Conformity assessment (Management System Certification)
Introduction
Implementation and certification of any management system, e.g ISO 9000,ISO 14000, OHSAS
18000, SA 8000, etc., is usually a voluntary requirement.
Many buyers are demanding their suppliers to implement a management system as a pre-requisite
for doing business with them.
Management system standards have been developed by ISO since 1987 with ISO 9000 being the
first of its type; subsequently in 1996 ISO 14000 series of standards were developed by ISO.
Some other organizations like Social Accountability International and WRAP which are outfit
organizations of various stakeholders have also developed system standards in the field of social
accountability.
OHSAS 18001 is a standard on occupational health and safety of workmen and was developed by
a selection of leading trade bodies, national standards institutions and certification bodies. All
these standards are very popular and demanded by the buyers as a pre-requisite to do business
with them.
Buyers at all times require to be assured and need to be satisfied that products or services for
which they are paying will meet their specifications and will perform as intended or as ordered.
Inspection and testing during manufacture, assembly, packaging, shipping, installation and
commissioning are traditional methods by which assurance is conveyed to the buyer, either
through self-declaration by manufacturers/exporters or through inspections carried out by
experts nominated by the buyers or through third party independent inspection bodies nominated
by the buyers. Final inspection of a product is not a reliable way of assuring that the product will
give the desired performance and/or satisfaction.
It is a well-known fact that the required level of quality can only be built into the product through
management of processes. A properly established Quality Management System will help reduce
costs, improve the conformance of the product to the buyers’ requirements and create an image
of being a reliable supplier.
The ISO 9001 quality management system is generic in nature i.e. it is applicable to all sectors of
industry, including manufacturing and service, and to organizations of all sizes, small or large. It
is not a product standard but a system for ensuring conformity of product to customer and
regulatory requirements. ISO 9001 specifies what is required to be done by an organization but
does not indicate how it should be done, thus giving a lot of flexibility to run a business.
ISO has also developed some industry sector specific quality management system standards
such as ISO/TS 16949 for automotive suppliers, ISO 13485 for medical devices, ISO 29001 for
petroleum, petrochemicals and natural gas industry sector, etc.
ISO 14001
In addition to price and quality considerations, purchasing organizations and consumers are
increasingly making decisions on the purchase of goods or services based on environmental
considerations. Many buyers expect their suppliers to adopt a more environmentally responsible
attitude. This new business ethos has led suppliers, in many cases, to demonstrate that they have
implemented an environmental management system (EMS) and have obtained certification to ISO
14001. In other words, organizations are waking up to the fact that sound environmental
management is simply sound business management.
An EMS provides a framework to help organizations identify those aspects of their business that
have a significant impact on the environment and to then meet environmental objectives and
targets to minimize these impacts. ISO 14001 does not establish a minimum level of
environmental performance. Rather, it requires a company to achieve the objectives for
environmental performance that it has set itself in its environmental policy, and also to
demonstrate its commitment to comply with applicable environmental legislation and to continual
improvement.
Third party certification of ISO 14001 EMS is facilitating international trade as it provides evidence
of the existence of a system to prevent pollution and continual improvement of environmental
performance.
OHSAS 18001
An OHSAS promotes a safe and healthy working environment by providing a framework that
allows your organization to consistently identify and control its health and safety risks, reduce the
potential for accidents, aid legislative compliance and improve overall performance.
OHSAS 18001 is the internationally recognized assessment specification for occupational
health and safety management systems. It was developed by a selection of leading trade bodies,
international standards and certification bodies to address a gap where no third-party certifiable
international standard exists. Thus OSHAS 18001 is not an ISO standard.
The following key areas are addressed by OHSAS 18001:
- Planning for hazard identification, risk assessment and risk control
- Occupational health and safety management programme
- Structure and responsibility
- Training, awareness and competence
- Consultation and communication
- Operational control
- Emergency preparedness and response
- Performance measuring, monitoring and improvement
OHSAS 18001 can be adopted by any organization wishing to implement a formal procedure to
reduce the risks associated with health and safety in the working environment for employees,
customers and the general public.
In 1997, Social Accountability International (SAI) was established and convened an expert,
international, multi-stakeholder Advisory Board to partner in developing standards and systems
to address workers’ rights. Representatives of trade unions, human rights organizations,
academia, retailers, manufacturers, contractors, as well as consulting, accounting, and
certification firms, by consensus, cooperated to develop the SA 8000 Standard. Published in late
1997 and revised in 2001, the SA 8000 Standard and verification system is a credible,
comprehensive and efficient tool for assuring humane workplaces
SA 8000
The SA 8000 Standard is based on international workplace norms of International Labour
Organisation (ILO) Conventions, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the UN
Convention on the Rights of the Child. The SA 8000 system includes:
Child Labor: No workers under the age of 15; minimum lowered to 14 for countries operating
under the ILO Convention 138 developing-country exception; remediation of any child found to be
working
Forced Labor: No forced labour, including prison or debt bondage labour; no lodging of deposits
or identity papers by employers or outside recruiters
Health and Safety: Provide a safe and healthy work environment; take steps to prevent injuries;
regular health and safety worker training; system to detect threats to health and safety; access to
bathrooms and potable water
Freedom of Association and Right to Collective Bargaining: Respect the right to form and join
trade unions and bargain collectively; where law prohibits these freedoms, facilitate parallel
means of association and bargaining
Discrimination: No discrimination based on race, caste, origin, religion, disability, gender, sexual
orientation, union or political affiliation, or age; no sexual harassment
Discipline: No corporal punishment, mental or physical coercion or verbal abuse
Working Hours: Comply with the applicable law but, in any event, no more than 48 hours per week
with at least one day off for every seven-day period; voluntary overtime paid at a premium rate
and not to exceed 12 hours per week on a regular basis; overtime may be mandatory if part of a
collective bargaining agreement.
