ISO Quality Services – August Newsletter 2014

21 Aug, 2014

Welcome to our August newsletter, we hope you are having a great August!

So far this month, we had chance to witness the ‘supermoon’, for all of you Golf fans, Rory McIlroy won the US PGA Championship, we celebrated the Glasgow Commonwealth games 2014  and tragically, we said goodbye to one of the true greats, Robin Williams.

 

What’s in this issue?

robin williams
A supermoon rises over Tower Bridge in London

Congratulations to our Newly Certificated Clients

RP Translate Limited

RP Translate Limited are based In Bristol and began in 1993 and matured into a limited company in 1997.RP Translate logo

They have recently achieved their ISO 9001:2008 Quality and BS EN 15038:2006 Translation Services management standards.  This joins their already implemented ISO 27001:2013 Information Security management standard.

RP Translate specialises in global translation solutions for the Market Research Industry.

Their aim, quite simply, is to be the world’s premier language service provider for the Market Research sector.  Their relationship with you, their clients, is what will get them there.

For more information on help they can help your business, contact the team on 0117 379 0400, email or visit their website

RP Translate Limited - Presentation Photo 28.07.14

“Ruth Partington, Director (far left), Keah Murphy, Management Representative (middle), John Temple, Director (right) of RP Translate Limited being presented with their ISO 9001 Quality and BS EN 15038 Translation Management System Certificates.

BSX LTD

BSX LTD are based in Bolton, Lancashire and were founded in 2002.  They are UK Electronic Recycling and Waste Management Company. BSX

They have recently achieved their ISO 27001:2013 Information Security management standard.  This joins their already implemented ISO 9001:2008 Quality and ISO 14001:2004 Environmental management standards.

They do not believe in Landfill and they intend to Recycle 100% of the material they receive. They can offer you a complete and secure solution for all of your Redundant, Broken, Faulty and Recycled goods.

They are Fully Licensed by the Environment Agency to be an Approved Authorised Treatment Facility (AATF) and an Approved Exporter (AE) of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE).

For more information on the company and how they can help you, please contact them on 01282 867987, email or website.

BSX Ltd - Presentation Photo 29.07.14

“Colin Watkins, Senior Lead Assessor (left), presenting Barry Weston (right), Director of BSX Ltd being presented with their ISO 27001:2013 Information Security Management System Certificate.

The DM Lab

The DM Lab, previously known as McTip IT Ltd is based in Herefordshire and was established in 2010.  They are a digital marketing agency.The DM Lab

They have recently achieved their ISO 9001:2008 Quality management standard.

Their business offers design and marketing solutions throughout the international market –in simple terms Making Brilliant Marketing Simple.

They are a team of unique individuals that are fun to work with but deadly serious about marketing.  Individually they all excel in their own fields, from web design to public relations and content marketing to CRM, journalism and AdWords.  Together, they bring their unique elements to the mix to deliver the perfect marketing formula for your business.

Speak with them now and tell them about your vision and they’ll tell you how they can make it happen, contact them on 01432 607 660, email or visit their website

McTip IT Ltd ta The DM Lab - Presentation Photo 31.07.14

 “Colin Watkins, Senior Lead Assessor (left), presenting Chris Tipping (right), Marketing Director of McTip IT Ltd t/a The DM Lab being presented with their ISO 9001 Quality Management System Certificate.

 Holiday Pay Must Include Commission

The European Court of Justice (ECJ), has held that holiday pay is not to be limited to just basic salary where commission forms part of a worker’s remuneration. This was decided in holiday paythe recent case of British Gas v Lock.

Mr Lock, worked as a sales person with British Gas, and was on a basic salary with variable commission, which was paid in arrears.  His commission was dependent not on the time worked, but the sales that he achieved.  As he could not earn commission when on holiday, he would lose income by taking annual leave.

His claim was for holiday pay after taking holiday at the end of 2011 and early 2012. The ECJ confirmed that Member States must take measures to ensure that a worker taking holiday is paid by reference to commission payments that they would have earned if at work.

However, the ECJ has not decided how this is to be calculated.  They have left that for the national courts to decide on the basis of the criteria and relevant rules set out in case law on paid leave, and to ensure that workers are not deterred from taking paid leave.

This recent case reaffirms the principle that where a worker’s pay is compromised of a basic wage and variable elements directly associated with their work, holiday pay should be comparable to normal pay whilst on holiday, ensuring the worker is not deterred from taking leave due to such financial implications.

In light of this ruling it is recommended that you ensure that commission or other relevant variable payments are factored into holiday pay when paying workers for leave.

Hotel Owner Fined for Breaching Asbestos Regulations

health and safety 3A hotel in Wolverhampton, has been fined thousands of pounds, after they had been found guilty for exposing staff to dangerous levels of asbestos.

