Tag Archives: standards

Use Software to Meet Your ISO 9001:2015 Requirements

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ISO 9001 is the most popular certification standard in the world. It outlines a framework for improving quality and a vocabulary of understanding for any organization looking to provide products and services that consistently meet the requirements and expectations of customers and other relevant parties in the most efficient manner possible. First published in 1987, the latest iteration, ISO 9001:2015, incorporates risk-based thinking, increased responsibilities for leadership, and a high-level structure that allows for easier certification of integrated management systems that include other standards like ISO 45001:2018 and ISO 14001:2015. 

ISO 9001:2015 can help organizations in many industries improve their processes, enhance customer satisfaction, and improve business results. In some industries, such as automotive, health sciences, and construction, certification is considered essential, if not mandatory, to compete effectively in the marketplace and to meet applicable statutory and regulatory requirements. In other areas, such as education, organizations have taken innovative approaches to using the guidance of ISO … Read more...

Quality in the Aerospace Industry

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Although all Quality Management projects share some fundamental Quality principles, the way in which different industries apply these principles can be very diverse. Each industry has its own priorities, compliance obligations, and business requirements, so each of them must understand and apply the Quality principles in a unique way. 

The aerospace industry is responsible for the quality of thousands of aircraft carrying millions of people around the globe every day. Aircraft components frequently have a service life of more than 50 yearsI, which means that Quality practices must be embedded at every stage of design, production, operation, and maintenance to ensure reliable processes that can withstand rigorous use.  

The International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG) developed the AS 9100 series of QMS (Quality Management System) standards to set a global benchmark for the aerospace industry. AS 9100 applies to the entire aerospace supply chain, including design, manufacture, replacement, and … Read more...

BRC Version 8 targets global food safety and quality assurance

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Today’s food literally comes from everywhere in the world. The sourcing of it is now an international affair and assurance of food safety and quality is perhaps more important than ever.

Among those looking to bring uniformity to … Read more...

Canada Takes Mental Health Seriously

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A new national standard for workplace safety was released today in Canada. The first of its kind in the world, the National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace (CSA Z1003) is a voluntary standard that addresses a growing concern in the workplace – mental health.

With the support of the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC), the standard was developed jointly by the Canadian Standard Association (CSA) and the Bureau de normalisation du Quebec (BNQ) and its goal is to guide Canadian employers in creating workplaces that are psychologically safe and healthy.

When it comes to the workplace, the implications of mental illness are complex and extensive. MHCC President and CEO, Louise Bradley, has stated that mental illness costs the Canadian economy an estimated $51 billion annually, and that almost $20 billion of that comes from workplace losses.

Mental illness accounts for almost 30 percent … Read more...

Get back to the meaning of Quality with 9001: A Quality Odyssey

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Think quality is boring? That can only be attributable to human error. 

Sure: bolt sizes, calibrations, documents, procedures, work instructions…yeah, there’s nothing particularly compelling about all that, on the surface, anyway. Dig a little deeper, however, and you’ll be surprised what you find. 

If you missed our exclusive webinar, 9001: A Quality Odyssey, check it out whenever you like by heading over to our on-demand webinar library. This decidedly un-boring special presentation will open the pod bay doors of your mind by getting back to the meaning of quality management and turning to the very roots of standardization.

Far from a boring history lesson, A Quality Odyssey will link the quality standards of today to the very need for standardization and measurement in the first place, and look at the evolution of quality systems throughout the ages and what they mean for businesses today. 

Sign up today to learn how … Read more...

To integrate, or not to integrate… Part 3

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For a company over-anxious to reconcile EHS and Quality processes and data, some complications may emerge.

For example, some integrated management opponents argue that strict adherence to one specific set of standards can be sacrificed in the name of integration. That is, in defining a broad-base of widely applicable standards to enforce across all EHS and Quality domains, some details are institutionally enabled to slip through the cracks.

Really, it all depends on what specifically a company is attempting to integrate. For example, getting managers across all departments to employ the same audit checklists and reports can be like mixing apples and oranges. However, leveraging the same auditing software that allows the importing of individual EHS and quality checklists can reduce costs.

The standards governing quality can be far removed from those governing environment, health and safety. However, this notion can be a very particular function of a particular corporate … Read more...

Sweeping OHS Bill passes in Ontario

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After months of debate and consultation, Bill 160 has passed in Ontario, Canada after a 79-0 vote in the provincial assembly late last week. The Occupational Health and Safety Statute Law Amendment Act will take full effect when it achieves Royal Assent, as soon as next month.

The Act will create the position of a provincial Chief Prevention Officer as well as a Prevention Council to work with the Ministry of Labour to develop a comprehensive occupational health and safety strategy and determine training standards.

The act will affect almost all businesses across the province, so make sure you are up to speed with all the bill’s implications by checking out OHS Insider’s very handy and comprehensive Ontario OHS Reform Blog, which features detailed information on the nuances on Bill 160.

As the blog notes, establishing provincewide training standards will be central to the Act after it becomes law.… Read more...

Prevention, training central to Ontario OHS reforms

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Ontario is poised to dramatically rework how it manages occupational health and safety.

Earlier this month Bill 160 was amended by the province’s standing committee on social policy and is now headed to the provincial legislature for a third reading and vote, meaning it could be law by as early as June. The proposed bill flows from the work of an expert panel formed in the wake of a string of workplace-related deaths across the province.

Focused on training and prevention, some of the bill’s key elements are as follows:

  • Training standards: The bill would call upon the Minister of Labour to set training program standards and ‘approve’ compliant organizations accordingly.
  • Training provider: In addition to minimum standards for training programs, those who administer training would also be required to achieve “approved training provider” status, though those certified under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act would be automatically approved.
  • Prevention
… Read more...