Rathburn Chemicals of Walkerburn Scotland recently pleaded guilty to violations of the Health & Safety at Work Act for a 2020 explosion that resulted in their laboratory being “demolished.”
According to reporting by SHP Online:
[The explosion] was likely caused by excessive pentane vapour, generated by the company’s distillation process, overheating and being ignited by the site’s extraction system. No one was injured by the explosion.
The company was fined £40,000 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £3,000 at Lothian and Borders Sheriff Court on 20 September 2024.
HSE Inspector Isabelle Martin said: “This was a serious incident and it is fortunate that no one was injured by the blast. The explosion could have been avoided had Rathburn Chemicals simply carried out the correct control measures and safe working practices.
Despite this, Rathburn still claims to hold an ISO 45001 certificate for occupational health and safety. The Rathburn website shows an ISO 45001 certification mark with the certificate number “HSE230703” and bearing the logo of the known certificate mill CQS.
CQS standards for Certified Quality Systems Ltd., a certificate mill operating out of Worcestershire UK. That body claims accreditation by the fake accreditation body “IAB” (International Accreditation Body).
The IAB website thumbs its nose at UK law which only recognizes UKAS as the sole accreditation body allowed to accredit CBs in the UK. On its page, the IAB includes a misleading quote by the UK BEIS office, saying, “Accreditation is applicable to both the regulated and non-regulated sectors but should remain voluntary unless required by specific legislation.”
Tim Beaumont
Other companies currently advertising certifications issued by the mill CQS include Thames Materials, MLM Property Management, Eddisons, Cranetek Services Aberdeen, and Trash UK Ltd.
Of significant concern is the fact that the DNA test lab Crystal Health claims certification by CQS as well. Crystal Health also claims its tests are performed by ISO 17025 accreditation by UKAS, but that claim appears false or misleading. UKAS has no listings for Crystal Health.
According to LinkedIn searches, CQS appears to be run by Tim Beaumont, whose profile lists him as CQS’ “Director” and also claims he is a Christian preacher.
CQS also claims to be a “Bronze Member” of the British Quality Foundation (BQF), an organization that issues recognition to certificate mills and other bad actors in the quality profession. The BQF has routinely praised the notorious certificate mill QAS, which simultaneously operates the consulting company IMSM. The BQF refused to stop supporting QAS even after it was discovered that the certificate mill had certified a furniture company that was a front for a heroin smuggling operation.
