Quality, Safety and Environmental Standards

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Quality, Safety and Environmental Standards
~Dr Dilip Ganguly

An Introduction to A Few IS/ISO Quality, Safety and Environmental Standards

In this article are discussed a number of international safety, quality, and environmental standards. All of these are interconnected and are areas to which sufficient attention must be paid.

Quality, safety and environment are closely connected with each other, and various management systems exist at present. On comparison of a number of safety, quality and environmental standards, we see that many clauses and sub-clauses are similar. Quality, safety, and environment are important fields to which attention must be paid.

1. The various IS/ISO safety, quality and environmental standards are given below:

(a)   IS/ISO 9001:2000
(b)   IS/ISO 14001:1996
(c)   IS 18001:2000
(d)   IS/ISO 19011:2002
(e)   IS/ISO 14001:2004

Environmental Aspect is an element of an organization's activities, products or services that can interact with the environment

2. Details of each standard:

(a) IS/ISO 9001: 2000 (Quality Management Systems – Requirements):
This international standard specifies requirements for a quality management system where an organization wishes to demonstrate its ability to provide products that consistently meet customer needs and the necessary regulatory requirements. It attempts to promote customer satisfaction by applying the system effectively. In this are included certain processes that will keep on improving the system, and which will simultaneously assure conformity to the customer as well as to the appropriate regulatory needs. It is a certification against international standard.

(b) ISO 14001: 1996 (Environmental Management Systems – Specifications With User Guidance):
This international environmental standard specifies requirements for environmental management systems, to enable an organization to formulate a policy as well as objectives that consider the various legislative requirements and the important environmental impacts. The ISO 14001: 1996 can be applied to those environmental aspects which the organization can control and over which it can be expected to have an influence. It is applicable to the organization that hopes to put into practice, as well as look after and improve its Environmental Management System, while assuring itself that it is conforming to its environmental policy, and at the same time demonstrating this conformance to others. It applies to those organizations that seek certification or registration of their Environmental Management Systems, and which hope to make a self-determination and self-declaration of conformance with ISO 14001. It is a certification against international standard.

(c) IS 18001: 2000 (Occupational Health And Safety Management Systems – Specifications With Guidance):
This standard prescribes requirements for an Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems, to enable an organization to formulate policy objectives, taking into account legislative requirements and information about significant hazards and risk which the organization can control and over which it can be expected to have an influence, to protect its employees and others, whose health and safety may be affected by the activities of the organization. It is not a certification against international standard; it is by national body only.

(d) ISO 19011: 2002 (Guidelines for Quality and /or Environmental Management System):
This international standard has the function of providing guidance on the principles of auditing, managing audit programs, conducting quality management system audits and environmental management system audits as well as guidance on the competence of quality and environmental management system auditors.

(e) ISO 19011:2002 (Guidance for Improvement):
This deals with various ISO standards available for quality environmental safety and guidelines.

[The picture used in this article has been taken from the photo library of stock.xchng.]