12 December 2017

Specialist Services trends in 2017

BPIF Specialist Services provide expert industry specific advice so you can develop and grow a sustainable and profitable business. Whatever your size or budget we can offer a practical value-adding solution. Specific services appeared to be more prevalent in 2017. We would like to share this year's top 5 services trending for BPIF members.

1. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Support
Panic stations seem to have arose with the pending implications of GDPR in May 2018, but don't threat we have been helping companies fulfil their data requirements.
The General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) Gap Analysis service is to test where your company needs to ‘fine-tune' its data handling operations and to provide a robust structure to work to. Also to help a company define the processes and procedures required to meet the requirements of the regulations. The result will be a report that highlights the issues to be addressed.
The Bespoke GDPR Workshop offers an on-site workshop that can provide your team with an insight of ‘what is GDPR?'. This workshop can be catered to your companies personal data needs.
Dependent on your query we offer GDPR Support, where we can help guide you through certain aspects of getting your data ready to conform to the requirements of the regulation coming into play in May 2018.

2. Dispute Resolution
A difficult dispute can be a company's worst nightmare. Whether it's machine issues or client requirements, our Dispute Resolution service provides expert comprehensive support to achieve a resolution - with the use of; short reviews and reports, single party assessments, single joint expert reports, expert witness reports and facilitation.
Members have been receiving the following benefits:
Offers an independent and reputable service
Aims to avoid costly legal proceedings
Provides experienced experts familiar with all printing production processes
Offers a choice of types and levels of service to suit the dispute
Aims to settle disputes quickly and cost effectively
A complete range of services
Mediation services are also available

3. Occupational Health
Companies have really been taking their employees' health in consideration this year. Due to this we have experienced an increase in Health Surveillance & Screening which provides employees with the following tests; Drug & Alcohol Screening, Hearing Tests, Skin Checks, Lung Function, Urine, Blood. Companies have also been requiring Medical Assessment Reporting & Sickness Absence Management which consists of the following services; Telephone Health Assessments, Face to Face Health Assessments, Counselling, Physiotherapy, Occupational Health Management Referrals.
These occupational health services assist with the ability to recruit and retain the best employees, reduce sickness levels and improve productivity and profitability. Promoting and maintaining good health policies and practices in the workplace can set you apart from the competition.

4. ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 Transition
As we all should know by now, the ISO 9001:2004 and ISO 14001:2008 standards have now been superseded by the new 2015 version. Companies have been informed they will need to update their previous standards and transition by September 2018 or risk your current certification being invalid.
We have been helping members transition to the new standard and get to grips with the necessary changes through our transition service.
We work together with your company to help you to understand the current systems and guide you through the requirements of the two new standards.
The 2015 standards introduced the concept of risks and opportunities identification. The adviser helps to develop a quality and environmental risks analysis to meet this new requirement in the standards.
A BPIF Specialist Services QMS expert can help your business:
Develop a new Systems Manual to cover the new standard
Quality and Environmental Risks Analysis
Internal Auditor Training
Develop the updated System
Create management processes
Create environmental specific processes
Create quality specific processes

All transition requirements will be bespoke and depends on the systems you have in place.

5. Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) Testing & Workplace Air Monitoring
In addition to companies taking care of their employees with occupational health services. They are also taking up occupational hygiene services to provide the same care by monitoring the air in the workplace.
LEV control systems aim to remove air pollutants before they enter the workplace, ensuring employee exposure is at a level that is considered as low as is reasonably practicable. It is an employer's responsibility to ensure the thorough testing and examination of LEV. It is a legal requirement to be undertaken every 14 months. This is done to make sure employees contract occupational asthma and other lung diseases each year due to breathing in dust, fumes or other airborne contaminants at work, often because control measures are not fit for purpose or utilised properly by employees.
Workplace Air Monitoring Assessment is undertaken to ensure adequate control. Workplace Exposure Limits (WELs) for airborne contaminants are listed in the HSE Guidance Document (EH40). Employees may be exposed to airborne substances on a regular basis that are potentially hazardous to health. Many substances within the printing industry can cause ill health effects including: Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), Isocyanates, Total inhalable dusts, Respirable dusts, Ozone.

If you would like to find out more about any of the above or other services, please contact BPIF Specialist Services on 01924 203 335 or email [email protected]