The prosecution was made, following an investigation undertaken by Wolverhampton City Council Environmental Health team.   Officers came across asbestos during an inspection in October 2012. Upon doing so, prohibited access to the boiler house in the hotel was put in place immediately.

Unfortunately, many of the hotel employees had entered the boiler house and spent varying amounts of time there over the years.  On closer inspection, the asbestos insulation was found to be in very poor condition. The owners of the hotel pleaded guilty under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 for failing to make an assessment of asbestos containing materials and to exposing employees to this dangerous carcinogen. The seriousness of this case is reflected in the fine imposed which was for £10,000 and the owners were also ordered to pay £2,055 in costs.

Employers need to be fully aware of their duty of care to employees in ensuring they are not exposed to the dangers of asbestos.

For advice about asbestos and the dangers, visit the HSE

EXCITING NEWS!!

We are pleased to announce the launch of our new dedicated training website 

This has been months in the planning and we are delighted that it is now live and running – please take a look!  You will be able to find all of the training information, courses and dates will be available, along with case studies, news articles and meet the trainer!

twitter follow me

Alongside this we are now on Twitter @TrainIsoqsl– so get following and tweeting!

NEW DATES RELEASED

At ISO Quality Services Ltd we understand the importance of training and are pleased to offer the following courses in support of your ISO Management Systems:

Quality Manager Training

LAST PLACES REMAINING!!! BOOK NOW TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT…

Tuesday 9th September 2014

Quality Manager training will cover the following topics, as well as allowing for question & answer sessions on the day:ISO Training Services small

  • Principles and elements of ISO 9001
  • Role of the Quality Manager
  • How to integrate ISO into the daily activities of the business
  • Effective objective setting
  • How to run a Management Review Meeting effectively
  • Guide to internal auditing
  • Focus on bench marking and its importance to quality management
  • Continuous improvement

Per Delegate £295.00 plus VAT*

Environmental Manager Training

Wednesday 15th October 2014 – Full Day Course

Environmental Manager training will cover the following key topics, as well as allowing for question & answer sessions on the day:

  • What is ISO 14001:2004?
  • Principles of Environmental Management
  • The role of an Environmental Manager
  • Using the management system as a strategic tool to identify areas where cost savings can be captured
  • How to monitor the effectiveness of the management system within the company
  • How to integrate ISO into your daily business activities and strategic planning of the Organisation
  • Continuous improvement
  • A guide to internal auditing

 Per Delegate £295.00 plus VAT*

Internal Auditor TrainingGroup undergoing training

Tuesday 18th and Wednesday 19th November 2014

Internal Auditing training is a 2 day course covering the following topics, as well as allowing for question & answer sessions on the day:

  • Principles of ISO
  • The role of the Management Representative
  • Brief overview on the management system to be audited
  • What is the purpose of an audit?
  • How should an audit be approached?
  • Maximise the benefits of monitoring that the procedures are regularly being controlled
  • Find and rectify negative trends, maximise positive trends
  • A practical auditing exercise is undertaken by the delegate on the business, which will be marked

Per Delegate £395.00 plus VAT*

Health & Safety Risk Assessment Training

Thursday 27th November 2014

The BS OHSAS 18001 Health and Safety Management System is a systematic and process driven approach to controlling and monitoring risks that can arise from the company’s day to day activities.

This system is proven to enable the business to be pro-active rather then re-active, therefore more effectively protecting the health and welfare of your workforce on an on-going basis.

With that in mind we are offering a training course for you and your staff on

Health and Safety Risk Assessment, which will go towards dispelling myths and explain in very easy terms, how to approach them.

Our highly experienced trainer will cover the following topics:

  • Concepts of risk and hazard.
  • Concepts of a safe work environment.
  • Hazard identification and differentiation between hazard and risk.
  • Principles of risk control/s – workplace precautions.
  • Safety law and risk assessment legislation.
  • Risk assessment, risk analysis and risk management.
  • Risk Assessment and the relationship with BS OHSAS 18001:2007.
  • Best Practice
  • Question and answer sessions throughout.

Per Delegate £225 plus VAT*

Details:

All prices are inclusive of course material and refreshments and we offer a multi booking discount should you wish to book more than one place on a course. Please ask for details.

Sounds interesting – Want to know more?

For further details of each course and others that we offer, please visit our website

To book your place please call 01905 670303 or email our Training Co-ordinator debbie@isoqsltd.com

Remember if you are a current client of ISO Quality Services you are entitled to a discount on all our courses…please contact us for more details.

GA 2

Emily’s journey…

Hello, my name is Emily and I was asked to put together a piece of writing to tell you about my journey as an apprentice._DSC8053_edited-1

I am currently in an apprenticeship placement with ISO Quality Services Limited; I am just over ten months into an eighteen month placement, completing an NVQ Level 2 in Sales and Marketing through Worcester College of Technology.

