WJA agrees three-yearly member audit programme

Changes to the way the Water Jetting Association gathers member information will allow it to monitor and improve standards and provide members with a powerful way to promote their services.

The association is moving to a three-year cycle to gather data needed for its audited member programme, as approved by the WJA’s Ruling Council in March 2023.

It means members will be required to provide detailed information and supporting evidence needed by the audit process once every three years, rather than annually.

In the intervening years, there is a simpler annual membership renewal process.

Commercial advantage

WJA President John Jones said: “We think this sets the right balance, in terms of asking members for detailed information that allows us to monitor water jetting activity and set standards that all members benefit from.

“The programme also allows members who pass the audit to state and show publicly that they are WJA Audited Members, achieving the highest standards set by their industry body, which is a potentially powerful commercial advantage.”

In another change, specifically aimed at helping joining organisations, new members will not need to provide supporting evidence for statements made on their joining application form.

The documentation will only be required when they renew their membership after 12 months, when the three-yearly auditing cycle will begin, if it is applicable to their membership category.

Robust and proportionate

The auditing scheme gives the WJA greater assurance that standards valued by all members, customers, and industry stakeholders are being met.

The data gathered is directly linked to the guidelines and requirements of the WJA’s two codes of practice its members are expected to follow. These are the Blue Code, for high pressure and ultra high pressure water jetting, and the Red Code, for drain and sewer water jetting.

WJA Head of Auditing Jeff Haigh said: “We believe this auditing programme to be robust and proportionate. It helps us monitor and maintain our standards and delivers clear advantages for the members who meet them.”

Information gathered during member audits, includes evidence of safe maintenance of jetting hoses, including carrying out hose inspections, monitoring of noise and vibration, effective use of risk assessment, and training practices.

The WJA has revised all member application forms to provide guidance on the information being gathered, including providing example documents, to make it as easy as possible for audit data to be supplied.

Find out more

Talk to the WJA about water jetting standards or enquire about joining the association. Call +44 20 8320 1090 or email info@waterjetting.org.uk.