When you look over most of our case studies, one thing may stand out to you; most of our clients utilised our ISO consulting services to secure Certification to more than just one Standard.
For the majority of local business owners, there are major benefits to securing Certification to more than just one ISO Standard. For starters, SMEs can have more than just one priority area when it comes to business growth strategies. Taking a dynamic approach to growth investing can help ensure your enterprise scales up organically, with improved services and outputs right alongside improved internal processes.
For business owners who want to invest in Certification to multiple ISO Standards, we highly recommend speaking with one of our consultants at S & J Auditing & Consulting about designing a tailored HSEQ Management System for your business. What is a HSEQ Management System? Let us provide you with a quick intro.
What is a HSEQ Management System?
A HSEQ (Health, Safety, Environment, and Quality) Management System is a comprehensive framework designed to help organisations maintain compliance with health, safety, environmental, and quality management standards.
Much like the individual ISO Standards which provides frameworks for highly-defined Management Systems (like Quality Management Systems, for instance), the HSEQ framework integrates policies, procedures, and processes to optimise business operations in accordance with HSEQ management best practices.
In short, HSEQ Management Systems integrate other ISO Certification Standards to support organisations in maintaining compliance and minimising a wider range of operational risks, all relating to health, safety, environment, and quality management frameworks.
Key ISO Standards for HSEQ Management Systems
As HSEQ Management Systems integrate health, safety, environmental, and quality management frameworks, your HSEQ framework will also utilise guidelines across the following ISO Certification Standards:
ISO 9001:2015 – Quality Management Systems
One of the most commonly sought after Certification Standards, the ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Systems standard provides a comprehensive framework for the development and implementation of tailored QMS solutions for organisations.
Through maintaining compliance with the frameworks outlined in ISO 9001:2015, organisations can maintain improved quality management systems, which work to continuously improve all aspects of their business operations – from their processes and policies, to their products and service outputs.
Here are just some of the major benefits of ISO 9001 Certification:
- Improved organisational efficiency
- Better quality control
- Improved investing and company budgeting
- Enhanced customer service
- Higher employee satisfaction
- Improved staff training and onboarding
- New tendering and market opportunities
ISO 14001:2015 – Environmental Management Systems
The ISO 14001:2015 Standard is concerned with the development, implementation, and maintenance of Environmental Management Systems (EMS). Like ISO 9001:2015, this Certification Standard outlines all the frameworks and regulatory requirements for organisations to meet in order to implement a fully compliant Management System.
Environmental Management Systems provide a variety of benefits for organisations across a wide range of industries, from construction to manufacturing, freight transportation, agriculture, and laboratory testing.
With tailored EMS solutions and ISO 14001:2015 Certification badges to your company name, your organisation can enjoy an improved reputation for eco-friendly practices, which can be ideal for attracting new customers and clients, and even in qualifying for government tenders.
Here are just some of the other key advantages of securing ISO 14001:2015 Certification for your organisation:
- Better environmental performance and ESG monitoring
- Improved environmental risk and hazard management
- Improved cost-efficiency
- Healthier workplaces and workplace culture
- Improved environmental compliance
- Stronger trust signals and more access to tender contracts
ISO 45001:2018 – Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems
In Australia, ISO 45001:2018 for Occupational health and safety management systems is also highly sought after by business owners, particularly for organisations based in construction, home maintenance services, manufacturing and fabrication, healthcare facilities, and other sectors.
As you’d expect, Certification to ISO 45001:2018 is dependent on an organisation meeting all clauses of the ISO 45001 standard. Some of these clauses include the development and implementation of safety systems, risk assessment. mitigation processes, and other resources in the workplace to support staff in maintaining a commitment to OH&S (i.e. OH&S training, budgeting for personal protective equipment, etc.).
All the frameworks for health and safety requirements within a HSEQ Management System can be found not only within the ISO 45001:2018 Standard, but also across all the supporting Standards that comprise the ISO 45000 Family of Standards.
These are the key benefits of securing ISO 45001:2018 Certification for your organisation:
- Improved worker health and safety
- Reduced OH&S risks (i.e. injuries, accidents, etc.)
- Compliance with local laws and industry regulations
- Improved stakeholder trust and business reputation
- Improved cost savings due to reduced insurance risks
- Supports tender applications
How HSEQ Management Systems Support Business Improvements
Above, our ISO consultants have outlined all the unique benefits of securing three different types of ISO Certification. As all three of these Certification Standards relate to the development of HSEQ Management Systems, implementing a HSEQ solution for your organisation will naturally allow you to enjoy all the benefits listed above – and more.
