Environmental Update (July 2010)

Changes to CHAS Questionnaire

The Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme (CHAS) questionnaire for suppliers with 5 or more employees has been updated (version 8 replacing version 7.5). The old version of the questionnaire will be accepted up until 1st November 2010.

Those familiar with the old questionnaire will have noted that the environmental section was not mandatory. New CHAS applicants MUST now complete the environmental questions. Although CHAS assessors will not assess the information provided it will be uploaded onto the CHAS database and can be viewed by buyers.

This is clearly a development from the previous questionnaire and means that any business registering with CHAS will be under more pressure to demonstrate good environmental management arrangements.

At Mentor, we have experience in completing these questionnaires and our environmental service will help any business meet the environmental questions.

If you would like to discuss this further, please contact the Mentor 24/7 Advice Service on 0800 634 7006.

Less than 8 years of landfill space left

The Local Government Association has warned that the UK will run out of landfill space by 2018 unless more waste is diverted through recycling etc...

As well as household waste, the report states that businesses have a vital role to play in protecting the environment and in cutting the amount of waste landfilled.

This is already hitting businesses in the pocket via the landfill tax which rose to £48 a tonne on 1st April; this is set to rise by £8 per tonne per year until 2014/15.

If you would like helping reducing the amount of waste your business creates then contact the Mentor 24/7 Advice Service on 0800 634 7006.