As of the 1st May 2018, Achilles will no longer be undertaking the railway RISQS audit. RISQS audit will then continue to be conducted by Capita. (www.risqs.org).
In 2017, the RSSB (Rail Safety and Standards Board) announced that they had reviewed the RISQS process and after following the tendering process, awarded Altius to run the website and Capita to undertake all future rail audits.
For the first year of under Capita, existing Achilles certificates will be honoured, and the protocol used by Achilles will still be followed.
JVR Consultancy has a vast amount of years of experience in the old Achilles Rail system, which was known as Achilles Link Up, this was changed and called Achilles RISQS. The Achilles RISQS ended on 30th April 2018. It is now just called RISQS, some people call it Enhanced or Enhanced RISQS to differentiate it from the Achilles brand, but officially it is known as “RISQS” from 1st May 2018.
However Achilles will be running a new rail scheme in the future called Achilles TransQ Global – yet to be launched, it will focus on both the rail and transport industries.
Rail RISQS is the UK rail industry supplier qualification scheme, providing a single common registration, qualification, and audit process for suppliers that are shared by the UK rail industry.
UK Companies are required to hold a RISQS certification to enable them to operate within the UK rail industry. Therefore to work on the UK railway infrastructure, companies must comply with the Core Module as set out in the Achilles Link-Up Supplier Qualifications.
By achieving the RISQS accreditation, this allows rail companies to connect with all the major rail companies across the UK and will enable them to tender for contracts specific to their abilities.
We help our clients to understand the requirements that are required to achieve this accreditation. We do this by providing industry-specific support and advice on the production and management of a valid Business Management System in compliance with Network Rail requirements, as detailed in the Achilles managed RISQS scheme.
Achievement of Core Module compliance by reviewing your documentation, helping you complete your questionnaire, and developing your Rail Compliance System.
A comprehensive service by allowing one of our consultants to visit your offices and assess your existing management systems and produce a full gap analysis report, which will highlight the areas that need immediate attention.
Before your Achilles audit, there will be an additional cost to your business and a mandatory requirement to adhere to the IHS UK Network Rail standards. However, at JVR Consultancy, we provide you with advice and support on how to obtain this and offer this for free as part of our services.
Experience
Our Achilles rail consultants have vast experience in developing fully compliant integrated management systems for many clients. Some of our consultants have been Achilles Auditors in the past, hence they understand the full process in what it takes to become full compliant within this scheme.
We have the full experience of the rail process from initial application through to producing and implementing rail specific policies and procedures. Our rail compliance specialists have in-depth knowledge of the product codes and the requirements of the Core Module and can advise the best course of qualification for your company.
Thorough
We will develop your management system writing your procedures, policies and associated documentation to ensure a fully compliant and easy to maintain management system. This can stand alone or be integrated with the requirements of ISO9001 (QMS), ISO14001 (EMS) and or ISO45001 Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S)
Bespoke
Our services are tailored to meet individual company requirements and to take the stress out of the process by implementing a professional service that will ensure delivery and meet your requirements.
Contact us to discuss any requirements you may have and to arrange your free gap analysis report to determine what next steps are required to achieve your rail accreditation.
