PHS Compliance, is formed from the merger of two market-leading specialists in the safety area; Epsilon Test Services (acquired April 2008) and CLM Compliance (acquired March 2010), who are merging under the new name.

PHS Compliance will offer services for electricity, gas, fire and lighting.  In each of these disciplines, the company will focus on legislative and ACOPs (Approved Codes of Practice) compliance and claims to offer the most efficient and effective process to achieve it.  This, the company says, would include the most appropriate mix of safety inspection, testing, remedial repair work, planned maintenance and emergency repairs required to meet individual customer needs.

Explaining the rationale for the new company, PHS Group chief executive, Peter Cohen, commented, “We always strive to proactively predict and deliver what the market will require and in the traditionally diverse and disparate safety arena, this means creating the powerful simplicity of one single name that can deliver on all levels.  From a client’s point of view this creates one point of contact and one route to achieving their legislative safety compliance, whatever the specific needs of their site or sites.  This makes great sense in terms of cost-efficiency and streamlines the process in a singularly tailored approach.”

The new PHS company pulls together the combined forces of Epsilon and CLM and provides a national network of more than 500 safety engineers.  Expertise within this workforce will include both specialists in specifics, such as electrical safety, and also multi-skilled engineers who are qualified to deliver services for more than one of the disciplines the company now covers, from electricity and gas to fire and lighting.

Leading PHS Compliance will be ex-Epsilon managing director Tim Beardsmore, who takes the role of commercial director, and ex-CLM managing director Paul Caddick, who becomes operations and technical director with the new company. 

Commenting on the newly formed partnership, Paul Caddick said, “Together we bring over 20 years of experience and market-leading technical expertise to this alliance with an enviable reputation for great customer service and innovation. We plan to create an unbeatable force for excellence in workplace compliance provision.”  Tim Beardsmore is similarly positive, “There is nothing out there to match the scope and specialism of PHS Compliance.  We are very excited about this launch and look forward to demonstrating how compliance is most intelligently dealt with by addressing all disciplines with one complete service.”

The appointment was confirmed on 2 April by Peter Cohen, chief executive of parent company The PHS Group plc, and has been planned for since the acquisition of Epsilon Test Services in April 2008. Mark Blanchfield is retained as a consultant to the board and will support Beardsmore in his new post.

“Tim Beardsmore is the natural choice to direct the future at Epsilon Test Services,” said PHS Group chief executive, Peter Cohen. “He has a proven record of success and highly valued knowledge of the market.”

Epsilon specialises in electrical safety testing and the company has recently launched a remedial repairs division to complement existing services of portable appliance testing (PAT), periodic fixed installation testing and thermal imaging. According to Beardsmore, the firm has plans to further expand its range of services, to be announced in the coming months.

Commenting on his new appointment Tim Beardsmore said, “I am obviously delighted to take the reins at Epsilon and am confident that I can lead the company into further growth, building on a foundation of sustained development since the firm was set up in 1993.”

Beardsmore has steered the financial and commercial success of Epsilon since he joined the company in 2003, providing the company with a sound financial platform for growth of over 400 per cent. He has been instrumental in the development of the company’s core procedures and technology that has seen Epsilon Test Services Ltd become the market leader in electrical safety testing.

When not busy in the world of electrical safety, Tim Beardsmore enjoys spending time with his wife and young son. He is a self confessed football addict and supports Nottingham Forest. Golf is another keen interest and he plays with handicap of 22.

“We opened our London office in the autumn because of the amount of business we were handling in the capital” explains Regional Sales Manage Cris Vasanji. “At the moment there is particular interest in the possibility of combining our gas inspection and testing services in one contract with our electrical services.”

CLM Compliance has grown its business through a clear focus on Portable Appliance and Fixed Wire Testing, adding the ability to service and maintain gas equipment in mid-2009.

Cris Vasanji puts a lot of the company’s success down to: “the quality of our engineers.  We don’t subcontract any services, and run our own training centre to make sure our engineers are always completely up to date on current legislation and technical issues.”

