Maximising efficiency across your supply chain.

The CLOCS Standard requires clients and principal contractors to stipulate CLOCS compliance as part of the procurement process.

As clients, contractors and operators look to specify CLOCS standards to drive safer, leaner and greener construction logistics, the procurement process is a vital and powerful mechanism to set these standards from the outset with clarity for all.

In our latest CLOCS Safety Forum, we were joined by CLOCS Strategic Partner, Safety Schemes in Procurement (SSIP) and CLOCS Champion member Laing O’Rourke who explained how SSIP plays a key role in improving efficiency and reducing duplication in occupational health and safety assessments.

As an umbrella organisation, SSIP brings together assessment schemes under a shared commitment to mutual recognition—helping organisations save time, reduce costs, and streamline supplier management.

At the heart of this approach is the SSIP Portal, a central database that holds records of all valid assessments completed by SSIP Member Schemes. With over 91,500 suppliers currently listed, and industry savings exceeding £70 million year to date, the portal supports better-informed procurement decisions and drives consistency across sectors.

SSIP’s framework and Supporter Membership offer practical tools to help businesses embed assurance into their supply chains while improving safety standards.

Eleanor Eaton, Chair of SSIP, emphasised the importance of building smarter, more efficient procurement practices by removing unnecessary repetition in prequalification processes.

Kevin Horner, Procurement Operations Leader at Laing O’Rourke, highlighted how SSIP’s flexible structure supports the wide range of industries within which the company operates, enabling more effective contractor management and alignment with organisational values.

SSIP continues to support safer, more efficient supply chains—delivering real benefits for clients, suppliers, and the wider industry.

A copy of the presentation can be found here.

Looking forward

This forum highlighted the benefits of a robust approach to procurement tapping into that process to set standards for the whole supply chain from the outset and delivering a number of benefits, not least saving time and money.

Should you wish to contact Eleanor, she can be emailed at eleanor@ssip.org.uk.

And finally…

Our thanks to Eleanor and Kevin for giving up their time to share their knowledge and insights on this subject with the CLOCS community, and thanks also those who attended sharing their own thoughts and experiences.