The National Highways Sector Schemes (NHSS) are quality management schemes for the UK highways industry. They were developed in partnership with various stakeholders including highways authorities, trade bodies, contractors, and industry groups. The aim of these schemes is to ensure that work on the UK’s road network is carried out to a high standard by competent workers and organizations, ultimately to improve the quality and reliability of the highways service.
Each scheme, or “sector scheme,” is specific to a particular aspect of highway work and requires that companies are certified to demonstrate their competence in that area. These areas can include traffic management, road surfacing and marking, design, installation and maintenance of highway electrical equipment, and landscaping, among others. The schemes are based on the ISO 9001 quality management system standard, but with additional, specific requirements relevant to each sector of the highways industry.
Certification under a National Highways Sector Scheme demonstrates that a company has met the rigorous assessment criteria relating to their specific area of work and operates to the highest standards. This is essential for companies looking to be contractors or service providers for high-speed road networks managed by National Highways (formerly Highways England) and other roads within the UK.