INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS
In the past, quality was subjectively defined and often really meant "does it do what it is supposed to do?" Modern organisations understand quality is a far more broad-reaching term and that quality doesn't just happen by itself. To achieve quality in a organisation the process must be definable, manageable, testable and repeatable. All aspects of the organisation should be involved in the quality process to ensure the best outcome for the organisation, its customers, shareholders, regulatory bodies and other interested parties.
International standards as defined by ISO and Standards Australia provide a framework for implementing quality assurance standards within Australia. A1 QHS Management Services is trained to guide an organisation through the process of implementing these standards. Click on the image below to learn more about each of them.
ISO 9001 - QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Compliance to: ISO 9001:2008 is an international quality certification that defines the minimum requirements for a company’s Quality Management System (QMS). A company’s QMS comprises of a quality manual, policies, procedures, processes and other requirements that ensure customer requirements are met with consistency resulting in customer satisfaction. Some of the areas of ISO 9001 Scope include:
- Customer contracts & satisfaction
- Employee competency and training
- Design and development of products and services
- Production and delivery of products and services
- Selection and managing of supplies
- Management responsibilities
- International quality audits
- Monitoring and measuring
- Continual improvement
- Corrective and preventive action
- Focuses on customer satisfaction
ISO 14001 - ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
ISO 14001:2004 is an environmental management standard. It specifies a set of environmental management requirements for environmental management systems. The purpose of this standard is to help all kinds of organizations to protect the environment, to prevent pollution, and to improve their overall environmental performance.
This new ISO 14001 standard was officially published on November 15, 2004. It cancels and replaces the old ISO 14001 1996 standard. ISO 14001 1996 expired on May 15, 2006.
Since it was first published in 1996, ISO 14001 has rapidly become the most important environmental standard in the world. Thousands of organizations use it, environmentalists support it, and governments actively encourage its use. ISO 14001 applies to all types of organizations. It doesn’t matter what size they are or what they do.
Similar to ISO 9001, ISO 14001 focusses on the process of an effective environmental management system:
- Establish
- Document
- Implement
- Maintain
- Continually improve
AS 4801, OHSAS 18001 - OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
OHSAS 18001:2007 is an international standard that is developed by the OHSAS Project Group, an association that includes government agencies, certification bodies, national standards, industry associations, and consultants. The British Standards Institution (BSI) currently provides the Secretariat of the OHSAS Project Group.
The aim of OHSAS 18001 is to assist organizations in managing and controlling their health and safety risks and improving their OH&S performance. In response to customer demand for an occupational health and safety management system that can be assessed objectively, certified credibly, and recognized internationally, the Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series (OHSAS) standards are developed for use by all types of organizations and industries.
By controlling the OH&S risks that are consistent with their OH&S policy and objectives, organizations can achieve and demonstrate sound health and safety performance and stewardship.
