Extensively revised: Guidelines for intervention agencies
The response to an alarm must be fast and organized so that measures to avert danger or limit damage take effect. With the revision of the VdS 2172 guidelines, intervention centers are encouraged to regularly review their processes - and thus further optimize services. At the same time, the formal hurdles to recognition are lowered through organizational requirements.
The revision of the guidelines VdS 2172 has above all an effect on the valid requirements, which were reduced to two substantial evaluation criteria: "Apart from the qualification of the intervention forces contractually fixed and to be kept approach times form from now on the hard criteria for the evaluation of an intervention place , say Harald Mebus, VdS technical leader for safety services, together.
To check the arrival time, the departure and arrival at the object must be documented and subsequently compared with the arrival time specified in the customer contract. "The fact that an arrival time must be contractually defined and checked is completely new. However, we consider it extremely important for the transparency and measurement of quality," explains Mebus.
If the specified approach time cannot be met, not only must the client be informed, but an explanation of the cause and a solution must also be determined. "In this way, intervention agencies are required to constantly review and optimize their processes and to maintain or even improve performance vis-à-vis their customers."
Particularly attractive for smaller companies
With the new version, proof of a certified quality management system is now not required. "Of course, this does not mean that the new version does not place any requirements on the intervention center's management systems - these will nevertheless be closely examined," emphasizes Mebus. However, only essential aspects have been retained and integrated into the guidelines, so that the effort required for both implementation and auditing is significantly reduced.
VdS is pursuing a specific intention with this: "For smaller intervention agencies, a recognition procedure, e.g. according to DIN ISO 9001, was costly or often even a knock-out criterion. However, VdS pursues the strategy of recognizing intervention agencies as comprehensively as possible, so that customers and insurers can fall back on companies that are as close as possible. This minimizes the response time and increases the chances of averting danger or limiting damage," explains Mebus.
The revised VdS 2172 guidelines will apply to new orders from September 1, 2020, for which a new pricing model will also apply: Instead of individual items and fluctuating charges, a flat rate will be charged per year, which should enable customers to calculate costs easily. Existing recognitions will remain valid until the end of the certificate term. For renewal and change orders, there is a transition period until August 31, 2021.
The new guidelines VdS 2172, now divided into two parts, "Intervention agencies", also stands on vds-shop.com available for download.
Source: VdS
