ISO Quality Services Ltd – March 2016 Newsletter

What’s in this issue?

ISO 45001 – The New Health and Safety Management Standard is coming

Mother knows best!

It’s National Apprenticeship Week

Meet the Team: Get to know Ross

Be part of our LinkedIn community

Refer a friend

With the revisions of the ISO 9001 Quality Management and ISO 14001 Environmental Management Standards complete, the new ISO 45001:2016 will be aligned with these new revisions to ensure that they work seamlessly together and complement each other.

Even though the BS OHSAS 18001 is a British Standard, there are businesses in over a hundred countries that have adopted the standard.

Composed in conjunction with the International Labour Council, the ISO 45001:2016 will seek to protect workers all around the world.

The new standard will focus on the following aspects:

• Reduce the risks to personnel and additional relevant parties.
• Create a focus of continual improvement so as to constantly seek to improve health and safety standards in the workplace.
• Ensuring that all activities are carried out, along with a company’s health and safety policy are in line with an internationally recognised standard.
• 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.

The international standard should come into effect in late 2015. If you are an existing customer, our client services team will be in touch to prepare you for the changes.

If you would like more information on the Health & Safety Standard than please get in touch by contacting clientservices@isoqsltd.com.

The online greetings card company Moonpig has recently hit the headlines following a string of complaints on social media after an issue with one of the company’s suppliers left mothers with damaged, or in some cases, without gifts on their special day.

This Mother’s Day Mishap has demonstrated the need for controls and systems in place for the prevention and corrective action of errors within business.

What Preventative Action could have been taken?

As a company and as a part of the ISO 9001 standard we promote the use of Supplier Evaluation to ensure that the companies needs are met, not only in terms of price and product, but also the quality of service and the reassurance that the supplier can actually provide this service.

A supplier questionnaire is a great way to do this, getting a full picture of your supplier before trading with them gives you the peace of mind that your needs will be met. It is also worth considering; does your supplier have ISO 9001 in place?

If the answer to this question is no, then how can this company accurately demonstrate to you that they are committed to ensuring excellent quality control?

What corrective action could be taken to minimise the impact of such events?

In the age of social media, events such as these now play out in the public eye so it is imperative that the correct measures are in place to ensure that your customers complaints are listened to and acted upon. This was very much evident in the case of Moonpig, where a number of complaints were lodged on Twitter and Facebook.

How can ISO 9001 help? 

• Any issues or complaints should be lodged and monitored as Non-Conformances, preventing a re-occurrence
• Improve the customer/supplier relationship by responding proactively to customer feedback though standard professional forms
• Having a standard procedure in place for complaints means that everything is dealt with in a uniform and professional manner
• The certification itself shows a promise made to your customers that you take pride in the quality of your work, so a non-conformance is going to be given the attention it deserves

Did you know that apprenticeships in the UK are at a record level?

871,800 apprentices in England began an apprenticeship in 2014/2015, with the Government committed to achieving 3 million apprenticeships starts in England by 2020.

National Apprenticeship Week is managed by the National Apprenticeship Service, who offer help and guidance for businesses who are looking to recruit an apprentice or a trainee.

Some of the country’s top employers are now offering young people the opportunity to start their career through an apprenticeship. In fact, over 250,000 employers in the UK are now working with an apprentice.

Did you know?

• 75% of apprenticeship employers say implementing an apprenticeship programme has helped cut recruitment costs
• 81% of apprenticeship employers say apprentices make their business more productive
• 80% of employers feel that offering apprenticeships contribute towards reducing staff turnover

Both employers and their apprentices can get involved in National Apprenticeship Week 2016.

This year’s event theme is “an apprenticeship can take you anywhere” and looks at some of the different entries into many career paths now offering apprenticeships to young people.

Our apprentices, Ross and Kerrie, have lots planned for this week as each day they are taking part in a workplace challenge. You can follow their challenges on our twitter @ISOQSL.

For more information, visit gov.uk and search ‘apprenticeships’ or ‘traineeships’ or call the National Apprenticeship helpline on 0800 150 600.

Sources: Statistics from National Apprenticeship Services (released as part of National Apprenticeship Week 2016)

While it is our job to find out lots about you and your business requirements, we thought that you might like to get to know us a little bit better. Each month we will introduce you to a member of our team, giving you opportunity to learn more about each of us!

Get to know Ross!

This month you can find out all about Ross Davis, our Finance Apprentice!

What is your role in the office?
I am responsible for  day to day tasks such as processing any purchase invoices we get sent, as well as dealing with any queries we get from our clients. Other tasks I take on include credit control and sending out sales invoices.

What is your favourite thing about working at ISO Quality Services?
My favourite thing about working at ISO Quality services is getting to work with such a lovely bunch of people and feeling like a part of the team. Furthermore, getting to work with such a talented team means that it’s very easy to learn how to do new tasks as they are always willing to help me and teach me new things.

Why did you choose to undertake a finance apprenticeship?
I chose to work in finance as I have always been interested in numbers and problem solving. Maths has always been my favourite topic at school, as it is the one subject I really excelled in. Having passed A-Levels in both Maths and Further Maths, finance and accounting seemed to be best suited to my skills and my interests.

Tell us something in the office nobody knows about you
I used to play in the prop position for my school rugby team.

As it’s National Apprenticeship week, why did you choose an apprenticeship over pursuing another career paths?
I felt as though it would be the quickest way to get to the career that I wanted to be in. Also, I learn better from a hands on approach rather than just being taught in a classroom, I prefer to put what I learn into practice, and to be able to earn money whilst doing this is an added perk to apprenticeships.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I see myself as a fully qualified and specialised accountant and also (but far less likely) a millionaire.

What advice would you give someone looking at starting an apprenticeship?
If you feel like you learn better from a hands on approach to learning then definitely go for it. I have never once looked back and regretted deciding to commit to an apprenticeship.