Speedy backs OSH skills commission: competency gaps and standards for project teams
Reviewed by Joe Ashwell
First reported on The Construction Index
30 Second Briefing
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) and Speedy Hire are launching a UK-wide occupational safety and health (OSH) skills commission to tackle shortages in competent safety practitioners across construction, infrastructure and industrial sectors. The initiative will convene contractors, plant hire specialists and training providers to map current OSH competencies, identify gaps in areas such as work-at-height, lifting operations and temporary works, and propose structured training pathways. Outcomes are expected to influence site induction standards, certification requirements and procurement criteria for major projects.
Technical Brief
- For similar infrastructure and construction projects, outcomes could tighten minimum OSH competence thresholds in contracts.
Our Take
Within our 680 Infrastructure stories, UK safety pieces involving organisations like RoSPA tend to influence procurement standards for plant hire and temporary works, so Speedy Hire’s alignment here is likely to shape pre-qualification and training expectations for contractors.
Among the 1,900+ Safety/Standard/Guideline-tagged items, UK-focused articles often precede updates to CDM-related guidance or client specifications, meaning any OSH skills recommendations backed by Speedy Hire could quickly cascade into site competency requirements across the supply chain.
In our database, large hire firms in the United Kingdom that engage directly with standards bodies often use this to differentiate on ‘safe supply’ rather than just price, which can pressure smaller regional plant providers to match training and verification practices or risk being excluded from major projects.
Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.
