PHS Group adds security accreditation to its growing portfolio of certifications

PHS Group is furthering its commitment to investing in staff after gaining accreditation to deliver a bespoke Information Destruction Operations (IDO) programme from the UK’s awarding body, ‘Skills for Security.’

PHS is the first recognised centre in the UK to hold this accreditation, demonstrating the Group’s dedication to the training and development of its staff. The qualification allows PHS personnel to be trained in-house on the secure preparation, collection and destruction of confidential waste. It also educates employees on how to deal with accidents and emergencies during IDO and best practices for monitoring and minimising environmental risks.

The programme is delivered in the recently opened PHS Academy, the Group’s dedicated training and development centre in Gloucester, and will be used extensively for training staff in PHS’ specialist shredding division, PHS Datashred – one of the UK’s leading shredding companies.

PHS Datashred already holds the British Security Industry Association (BSIA) EN5713:2009 Certification; the European standard for the information destruction industry. This certification is given to organisations that have solid industry experience, meet quality standards and are at the forefront of setting standards and ensuring professionalism.

The IDO course is designed to complement the BSIA certification, as well as highlighting the importance of complying with the UK Data Protection Act 1998. According to the Information Commissioners Office, businesses that choose an unaccredited company to dispose of personal data could fall foul of the Data Protection Act, and subsequently be fined up to £500,000.

Chris Lodge, pictured, training and development director at PHS Group said:
"PHS is committed to the training of all our team members, so to be able to offer the in-house qualification in IDO is fantastic. It’s a real step forward in our training and development evolution and a testament to our professionalism and dedication in developing our staff."