For organisations that maintain Certification to multiple Standards, implementation of a tailored HSEQ Management System can help streamline processes and reduce duplication across all the separate ISO guidelines and policies. This merging of ISO frameworks to fall under the umbrella of one holistic HSEQ framework, supports business leaders in ensuring compliance across all their Certification Standards.
As such, HSEQ management systems often include general operational policies and procedures, as well as audit reporting, and systemic infrastructure to support continuous process improvements. With these resources, HSEQ Management Systems help organisations reduce risks, increase productivity, and achieve their objectives.
In short, HSEQ Management Systems provide a simple, whole systems solution for easier ISO compliance management. As continuous improvement planning is reliant on maintaining ISO compliance over the long term, HSEQ frameworks are foundational for organisations looking to map out continuous improvement initiatives relating to a wider range of frameworks (in this case, health, safety, environmental, and quality frameworks).
How to Implement a HSEQ Management System: Step-by-Step
Implementing a HSEQ Management System isn’t too different to integrating any single EMS, QMS, or SMS solution. Here’s a brief, step-by-step overview of the process of implementing these dynamic frameworks within an organisation.
Step 1: Outline the Goals and Objectives Behind Your HSEQ Management System
To begin, you’ll want to determine the objectives behind your HSEQ Management System. Ask yourself what business improvements you’re looking to make, and why (i.e. to improve environmental monitoring, to bring in new markets, to improve the safety of your worksites, etc.).
Here, it’s essential to set clear SMART objectives, these being goals that are:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Relevant
- Time-bound
Step 2: Define the Scope of Your HSEQ Framework
After establishing the goals behind your HSEQ Management System, you’ll next want to tailor your framework to fit these objectives. Here, it’s wise to assess your current practices and processes to identify any preliminary risks and areas for improvement within existing systems.
These areas for improvement should then be verified with your business leaders (i.e. stakeholders, department heads, etc.), to support collaborative problem-solving. Here, you can also begin developing ideal systems and policies using the ISO guidelines available to you across the core Standards we’ve shared above.
Step 3: Prepare Supporting Documentation for Your HSEQ Management System
If you’ve mapped out what systemic infrastructure you’ll need to implement your HSEQ framework and ensure compliance with all relevant ISO Standards, now is the time to properly prepare the documentation that’s required. Here, the Certification Standards will be a valuable reference point for determining which documentation will be needed to ensure compliance.
Alongside being useful for meeting ISO 14001:2015 compliance, our ISO 14001 audit checklist can be a valuable reference at this point of your HSEQ implementation process. Use the ‘Documents & Records’ section as a template to outline which supporting documentation you’ll need to prepare to meet all the relevant ISO requirements included within the scope of your tailored HSEQ Management System.
Step 4: Introduce Your HSEQ Policies into Your Organisation’s Workflows
Once all your supporting documentation has been collated, it’s time to use these resources to integrate your HSEQ Management System into your organisational operations. Integrating your HSEQ frameworks will naturally include facilitating staff training on new policies and procedures, as well as ISO training to ensure staff are aware of the benefits of maintaining compliance.
At this stage of the implementation process, you will also need to schedule ISO audits to have your HSEQ systems formally assessed and to confirm full compliance with all relevant ISO frameworks.
Step 5: Commit to Continuous Improvements
Upon attaining Certification, the final step of the journey will be investing in Certification maintenance. This means monitoring and routinely evaluating the performance of your HSEQ Management System, which S & J Auditing & Consulting is a specialist in providing support for. We have dozens of clients that engage us to conduct process such as internal audits, customer feedback, facilitating management review meetings, running emergency drills, updating documentation and much more!
Organisations are also advised to use ISO frameworks for continuous improvements (like the PDCA Cycle) to further support the maintenance and evolution of their HSEQ Management System.
Implement a Tailored HSEQ Management System for Your Enterprise
Providing a dynamic approach to Certification for multiple ISO Standards, HSEQ Management Systems support organisations in defining what ‘business improvements’ means for themselves.
If you’d like to learn more about what HSEQ Management Systems are and how you can implement the HSEQ framework for your organisation, simply get in touch with our ISO consultants at S & J Auditing & Consulting for a free consultation. Here, we’ll learn a little more about your business and work towards preparing a tailored Certification strategy for you and your team.
