The National Electrical and Communications Association (NECA) has developed an industry based Health Safety, Environment and Quality (HSEQ) Management System which is designed to serve the electrical, communications, refrigeration and air conditioning industries. This integrated system and supporting online documentation is focused on assisting small, medium and large businesses to take greater responsibility for their health, safety, environment and quality requirements by providing a user-friendly management system tailored to a company’s individual needs and risk thereby enabling each company to better manage their key duty of care obligations required by Workplace Health, Safety and Environmental legislation.

Yes, the HSEQ Management System has been measured against independent criteria by the JAS-ANZ Accredited Certification Company TQCSI. The system is deemed to meet the elements and requirements of recognized certifications in safety, environment and quality for the electrical, communications, refrigeration and air conditioning industries against:

TQCSI QHSE Code: 2013 and
ISO 45001:2018 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems

Members who fully implement the NECA HSEQ Management System will be better placed to meet their WHS responsibilities whilst providing assurance that its employees, subcontractors and the general public will be kept as safe as possible.

No, it means that this management system which is owned and copyrighted to NECA for use within the electrical, communications, refrigeration and air conditioning industries meets JAS-ANZ Certification.

If you wish to gain independent JAS-ANZ Certification in your own right, that is, in your company’s business name then you will need to go through a direct process with a JAS-ANZ Accredited Certification Company such as TQCSI. If you wish to gain independent certification please contact NECA as we can advise and assist you with that next step.

Following your internal audit and a successful external audit by NECA you will be issued with a NECA Certificate of Compliance to verify that your company satisfactorily meets the key requirements and elements of the:

WHS Legislation
TQCSI QHSE Code: 2013 and
ISO 45001:2018 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems

Members demonstrating appropriate compliance will be able to exhibit the NECA HSEQ Compliant Management System mark (logo) in their advertising and stationery.

The NECA HSEQ Management System exceeds the requirements of the DIT (Department of Infrastructure and Transport) Categories 3 and 4 of the General Building Contractor, Residential Building Contractor benchmark criteria and Categories 3 and 4 of the Trade/Subcontractor benchmark criteria.

Please note that whilst the NECA HSEQ Management System meets the minimum requirements of the DIT prequalification requirements, it does not mean that simply purchasing the HSEQ Management System automatically prequalifies you with DIT. DIT will want to see that you are implementing your management system sufficiently and effectively to reflect the specific activities and scopes of work relative to your business operations.

DIT will also require an independent auditor to verify that your system fully addresses DIT requirements including all the elements detailed in DIT’s Quality Assurance (Edition 2012).

Unfortunately NECA is not seen as an independent auditor by DIT for the purposes of the NECA HSEQ Management System and therefore NECA cannot undertake the DIT verification audit for you. However TQCSI can undertake this audit (as they are deemed to be independent and competent) as can any other auditor who meets the following:

had at least 5 years’ experience in the building and construction industry; and

had at least 3 years’ experience in auditing quality systems in the building and construction industry.

HSEQ Management Manual:

  • Hard copy binder containing your tailored HSEQ Management System

  • 1 copy of the Employee Induction booklet

  • 1 copy of the Risk Assessment booklet

  • 5 hours with NECA’s WHS Manager to assist with implementing the system into your business.

HSEQ webpage:

There is an annual subscription to the online HSEQ Management System web portal which contains the library of documentation supporting the management system including, system forms, SWMS and toolbox talks etc. This resource is maintained and kept up to date by NECA so that you can be assured of the most up-to-date and relevant documents. You will be immediately notified of any document that has been updated or changed.

The web page has:

  • System Forms

  • Safe Work Method Statements

  • Policies

  • Emergency Response Plan

  • Project WHS Management Plan

  • Site Safety Instructions

  • Work Instructions

  • Tool Box Talks

HSEQ Management System audit:

There is an annual external audit conducted by NECA to ensure that your company is appropriately managing its key safety, environmental and quality processes. On achieving a successful audit the NECA HSEQ Compliant Management System Certificate is issued.

Approximately one day will be required to audit your businesses processes dependent on the size and complexity of your business and operations. An audit report is provided.

It will depend on how quickly and effectively you can implement your HSEQ Management System.  For example you will need to demonstrate effective onsite implementation and ownership.  NECA expects that in general companies will need a full 12 months to effectively implement key processes and forms etc.  The NECA audit would typically occur at (but no later than) the 12 month mark after implementation.  However if your system is implemented well before the 12 month mark, then NECA will conduct the compliance audit earlier.

Members should be aware of factors that may slow the NECA compliance audit process. These include:

  • Insufficient or incomplete information and evidence provided at time of audit

  • Not fully implementing key aspects of the HSEQ Management System across your business

  • Not having a suitable site for audit

  • Not having key people available

  • No internal audit conducted by member

  • No management review meeting conducted by member.