To begin with, my journey started out to be overwhelming and a complete change of scenery, as prior to this role I had previously been working at a kennels in Bewdley.  It was a new challenge and took me time to adjust as a new starter, however I now feel very much part of the team, have settled into my role well and am enjoying my placement.

Since starting with the company and working with my new team, I have acquired and developed my skill set.  I have also been able to learn a lot about myself and the way I communicate with others. I have attended networking events all over the West Midlands which has built up my confidence and helped me to develop my knowledge about the company and the market of ISO Certification.  Being able to attend the Assertive and Confidence in the Workplace training course held by the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce earlier this year, really helped with developing my character.

As part of my role I provide administrative support for the New Business department. I have never really had to manage my time in any previous roles and I have improved greatly since starting at ISO Quality Services Limited.

So far I have passed my first three exams with high percentages which I am really pleased with.  I am starting to build up my Portfolio on Onefile which is a computer based system I am using to gather all my evidence and complete assessments for my NVQ.

This has been a fantastic opportunity for me to learn new skills, develop my professional career and attend training courses, that have in turn helped progress my role.  I wish I had decided to complete an apprenticeship sooner, as it’s a great way to further your education whilst earning in the process.

Thanks for reading and I hope it has inspired a few of you out there.  For more information on apprenticeships, why not contact your local college or local enterprise?

If you have any questions, I’d be more than happy to help – 01905 670 303 or email

Are you a client of ours? refer a friend 2

Would you recommend our services to your suppliers…why not refer a friend?

Receive either a free case of wine or a £50 Marks & Spencer’s Voucher!*

To offer your referrals please contact – admin@isoqsltd.com or call 01905 670 303

*To qualify for your free treat, the referred supplier, must be a successful lead.

The revision is coming for the BS OHSAS 18001

The BS OHSAS 18001:2007 Health and Safety management system is a systematic and process driven approach to controlling and monitoring risks that can arise from the company’s day to day activities. This system is proven to enable the business to be pro-active rather then re-active, therefore more effectively protecting the health and welfare of your workforce on an on-going basis.

Did you know? 26.4 million working days were lost in 2010/2011 due to work related illness and workplace injury

The International Organisation of Standardisation (ISO) has chosen, to create one, universally adaptable standard that will incorporate and supersede all those former standards.

This new standard will be known as the ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety management system.

The OHSAS 18001 will be revised to maintain its alignment with ISO 14001, (which is due to be updated in early 2015) and to tie in with the new ISO management system standards structure.  Dates have not yet been confirmed, however it is expected that the standard will be released in late 2016 / early 2017.

Did you know? If a company doesn’t display the Health and Safety Law poster in its office / work place or give the information to the staff they can risk being fined

Figure in safety jacket and hard hatRequirements of the new standard, we are to believe will be very similar to those within OHSAS 18001.  This is definitely an added bonus to businesses that are already certified to OHSAS 18001, as they should find switching to the new Standard fairly straight forward.  It has been identified that the new standard will offer a different definitions of the terms ‘Risk’, ’Worker’ and ‘Workplace’ as well as introducing three new concepts:

  • Context of Organisation – Will look at the internal and external factors of a business, addressing the risks and examining how to control them.
  • Leadership – Will identify the means of communication on different levels, not just at management level.
  • Documented information – Will take in to account all documentation and records ( including the use of smart phones and PDA’s).

We will keep you posted as soon as we hear more and of course with all updates, we will be there to hold your hand through the process.  Any questions, please contact Lynne Thomas in our Client Relationship department.

 LinkedIn Users Hit With New Phishing Scam

UK police have issued a warning to LinkedIn users not to fall for another phishing scam!  The scam is designed to trick them into divulging log-in details for the professional social network.

National fraud anphising scam linkedind Action Fraud (an internet crime reporting centre) released an alert on Thursday claiming that the scam emails had been spotted in the wild purporting to come from LinkedIn.

They ‘claim’ that the recipient’s account has been blocked due to inactivity and require them to click a link to confirm email address and restore access.

However, the link will actually take that user to a fake LinkedIn log-in page via which the scammers can harvest victims’ access credentials, according to Hoax Slayer – the site that first spotted the scam.

“Criminals can collect your LinkedIn login credentials and use them to access your account. Once there, they can use the service to launch ongoing spam and scam campaigns in your name,” it said.

 

“Claiming that account details require updating is a favourite scam ruse. Be wary of any message that makes such a request. If you receive such a message, do not click any links or open any attachments that it contains.”

This isn’t the first such phishing campaign aimed at LinkedIn users and it certainly won’t be the last. Given the nature of the site cybercriminals can gain access to a treasure trove of corporate information with which to launch additional info-stealing attacks at enterprises.

A couple of years ago, security firm Commtouch warned of fake invitations and message notifications containing links to compromised sites, for example.

