Removal Services

The service provider shall not sub-contract the minimum furniture removal service to any other company without authority from BSI. Minor operations can be sub-contracted subject to the compliance with the requirements of
BS EN 12522.

When any part of the service is sub-contracted, the Licensee shall monitor the sub-contractor. The arrangements below would be considered acceptable: -

• Inspections carried out by the Licensee with full records kept and available for inspection during BSI surveillance visits.
• Where the sub-contractor holds third party certification for the scope of operations concerned and a Certificate of Conformity is provided, no further inspection of the activity by the Licensee is required.

Declaration of conformity/Marking requirements

The supplier’s declaration of conformity to the standard shall take the form of a statement that includes the following information on the waybill delivery note / work completion declaration:

• Name and address of the furniture removal service provider.
• Number and date of the standard i.e. BS EN 12522:1998.
• The use of the Kitemark® by the Licensee shall be in accordance with  BSI document PS028 “How to use the Kitemark®”.
• When using the Kitemark® in connection with any aspect of this Scheme, the format is the Kitemark®, with the standard BS EN 12522 immediately below and central to the Kitemark®.
• The Kitemark® may be displayed on vehicles, company documentation, waybills, letterheads, invoices etc, however only where it is clear that it applies exclusively to the Kitemark® certified scope, for example the Kitemark should not be applied to crates and packaging materials which may be used for private individuals and commercial use.

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The Kitemark® Scheme is a voluntary scheme covering the minimum removal service as defined in BS EN 12522. (The scheme does not cover any additional, optional services listed in BS EN 12522-1 clause 4.4 'Recommendations for additional, optional services'.)

The following information provides guidance for new applicants and existing Licensees as to the application process and ongoing requirements of the scheme.

Scheme requirements
The scheme consists of the following elements:

• Pre-certification activities:
• Quality systems assessment
• Service evaluation
• Customer satisfaction evaluation
• Certification recommendation and decision
• Continuing surveillance

Pre-certification

Quality system assessment
A nominated BSI Representative will assess the service provider’s “quality system” against the quality approach requirements of BS EN 12522-2 clause 4, and the service provider’s Quality Plan (see quality plan guidance) and report the findings to the Scheme Manager.

Service evaluation
The nominated BSI Representative will audit the provision of the usual furniture removal service against BS EN 12522-2 clause 3 and report the findings to the Scheme Manager. This shall include an audit of the service provider’s monitoring of customer satisfaction carried out after completion of the removal operation See BS EN 12522 clause 3.4 After sales service.

Customer Satisfaction Evaluation
An evaluation of customer satisfaction data will be carried out by the Scheme Manager, based on questionnaire returns received from the service provider’s customers, either via the review of the service provider’s signed waybill delivery note / work completion declarations or directly from the service provider’s customers. This will commence from the date of the Kitemark® Licence, at which time at least three month’s data shall be available for review.

Certification

Certification recommendation
Where both the quality system and the service meets the scheme requirements the Scheme Manager will make a recommendation for the Kitemark® Licence to be issued.

The Kitemark Licence
Once the certification recommendation has been accepted, a licence to use the Kitemark® is issued to the client. The licence provides sufficient detail to identify the service activity which may be associated with the BSI Kitemark®.

Continuing Surveillance

Assessment visits
Following the issue of the Kitemark® Licence a nominated BSI Representative will carry out continuing assessment visits at a frequency of one visit per annum. The duration of visits is dependent on a number of factors, including the number of personnel, existing certification and previous assessment performance.

Customer feedback monitoring
Customer satisfaction questionnaire returns will be reviewed periodically by the Scheme Manager to independently monitor service provision.

A Quality Plan is required for the minimum furniture removal service. The Quality Plan should specify the particular operations necessary to ensure the continuing compliance with the requirements of the Standard.  

The operations should be regarded as additional to those that would normally be carried out under the “furniture removal” quality approach defined in Clause 4 of BS EN 12522-2 or a quality system to BS EN ISO 9001.

Quality Plan content
The document should be properly controlled and authorised and a copy submitted to BSI for review with the company quality documents. Once accepted and the Kitemark® Licence issued, the Quality Plan is retained on file and any amendments should be submitted for acceptance by BSI before being implemented.

The following is intended to provide guidance for the purpose of certification, as to the contents of a Quality Plan that is likely to be acceptable in a majority of cases. It should be emphasised that this envisages a standard situation, which may not be applicable in all circumstances. Where any of these requirements are identified as inappropriate, it may be possible to agree alternatives.

The Quality Plan can cross reference the appropriate part/s of the quality approach documentation or quality system. There is no need to duplicate information held within the quality system.

General requirements for a Quality Plan
A Quality Plan must reflect the requirements of the standard and shall include but not be limited to the following: -

• Handling and packing equipment, and/or materials specifications with the inspection/checking and/or acceptance criteria.
• Detail of the packing, collection and delivery operations and processes, identifying critical activities, the checking procedures, acceptance and rejection criteria. This should include, where appropriate, a flow chart of the key activities and inspection/checking stages.
• Procedures for dealing with non-conforming operations or service, e.g. identification, corrective action and action to prevent recurrence.
• Final checking procedures on completion of the removal operation and on completion of the after sales service operation, including frequency and methods.
• Cross reference to the quality approach documentation or the quality system. If points are covered in a quality manual then reference to the particular part could be acceptable.
• Calibration of any special measuring or test equipment used.

Moving of office and business equipment, furniture and goods

To gain Kitemark certification, your company will need to be audited against the standards set out in PAS 126:2008.

if you are an existing BAR Member, your company will probably already comply with many of the requirements. In which case, you can choose to go straight for assessment. Each brand of your company, applying for the Kitemark must complete the audit.

Gain the Kitemark advantage:

• Increase your business potential
• stand out from your competitors
• Enhance your company name and reputation
• Communicate your company's high quality customer services

Service Standards:

• PAS 126:2008 defines requirements for...
• The service specification
• Preliminary information
• Contractual documents
• Staff competence and training
• Security of property
• Protection of property
• Customer feedback
• Control of service quality

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