National Security Inspectorate Sentinel House, 5 Reform Road Maidenhead SL6 8BY Website: nsi.org.uk Page 1 of 6 © NSI 2018 EMS Gold Approval Criteria ESF 102 Issue 1 May 2018 EMS Gold Approval Criteria ESF 102 Issue 1 Page 2 of 6 May 2018 © NSI 2018 These approval criteria are to be read in conjunction with the NSI Regulations. No company may hold out or claim to meet the EMS Gold approval criteria, other than by virtue of holding EMS Gold approval. EMS Gold Approval Criteria ESF 102 Issue 1 Page 3 of 6 May 2018 © NSI 2018 Contents 1 Scope and introduction ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. …………………….. 4 2 Prerequisites ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ……………. 4 3 Repute of management ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. …………………….. 4 4 Finance ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. …………………….. 5 5 Legal obligations ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ………………………….. ……. 5 6 Compliance with standards, codes of practice and so on ………………………….. ……………………. 6 EMS Gold Approval Criteria ESF 102 Issue 1 Page 4 of 6 May 2018 © NSI 2018 1 Scope and introduction This document lists the criteria for EMS Gold approval. The criteria apply to EMS Gold approved companies and to companies applying for EMS Gold approval. Definitions are as stated in the NSI Regulations and the ISO 14001 standard. In this document, text under the columns headed Criterion are criteria for approval. Text under the columns headed Guideline are guidelines for assessing compliance with the stated criteria. Nevertheless, we reserve a right to refuse approval if you do not meet the guidelines or to end your approval if you do not meet the guidelines. 2 Prerequisites Criterion Guideline You must be approved to, or applying for, one of NSI’s security & fire related Schemes in order to be eligible to apply for and hold EMS Gold approval. None. 3 Repute of management Criterion Guideline The people who manage, control and have principal interests in the ownership of your company must be demonstrably reputable and of good standing. During the application process and at any time subsequent to approval being issued, we may ask specific individuals within yo ur organisation to provide, through completion of NSI personal data forms and / or other methods, relevant personal information, evidence of character and repute, references, guarantors and so on, to our satisfaction. When we are assessing whether a compan y meets this criterion, we can take into account all the information we have about the people concerned. The mere absence of information against a person is not necessarily enough. We can refuse to approve a company if we are not satisfied that we have the necessary positive evidence of repute and good character. Similarly, if we are not satisfied, we can end approval or set a condition (for example a condition that your approval can only continue if you remove a named individual from office). EMS Gold Approval Criteria ESF 102 Issue 1 Page 5 of 6 May 2018 © NSI 2018 4 Finance Criterion Guideline We can withhold approval or end approval if we have reason to believe that: your company does not have sufficient financial stability to be able to trade ; the financial affairs of your company are not being (or have not been) carried o n in a responsible and prudent manner; or your company is not trading lawfully, meeting its just debts a nd other financial obligations. We usually get a report from a credit reference agency. We may view public records such as statutory accounts and county court judgments. To help us form a clear picture, we may ask you to send us financial information such as annual accounts, monthly management accounts and forward financial plans (projections). If you have been trading for less than two years we usually ask you to submit evidence of: (a) financial backing; (b) organisational experience (covering the business management and financial aspects of the company and defining the responsibilities, authority and inter – relation of management personnel); and (c) a t wo – year forward business plan (financial plan). In each case the evidence will need to be appropriate to the size of the company and the type of work undertaken. 5 Legal obligations Criterion Guideline You must inform NSI of any breach of environmental legislation, that your organisation is responsible for, as soon as practicably possible after you become aware of the breach. There are many ways you may become aware of a breach of legislation. For example, you may become aware through internal audit, si te inspection, day to day operations, internal notification from staff or external notifications from regulators and / or agencies involved in Environmental Management. EMS Gold Approval Criteria ESF 102 Issue 1 Page 6 of 6 May 2018 © NSI 2018 6 Compliance with standards, codes of practice and so on Criterion Guideline You must meet the requirements of ISO 14001. You must make sure that all your activities are carried out in accordance with the NSI regulations and EMS Gold Approval Criteria. None.