The Association of Plumbing & Heating Contractors (APHC) has launched a new service to help its members deal with the upcoming General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which will become law on 25 May.

GDPR governs the way a company holds, processes, stores and manages personal data. It relates to the data files, internal business processes and controls, and the way a business is run. It is wide ranging, and ignorance will not be a defence.

The APHC’s new service is being delivered in partnership with RDS Global, who will offer APHC members a choice of discounted services and support options aimed at helping them comply with GDPR and avoid costly fines, which can be up to 4% of turnover.

The discounted support on offer ranges from Foundation support, where assistance and guidance is delivered via email and telephone, through to an on-site audit including a bespoke action plan. A document policy pack can also be purchased at a discounted price which includes usable documents and contracts, to assist APHC member companies transition to compliance.

John Thompson, CEO at the APHC, said: “From 25 May, GDPR will apply to everybody with very few exceptions and will be policed by the Information Commissioners Office, who will have the power to issue fines for non-compliance, and will in fact aim to become funding neutral through these fines.

“Companies need to act now to establish what data they hold, where it is stored, who can access it and whether they have the correct permissions to hold and use the data. The next step is to then ensure that all current and new data will be dealt with in accordance with GDPR.”