National Highways Sector Schemes (NHSS) is a bespoke quality management system, based on ISO 9001, for organizations working on the UK road network. It is essential for any company providing services to the Highways Agency under the Specification for Highways Works (SHW) to be NHSS certified.

Element’s market-leading team of certification experts, BM TRADA, provides NHSS certification for organizations to show they are competent to carry out the required works.

The NHSS scheme falls into four main categories:

  • Fencing, landscaping and vehicle safety restraints
  • Road surfacing and marking
  • Lighting, electronics and corrosion protection
  • Traffic management 

Registration to NHSS is generally considered to be mandatory, or at the very least best practice, for all highways works. Companies sub-contracting work do not have to be registered, but any sub-contractors must be.

Benefits of NHSS certification

NHSS certification is designed to provide an industry benchmark and make certain work is carried out to the highest standards of professionalism, using adequately trained staff, with a strong emphasis on health and safety.

Specifically, NHSS certification will provide the following benefits:

  • Continual improvement, making sure processes are planned, maintained and improved with an appropriately trained and competent workforce
  • Guarantee for stakeholders, with a robust system and framework in place.
  • Access to new business opportunities through procurement specifications requiring certification as a condition to supply.
  • Improved processes that improve efficiencies and reduce costs.
  • Independent verification from auditors with technical knowledge and experience in the sector.

Please contact us for further information on NHSS certification.Our team of certification experts and auditors has detailed industry knowledge combined with extensive experience of certification processes. 

We currently offer certification to the following sector schemes:

Highway Sector Scheme 2A - design or supply, installation and repair of fences
Highway Sector Scheme 2B - supply, installation and repair of vehicle restraint systems
Highway Sector Scheme 2C - design, supply, installation and repair of environmental barriers
Highway Sector Scheme 4 - preservative treatment of timber
Highway Sector Scheme 5A - manufacture of parapets for road restraint systems
Highway Sector Scheme 5B - installation of parapets for road restraint systems
Highway Sector Scheme 7 - application of road marking materials and road studs to road surfaces
Highway Sector Scheme 8 - installation and maintenance of highway electrical equipment and road traffic signs
Highway Sector Scheme 9A - traffic sign manufacture
Highway Sector Scheme 12A & 12B - static temporary traffic management on motorways and high-speed dual carriageways including on line widening schemes
Highway Sector Scheme 12C - mobile lane closure traffic management on motorways and other dual carriageways
Highway Sector Scheme 12D - installing, maintaining and removing temporary traffic management on rural and urban roads
Highway Sector Scheme 13 - supply and application of surface treatments to road surfaces
Highway Sector Scheme 14 - quality management of the production of asphalt mixes
Highway Sector Scheme 16 - laying of asphalt mixes
Highway Sector Scheme 18 - natural environment and landscape including ecology
Highway Sector Scheme 19A - corrosion protection of ferrous materials by industrial coatings. 

Our team of over 9,000 Engaged Experts in North America, Europe, The Middle East, Australia, Asia and Africa are ready to help you.