Shield Safety Group, the Manchester-based leading provider of professional services and software solutions across food safety, health and safety and fire safety, is celebrating its 20-year anniversary, with a series of major milestones.

Since being established on 27th May 2003, the business and its clients have delivered over 50 million compliance checklists to protect its stakeholders, across the many sectors it operates in, including hospitality & leisure, retail and education.

Shield Safety has also delivered over 100,000 audits nationally, supporting and protecting 6,000 businesses against health, fire and food safety risks.

Servicing its UK-wide client base from contemporary offices in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, the company has grown significantly thanks to its trail blazing and highly innovative approach. Employing 123 people, Shield Safety is now the largest employer of Environmental Health Practitioners (EHPs) in the UK, and supports businesses of all sizes from independent and large chain restaurants, bars and gyms, to major grocery chains such as Tesco.

Key landmarks for the business include the development and introduction of RiskProof, its award-winning risk management software, protecting clients against risks to their business, reducing annual insurance premiums and improving their environmental footprint. Each year Shield Safety’s patented software saves enough paper to circle the world almost ten times.   

Other major accolades include being appointed the first Certification Partner for the Safe to Trade programme, setting the Standard for consumers in Food Hygiene and Safety, and being the first UK consultancy to have a Primary Authority partnership with a local authority.

Mark Flanagan (pictured above), CEO of Shield Safety Group comments: “We are very proud of what we have built over the past two decades, particularly around transitioning businesses to a digital approach.  Our world-class technology, training and expertise have mitigated risk for thousands of businesses, and we have made a huge difference in making their lives easier by significantly reducing client paperwork. 

Our vision is ‘relentlessly advancing safety’ – We don’t stand still, we’re leaders and committed to shaping the future.

We are now at the most interesting point in our history, and we are excited at what’s to come in the next 20 years. A huge heartfelt thank you goes out to the entire team for their hard work, dedication and passion; to our clients for entrusting us with protecting them and all their stakeholders, and; all the various organisations for their ongoing and highly valued support over the years including CIEH, FSA, FSS and UKAS to name but a few.”

He added: “Everyone in the business is looking forward to celebrating our 20 years in the industry, and our position as a leader in the market. Celebrations will be culminating in late June with a Shield Safety Group anniversary conference at the Vue Cinema, with an energetic after party at Smithfield Social.”