For companies that require their vendors to join ISNetworld, becoming compliant can be a challenge for those without the time, experience, or expertise. More companies are looking for a procurement site’s stamp of approval when hiring (or keeping) contractors.
ISNetworld® is one of several third-party contractor clearinghouses for the large construction, manufacturing, and oil and gas industries. Their purpose is to ensure a standardized level of health and safety excellence is already in place, cutting down the time for contractor selection.
Becoming ISNetworld® compliant isn’t as easy as logging in and registering your credentials. It’s a resource-intensive process that can consume a lot of your valuable time. Knowing the common snags in the process can help you streamline your workflow and get your ISNetworld® certification faster.
4 Ways to Get ISNetworld® Certification Fast
The ISNetworld® compliance process requires answering thousands of questions, submitting potentially hundreds of documents, and even creating new safety components to qualify. Despite its reputation for difficulty, it is well worth the effort to achieve certification, since it opens up new income potential and large jobs.
There are four ways to fast-track the ISNetworld® compliance process:
Review Your Documents Ahead of Time:
- Review your safety programs, policies, and procedures ahead of time. Make sure they are compliant with all current regulations and industry standards.
- Review your employee records and ensure proof that their up-to-date safety training is on file. If it is outdated, you’ll need to have the employees recertify.
- Verify your insurance policies are up-to-date and reflect the expected types and levels of coverage for your industry. You should not be under-insured or lacking critical components your competitors have.
- Keep all this reviewed and updated information together and ready for submission.
Be Methodical with Your Submission:
- Work through ISNetworld®’s framework of questions and document submission in a methodical way.
- Take your time and make sure you are answering accurately and submitting the right documents at the right time. Preventing mistakes is always faster than correcting them.
- Respond to ISNetworld® requests for more information or additional documentation quickly.
Be Prepared for Common Problems:
- Use ISNetworld’s® self-assessment tool prior to your official audit to identify any problem areas and bring your company into compliance with their requirements.
- Find out ahead of time which rejections are the most common and prevent them from happening where you can.
Work with a Professional:
- The fastest way to get your compliance is to work with a consultant who has experience with ISNetworld® certifications and can guide you through the entire process.
- They know the requirements and understand the system, cutting down on document resubmission and requests for further information.
Safety consultants also know which areas are most likely to slow the process down. This doesn’t always happen as you’d expect. While there are many steps that can trip you up along the way, the most common problem with ISNetworld® certification is the insurance review process.
What Is the ISNetworld® Insurance Review Process and How Can it Slow Down Certification?
It surprises many contractors that ISNetworld’s® insurance review process (I-RAVS®) is one of the largest hurdles to compliance. The insurance review looks at your basic certificates, reviews additional endorsements, verifies coverage, and checks for compliance.
In addition to your own coverage requirements, you’ll have to sign a waiver of subrogation in favor of the owner-operator.
Due to liability issues, I-RAVS® is an extremely strict process. Common reasons for denials include:
- Company names contain typos, or company names were truncated on the certificate.
- Company address was missing, incomplete, or truncated on the certificate.
- Contractor name used for ISNetworld® registration did not match the name on the insurance certificate.
- Lag in verifying coverage when ISNetworld® tries to confirm with your insurance company. Speak with your insurance agent ahead of time to let them know this is a time-sensitive matter.
- Inadequate policy limits or missing policy types. ISNetworld® has minimum requirements. Make sure to update your policy to meet their needs ahead of time. While you can get your insurance amended after the fact, it will be subject to a second review, which will slow the process down further.
- Failing to include a clause about notifying the owner-operator of policy cancellations or changes.
- The waiver of subrogation did not comply with ISNetworld® requirements. ISNetworld® has very specific language requirements for this section.
- Contractor’s response time is slow. The longer it takes you to provide the additional/corrected information, the longer the review will take.
Working with a safety consultant who has experience with ISNetworld® can help you review your documents, recognize errors, clarify what needs correcting, and help guide you through the process.
Related Content: WHAT DOES IT COST TO HIRE A GOOD ISNETWORLD® CONSULTANT?
How an ISNetworld® Consultant Can Help You Get Compliant Quickly
Your ISNetworld® safety consultant can work with you to ensure the insurance forms are correct, and your insurance agent can correct any errors to help the review process go smoothly. However, your ISNetworld® consultant can speed up more than just the I-RAVS® review.
The ISNetworld® certification process is intense from start to finish. The process isn’t finished once your documentation is updated, the thousands of ISNetworld® questions are answered, and your submission is accepted. It is followed by an in-person audit to confirm all information is corrects, and a site visit to ensure your company works in compliance with its stated policies and procedures.
Once you are certified, there is ongoing account maintenance, which requires you to remain compliant with any new ISNetworld® requirements, keep your records up to date, and pivot to the extra qualification needs of specific operators.
Your SafetyPro ISNetworld® consultant can guide you through the entire process, reviewing your safety program, training, insurance, and other documentation. If they find potential compliance issues, they can quickly provide direction on how to correct them and help you prepare for the audit, even supporting your account maintenance and ongoing compliance.
You can rely on your SafetyPro consultant’s experience and knowledge to keep the process smooth and efficient, help you achieve fast certification, keep your account in good standing, and help you stand out from the competition when it comes to securing major industry opportunities.
