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Auditing Quality Management System: ISO 9001

If you build your ISO 9001 compliant Quality Management System in phases over a period of time it becomes less daunting. Obviously, it is not possible to cover all the different elements of compliance, but hopefully we can delineate a way to compliance in manageable steps.

If you remember, earlier we only created drafts of some system procedures. As you use and review your system, you should get the procedures in finalized forms and release them|finalize your forms before releasing [/spin] into document control. To verify and improve the Quality Management System you should regularly audit it (including records, documents, and improvement activity). However the most important thing you can do with your ISO 9001 Quality Management System is use it. Communicate the Quality Management System to the staff; Train an internal auditing staff who understands the requirements and the organizational goals when employing ISO 9001.

Importance of Environmental Aspects

Determining significant environmental aspects is an important process step, since this determination is linked to a lot of other elements of the standard. For example, significant aspects must be considered when setting environmental objectives and targets. Similarly, significant environmental aspects and related impacts must be factored into a company’s training program, the development of operational controls and the development of monitoring programs, to name a few ISO 14001 elements. For this reason, the determination of significant aspects can affect the overall effectiveness of an environmental management system.

How to Prepare for an OHSAS 18001 Inspection

An inspection happens at a lower level (normally employee or first line supervisor), it is done more frequently (daily, weekly monthly) and is focusing on the detail of all aspects within the working environment, for example: the fire fighter or external fire contractor will inspect all 160 fire extinguishers in the working environment each month.

Here are the steps in the occupational health and safety inspection process:

1. Determine which area needs to be inspected.
2. Identify the competent person who will take ownership of this task.
3. Identify the inspection form to be used and make sure that the criteria on the form is applicable to the inspection to be carried out and that it is understood by the person that is going to perform the inspection.
4. Decide whether the inspection will be done announced or unannounced.
5. In both cases inform the respective manager of the division of your intent.
6. Select a day and time for the inspection.
7. Ensure that the selected day and time is not during lunch, tea-break of shut-down but during a normal busy shift.