RSK Geosciences: Championing quality through the SiLC Employers Scheme
The SiLC Employers Scheme recognises organisations that are committed to high standards of competence, professionalism and quality in land condition work. By employing registered Specialists in Land Condition, participating organisations demonstrate that they value technical excellence and are investing in the skills needed to support confident decision-making, sustainable development and trusted outcomes for clients, regulators and communities.
In this Q&A, Dr Tom Henman of RSK Geosciences shares how quality is embedded across the business, what SiLC registration means in practice, and why RSK’s involvement in the SiLC Employers Scheme reinforces its commitment to raising standards across the geoenvironmental sector.
What areas within the geoenvironmental industry does your organisation specialise in?
RSK Geosciences provides expert land contamination and brownfield advisory services, helping clients identify, assess and manage environmental risks throughout the development lifecycle. From site investigations and risk assessments to remediation strategies and regulatory support, we deliver practical solutions that enable safe and sustainable development and land management.
What does quality mean to you, and how does commitment to quality manifest within your company?
Technical quality is fundamentally important to geoenvironmental services to provide confidence to all parties that land has been developed and managed safely, protecting people and the environment. We achieve this through our integrated ISO-certified Safety, Health, Environment and Quality (SHEQ) management system, robust technical training programmes, competency assessments of staff in accordance with the National Brownfield Skills Framework and our best-in-class learning and development programme – as recognised in the 2024 GE Workforce Awards.
We also recognise the importance of continuous improvement and innovation, one of RSK’s guiding principles. Internally, we use our SHEQ incident reporting system to record quality issues, undertake lessons learned and an active innovation programme that I lead,
We engage in this externally through active participation with professional bodies and industry working groups as well as RSK innovation networks. We would also point to our track record of winning numerous industry awards and authoring research and best practice technical guidance in areas such as mine gas and climate risks.
Our staff were involved in establishing both SiLC and the NQMS (National Quality Mark Scheme for land contamination) and we have strongly supported these initiatives from their inception.
For you personally as a SiLC, where does quality come through in what you do?
For me personally, achieving SiLC registration was a significant career milestone. I have always been passionate about quality, so it was great to be amongst peers who felt the same. A key part of my roles as technical reviewer, SQP and project director is to ensure that our geoenvironmental assessments are of sufficient quality and meet client requirements. Being a SiLC has supported my focus on quality and the ability to operate at multi-disciplinary interfaces while remaining cognisant of the limitations of my expertise. It has also helped my career development through job opportunities and getting involved in challenging projects.
How does being part of the SiLC Employers Scheme create value for your clients?
Employing SiLCs enables us as a business to demonstrate that we have highly experienced individuals able to advise clients and lead projects on the most complex and contentious sites. It also enables us to register reports under the NQMS which supports regulatory approval and is increasingly being requested by clients. We currently employ more SiLCs than any other organisation so naturally we were one of the first employers to sign-up to the scheme.
What motivated your organisation to join the SiLC Employers Scheme?
We believe that being part of the SiLC Employers Scheme supports and helps us to promote our position as the UK’s leading site investigation, land contamination and geotechnical consultancy.
If you could change one thing in the industry at large, what would it be and why?
To encourage more joined-up thinking in environmental and climate change policy to avoid unintended consequences of decisions in one area on others. An example is waste policies that discourage reuse of materials on development sites and lead to millions of tonnes of valuable soils going to landfill each year.
Dr. Tom Henman
MA PhD CChem CSci FRSC SiLC SQP
Geosciences lead for Sustainability & Innovation
Director – RSK Geosciences and RSK Environment Ltd.
Thinking about joining the SiLC Employers Scheme?
RSK’s experience highlights the role the SiLC Employers Scheme can play in helping organisations demonstrate their commitment to competence, quality and professional leadership in land condition. For employers, the scheme provides a clear way to show clients, regulators and stakeholders that they directly employ registered SiLC professionals and support the standards expected of high-quality land condition services.
As demand for robust brownfield redevelopment, sustainable land management and accountable professional practice continues to grow, the scheme offers employers an opportunity to stand alongside other organisations championing best practice across the sector.
To find out more about the SiLC Employers Scheme, or to discuss how your organisation can get involved, contact the SiLC Secretariat at SiLC@SiLC.org.uk.