Bodyshop Consulting is an Associate Consultant to the British Standards Institution (BSi).  

So we are in a position to help Bodyshops gain the Thatcham BSI Kitemark® and offer advice in what to do next if you are thinking of achieving certification.

PAS 125: 2007 has caused quite a stir in the Bodyshop industry and rightly so. Many sceptics within the industry discount the PAS as just a new way of judging Bodyshops against one another, and also getting Bodyshops to spend vast sums of money on something that will be worthless in time to come.  And, once the early euphoria dies down everyone will be saying “PAS what?”

Well, without doubt, the many leading influences in the industry are saying the opposite to the sceptics view, and in our opinion, we have a good idea who will win in that contest.

With the manufacturers using so many new initiatives in the construction of motor vehicles Bodyshops now have the task of repairing the damaged vehicle back to it’s original pre-accident state, maintaining its original integrity and safety.  Not easy if repair technicians either – are not trained in the new techniques, are not offered to use the correct repair method, don’t know how to obtain the correct repair method or choose to ignore them.

The future implications to the repairer and work provider are quite alarming, especially those choosing to ignore the facts. 

The consumer’s knowledge and expectations will only grow as time goes by and those repairers with their Kitemark® in place will be rewarded in many ways, not least, in the knowledge they are doing it right.

There are five main stages in the process of gaining the Kitemark® for vehicle body repair:

• Purchase PAS 125
• Apply to BSI
• Arrange an audit
• Receive your Kitemark®  
• Maintain compliance