Blog; A Complete Guide to the SafeHire Auditing Process

SafeHire Certification is the benchmark for quality, safety, and professionalism within the hire industry. Designed and delivered by HAE EHA, the scheme integrates multiple international standards while placing a unique focus on product inspection – something that sets SafeHire apart from any other certification.

Whether you’re preparing for your first audit or looking to renew your certification, understanding the SafeHire auditing process is key to achieving and maintaining compliance.

In this guide, we’ll take you through everything you need to know.

SafeHire is built to align with several internationally recognised standards, including:

However, SafeHire goes further than most frameworks by incorporating physical product inspections and process-based evaluations – ensuring hire businesses meet both operational standards and equipment safety requirements.

SafeHire certification is valid for three years and involves three key stages. Firstly, the certification process starts with an initial audit, which includes a desktop review and on-site assessment. Following completion of this, annual surveillance audits are carried out each year to ensure ongoing compliance. Finally, a lighter desktop review focusing on the core elements of SafeHire is undertook in a three-year renewal audit. This structured approach helps businesses maintain compliance while minimising duplication, particularly for those already holding ISO certifications, making it easier for organisations to keep their practices safe.

HAE EHA provides a range of guides, templates, and checklists to make the SafeHire certification process straightforward. The SafeHire Quick-Guide, which is an itemised checklist to ensure all supporting documents are ready, is provided to help get you started on your SafeHire certification journey as fast as possible. The members area of HAE EHA website contains template documents from HAE EHA Risk Services to assist with policies and procedures, and the HAE Hire Certification Services IMS enables members to access previous audit reports, and corrective action tracking. By using these resources, hire businesses will find they can negotiate their path to certification with relative ease.

All our SafeHire assessors are highly experienced health and safety professionals with deep knowledge of the UK hire industry. They are carefully selected, trained, and regularly attend standardisation meetings to ensure a consistent auditing approach.
Importantly, SafeHire auditors are there to help you improve, not to criticise. They provide guidance on:

Their goal is to support members in building a strong safety culture across the entire organisation.

The initial audit usually lasts around 3.5 hours and consists of two parts:

You’ll receive access to the desktop audit portal before your scheduled audit date, allowing you to review all audit questions in advance, upload supporting evidence ahead of time, and reduce administrative tasks on the day, so you can focus on meaningful improvement discussions with the auditor.

The desktop audit typically reviews documentation and arrangements relating to many aspects from health, safety and welfare policies to corporate social responsibility. Our SafeHire Quick-Guide is here to help you prepare for the initial audit, detailing which elements of your organisation which will be assessed.

On the day of the audit, the appointed auditor will carry out a Point of Work Risk Assessment before inspecting your facilities. The assessment covers:

This comprehensive approach ensures that not only your processes but also your products meet industry-leading safety and quality standards.

Following the audit, the auditor will hold a closing meeting to summarise their findings, upload the audit report to the member portal, and list any corrective actions required, if applicable. Members will receive email notifications and automated reminders for any outstanding actions, helping them stay on top of compliance efficiently.

The SafeHire process is fully managed via the HAE EHA Client Service Centre – an online portal where members can:

Achieving SafeHire certification demonstrates your commitment to quality, safety, and professionalism in the hire industry. With a structured audit process, dedicated resources, and support from expert auditors, we ensure members have everything they need to succeed.

By becoming SafeHire certified, you’re not just meeting industry standards – you’re setting them. Find out more today…