineering management systems. The group serves the rail, transport, engineering and construction sectors.

Our personnel are qualified professionals with considerable industrial and engineering experience, which makes us an ideal choice to provide independent and focused specialist support.

AUDIT AND REVIEW RAILWAY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

We helped to develop, establish, audit and review railway management systems, and more recently, provide an independent safety management review on behalf of a number of major clients to support their application of the railway and other guided transport systems regulations, otherwise known as ROGS. These clients include passenger train operators, maintainers, infrastructure maintenance companies and infrastructure controllers.

Associated activities include facilitation of risk analysis workshops including development of risk profiles, preparation of safety-management system documentation, review of material revisions and validation of organisational change, etc.

Specialist services include:

• Preparation of licence requirements and their associated safety management submissions to the Office of Rail Regulation
• Independent supplier assessment auditing
• Development and implementation of safety management systems that meet the requirements of OHSAS 18001 and Achilles Link Up proof requirements
• Development of contractors' assurance cases

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENTS

Corporate responsibility for the environment has become a major issue. We can help you to demonstrate your commitment to preserving and enhancing the local environment, offering extensive knowledge and experience to ensure that your environmental impact assessments are carried out in a thorough and professional manner.

After initial surveys and assessment of the environmental impacts of a project we can assist you to produce a comprehensive environmental statement. We can also provide you with the necessary data and analysis to ensure that your statement and procedures meet all the required criteria for ISO 14001 certification.

QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

We have worked with most rail-related companies in the UK and internationally in setting up quality management systems.

We provide support, help and guidance for companies that wish to establish quality assurance systems, especially when their aim is to attain external accreditation and system certification to international standards. Our latest service, known as Gnosis®, provides a systematic review of a company's processes which is used to support the identification of business risk and organisational validation of control measures.

External recognition for quality management is an essential step on the road to sustainable performance improvement. We work with customers to extend and integrate their process improvement programmes with their formal management systems, to better manage the risks across quality, environment, safety, competence, engineering, operations and commercial areas.

ENGINEERING CONSULTANCY

Our engineering consultancy includes a documentation and specification review, which is a concurrent review of work documentation and maintenance specifications and the facilitation of the approval and implementation of change.

As well as an occupational risk assessment, which is a compilation of a task assessment matrix for maintenance, refurbish and / or manufacture activities in the workshop, identifying the hazards and recommending suitable control measures to deliver a low-risk environment.

Our competence management and assessment enables the development of a robust and efficient competence management procedure and the delivery of competence assessment by vocationally qualified assessors. Our plant engineering support includes the supply of plant engineering know-how and experience for the support and development of infrastructure and plant equipment.

Finally, the supplier assessment process involves preparation of supplier assessment procedures and supporting audit of the customer's supply chain.

SAFETY-AUDITING SOFTWARE

QSS also supplies safety-auditing software, Safety Check II©, a product designed to enable the client to 'self-check' their systems and effectively comply with rail, transport and international standards and regulations.