Compensation: Wages paid for a standard work week must meet the legal and industry standards
and be sufficient to meet the basic need of workers and their families; no disciplinary deductions.
Management Systems: Facilities seeking to gain and maintain certification must go beyond simple
compliance to integrate the standard into their management systems and practices.
WRAP
The American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA), whose members produce 85% of sewn
products sold at wholesale in the United States, gave birth to the idea of WRAP in 1998 and
promotes it to this day. Other major international business and industry associations have
endorsed not only WRAP’s principles but also its Apparel Certification Program.
The objective of the WRAP Apparel Certification Program is to independently monitor and certify
compliance with the following standards, ensuring that a given factory produces sewn goods
(apparel, footwear, etc.) under lawful, humane, and ethical conditions. Note that it is not enough to
subscribe to these principles; WRAP monitors the factory for compliance with detailed practices
and procedures implied by adherence to these standards.
Compliance with Laws and Workplace Regulations - Manufacturers of Sewn products will comply
with laws and regulations in all locations where they conduct business.
Prohibition of Forced Labor - Manufacturers of Sewn Products will not use involuntary or forced
labor -- indentured, bonded or otherwise.
Prohibition of Child Labor - Manufacturers of Sewn Products will not hire any employees under
the age of 14, or under the age interfering with compulsory schooling, or under the minimum age
established by law, whichever is greater.
Prohibition of Harassment or Abuse - Manufacturers of Sewn Products will provide a work
environment free of harassment, abuse or corporal punishment in any form.
Compensation and Benefits - Manufacturers of Sewn Products will pay at least the minimum total
compensation required by local law, including all mandated wages, allowances and benefits.
Hours of Work - Manufacturers of Sewn Products will comply with hours worked each day, and
days worked each week, and shall not exceed the legal limitations of the countries in which sewn
product is produced. Manufacturers of sewn product will provide at least one day off in every
seven-day period, except as required to meet urgent business needs.
Prohibition of Discrimination - Manufacturers of Sewn Products will employ, pay, promote, and
terminate workers on the basis of their ability to do the job, rather than on the basis of personal
characteristics or beliefs.
Health and Safety - Manufacturers of Sewn Products will provide a safe and healthy work
environment. Where residential housing is provided for workers, apparel manufacturers will
provide safe and healthy housing.
Freedom of Association & Collective Bargaining - Manufacturers of Sewn Products will recognize
and respect the right of employees to exercise their lawful rights of free association and collective
bargaining.
Environment - Manufacturers of Sewn Products will comply with environmental rules, regulations
and standards applicable to their operations, and will observe environmentally conscious
practices in all locations where they operate.
Customs Compliance - Manufacturers of Sewn Products will comply with applicable customs law
and, in particular, will establish and maintain programs to comply with customs laws regarding
illegal transshipment of apparel products.
Security - Manufacturers of Sewn Products will maintain facility security procedures to guard
against the introduction of non-manifested cargo into outbound shipments (e.g. drugs,
explosives, biohazards, and/or other contraband).
company or organization preparing for system certification should consider the following criteria
for choosing a certification body:
Whether the certification body is accredited by a national accreditation body. (Accreditation
bodies submit accredited certification bodies to periodic surveillance audits. It is also advisable
that the accreditation body be a member of IAF)
Whether the certification body has been accredited to provide certification services in your area of
business (certification bodies are accredited for specific scopes of activities)
Proximity of the certification body (long distances can have significant cost implications for
interaction with the certification body, as well as for the travel expenses of auditors during the
pre-certification and post-certification audits)
The period of validity of certification, audit charges, certification fees and currency of payment
(these may vary between certification bodies)
If certification is being obtained at the insistence of major overseas buyers, their views on the
choice of certification body or accreditation body should be sought and considered
The reputation, market image and experience of the certification body
At the national and international levels certification/registration to management systems (e.g. ISO
9001, ISO 14001, OSHAS 18001, etc.) has received wide acceptance as it demonstrates the
existence of good management practices employed by the suppliers. Certification here refers to
issuance of written assurance by an independent external body that has audited the system of an
organization and verified that it complies to the requirements specified in the applicable
management system standard. This form of certification is different from product certification and
under this system product cannot be marked with the system certification mark. System
certification mark typically appears on letterheads, promotional brochures and other product
information documents of the certified suppliers.
This slide outlines the steps for becoming certified to a management system, and for maintaining
this status once you have achieved it.
System certification
Certification audit is done in two stages:
Stage 1: Adequacy audit in which readiness of company is checked which includes the check of
documentation (System Manual, Procedures, other documents developed by the company, etc.)
and also evidence that system has matured for certification.
Stage 2: In this audit it is verified that the company is effectively implementing the designed
system.
Based upon the result of above two stages of audit, the certificate is generally issued by the
certification body (CB) for a period of three years. In this three-year period, periodic surveillance
audits at prescribed intervals are carried out by CB. After three years a recertification audit is
required to be performed by CB.