LinkedIn has sometimes been its own worst enemy.

Over six million user passwords were thought to have been leaked online in Russia in 2012 after a data breach at the firm.

Managing director of data security firm Pentura, urged LinkedIn users to resist the urge to click any suspicious looking links if they receive an unsolicited email purporting to come from the company.

“LinkedIn is obviously a rich source of personal information which can be exploited for further social engineering attacks, which could prove costly both to the individuals and the organisations concerned,” he added.

“Phishing emails continue to be the most common source for social engineering attacks and this further highlights why being vigilant against such hacks is of critical importance.”

Source 

Follow us on LinkedIn…

Are you on LinkedIn?linkedin

If you haven’t joined already – what are you waiting for?

ISO news, training updates and offers, meet the ISO QSL team and connect with other like-minded individuals

Visit us at:  ISO QSL LinkedIn Company page

How ISO certification worked for one British Firm

Futura Design Logo

Although awareness in ISO certification is growing, some businesses are still unclear on how it benefits their business and the expected returns on investment.

We’ve put together a case study showing just how ISO certification helps businesses to enhance reputations, while making it easy to obtain certification.

Futura Design is an incredible company with a global reach. Their values and work ethics have ensured they’ve grown considerably to incorporate more services for clients seeking talented, dedicated expertise in the design and recruitment fields. They have an impressive portfolio of clients past and present along with much admiration in the industry as they lead the way in the fields of design and recruitment excellence.

Futura Design already had an understanding of ISO Certification and had considered it for a while; they came to us as more of their clients requested it. They were initially concerned that implementing a standard could compromise training. They needed a resource that would ensure training was optimum while standards were maintained. Through a suggestion of an associate, they contacted ISO Quality Services Ltd.

Following initial meetings, Futura opted to implement the ISO 9001 Quality and ISO 27001 Information Security Management standards. Although they found the implementation process challenging, they understood that this crucial part of the process was absolutely necessary. The staff fitted the training and production of documents around their professional daily lives. After the initial burst of paperwork, Futura Design soon settled into the routine, receiving regular updates from us while finding us to be an invaluable resource when they needed feedback.

Already they’ve noticed the benefits as they have improved efficiency and secured new client contracts. They would not have been able to apply for these projects without the 9001 Quality Management Standard in place.

We got in touch to ask if they would recommend ISO Quality Services and their response was simple,

“Yes we would be more than happy to recommend”

Futura Design & Recruitment Ltd - Presentation Photo

“Recruitment Manager of Futura Recruitment, Daniel Abel (left), our Senior Lead Assessor Peter O’Neill (centre) and Paul Cadman, Operations Director of Futura Design Ltd (right) being presented with their certificates. Futura Design Ltd were certificated to the ISO 9001 Quality and ISO 27001 Information Security Management Standards and Futura Recruitment to the ISO 9001 Management Standard.”

For more information on Futura Design, please contact them on 033 555 7000, email or visit their website 

Networking events and seminars we are attending in August – September 2014

Maximise Your Membership (in association with ISO Quality Services Ltd)

Date of Event 05/09/2014

Cost: FREE – Members and non – members 

Time: 08:30 – 11:00

Venue: Worcestershire County Cricket Club New Road  Worcestershire WR2 4QQ

Website

Event Description: This event, maximise your membership event is held in association with us, ISO Quality Services Ltd and offers new and existing members the opportunity to meet the Chamber team and find out some of the many ways to make the most of their membership, including how to network effectively.

 The LV Biz Expo 2014

Date of Event 09/09/2014

Cost: FREE 

Time: 10:00 – 16:00

Venue: The Crowne Plaza, St Nicholas Pl, Princes Dock, L3 1QW, Liverpool

Website

Event Description: The LVBizExpo (Liverpool Business Exhibition) is part of the Biz Expos which are a series of annual business exhibitions created around the main principle of creating opportunites to do business.

Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce Business Expo

Date of Event 18/09/2014

Cost: FREE 

Time: 8:00 – 15:00

Venue: Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Worcestershire

Website

Event Description:

One of the Chambers most popular, this is a great opportunity for businesses to:

  • Network
  • Gain crucial business contacts
  • Promote their company
  • Raise their profile within the community

At the Expo there will be plenty of opportunities for businesses to find out support you can receive in the Business Support and Apprenticeship and Skills Zones.  Network with new and existing contacts in our dedicated Network Zone.

 

ISO Quality Services Ltd are proud to specialise in the implementation and certification of the Internationally recognised ISO and BS EN Management Standards.

Do you want to get ahead of your competition? Win more tenders or save time and money on reoccurring issues? Contact us today on 0330 058 5551 or email info@isoqsltd.com.

Alternatively, you can request a quote by filling out our enquiry form and a member of our team will be in touch shortly.

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