Matt Keen and Mike Aris started at CLM’s London office in March, and have access to the company’s nationwide team of over 300 field-based engineers to service accounts across London and the South East.

However, half of the sites for the team to conduct the routine electrical safety tests are sewage treatment works, accrding to Dan Childs who manages the account with the FM contractor Mitie from CLM’s new London HQ.

The sewage treatment works to be tested in the Newham area of Beckton is the largest in Europe, which has been developed with micro-renewable technology in the shape of a sludge powered generator of ‘green’ electricity seen in the photo.

The daily sewage processed there from 3.4 million Londoners generates enough clean eco-electricity to power over 7,000 homes every year.

CLM’s engineers have tested the safety of fixed wiring for some of those homes recently within the stock of Merton Council and Thames Valley Housing.

This of course streamlines your supply chain, by CLM scheduling and testing for both essential services within a single contract under management teams accredited to the very highest standards. Standards that include accreditation to UKAS and extension to the scope of ISO 9001:2000 for the quality management of our recently developed gas safety test services.

Our truly integrated service also streamlines the management of any repairs identified as necessary during the tests.

Companies convicted of corporate manslaughter could be forced to take out adverts or place a statement on its web site publicising a conviction. The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Acts came into force in 2008. In England and Wales and Northern Ireland, the new offence is called corporate manslaughter, and in Scotland it is called corporate homicide.

“Corporations can already be convicted of corporate manslaughter, making them face up to the consequences of health and safety failures,” said justice minister Maria Eagle. “Fines hit irresponsible companies in their wallet, but public image is also extremely important. Forcing corporations and organisations to publicise their conviction will be a powerful deterrent, making them think of the reputation as well as financial risk of not taking their health and safety responsibilities seriously.”

The new publicity orders are thought to be the first of their kind to be introduced in the UK. They could compel companies to inform shareholders, customers and in the case of local authorities, hospital trusts and police forces, local people of the conviction, giving details of the case, the fine imposed and the any remedial work they have been ordered to do.

CLM has simplified the management of compliance with the safety of both gas and electricity by combining its testing services, through its national network of engineers. CLM developed a range of gas services in 2008 offering the same quality as its award-winning and long-established electrical compliance contracting. This year CLM Compliance achieved the ISO 9001:2000 extension to scope for the quality management of its gas safety test services.

CLM developed a range of gas services in 2008 offering the same quality as its award-winning and long-established electrical compliance contracting. CLM is now already one of the largest contractors through its national network of GAS SAFE registered engineers, carrying out over 3,000 inspections last year across the UK for council housing departments, registered social landlords, care homes, commercial property agents and retailers.

“Clients choose CLM Compliance services because of our tireless endeavours to deliver the very best in technical expertise, support, customer service and value for money – all of which has the very best assurance of quality control,” said CLM Compliance MD Paul Caddick. “Too many people are known to still use unaccredited trades people and do not have a carbon monoxide alarm because they are unaware of the dangers.”

This year CLM Compliance achieved the ISO 9001:2000 extension to scope for the quality management of its gas safety test services.

Housing inspections and repairs are carried out to minimise any potential inconvenience to the residents, by working closely with the clients’ own liaison teams. All activities are recorded and monitored centrally for ongoing quality control, as well as to meet the clients’ own internal audit responsibilities. The certification is accessible on-line as legally required for two years.

To request information about our gas safety services contact us or telephone 0844 85 60 628.

CLM engineers begin testing over 1,000 William Hill shops this year for electrical safety compliance across the north of England under the new £130,000 contract.

CLM regional sales manager Alistair Brownlie said: “Like William Hill, we aim to deliver an unrivalled service through our expertise, passion and commitment.”

William Hill has around 2,300 betting shops across the UK and Ireland, with operations also in Israel and Bulgaria to employ over 15,000 people in total. Most of the shops are open seven days a week, 12 hours a day. While on-line gaming grows, over-the-counter betting and gaming machines still account for approximately 80% of William Hill’s annual gross win.