Introducing Quality Management into Shop floor Procedures

ISO 9001:2008 is all about quality management. In order to Introduce a Quality Management System successfully (ISO9001: 2008) a team effort is needed.

This means that everybody in the organization has to form part of a process of applying Quality Management principles in their working environments. Often the ISO 9001 process starts with management (Policy Statement) and ends with management (Management Review) with the employee being left in the dark in terms of what to do, what to expect and how it adds value to him/her.

The successful integration of an effective performance measurement system across an organization’s operations ensures growth.

Procedures and mapping (a flow-chart) are examples of performance measures that can be implemented by the shop floor employee. Mapping what employees are actually doing and asking questions such as: “Why are you doing that?” and “How does it increase quality?” helps the employee to look at continually improving his/her performance.

What is Environmental Management all about?

Environmental Management is not, as the phrase could suggest, the management of the environment as such, but rather the management of interaction by the modern human societies with, and impact upon the environment. The three main issues that affect managers are those involving politics (networking), programs (projects), and resources (money, facilities, etc.). The need for environmental management can be viewed from diffrent perspectives. A more common philosophy and impetus behind environmental management is the concept of carrying capacity. Simply put, carrying capacity refers to the maximum number of organisms a particular resource can sustain. The concept of carrying capacity, whilst understood by many cultures over history, has its roots in Malthusian theory. Environmental management is therefore not the conservation of the environment solely for the environment’s sake, but rather the conservation of the environment for humankind’s sake. This element of sustainable exploitation, getting the most out of natural assets, is visible in the EU Water Framework Directive.

Environmental Management involves the management of all components of the bio-physical environment, both living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic). This is because of the interconnected and network of relationships amongst all living species and their habitats. The environment also involves the relationships of the human environment, such as the social, cultural and economic environment with the bio-physical environment.

As with all management functions, effective management tools, standards and systems are required necessary. An ‘environmental management standard or system or protocol attempts to reduce environmental impact as measured by some objective criteria. The ISO 14001 standard is the most widely used standard for environmental risk management and has close links to the European Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS). As a common auditing standard, the ISO 19011 standard explains how to combine this with quality management.

Other Environmental Management Systems (EMS) tend to be based on the ISO 14001 standard and many extend it in different ways.

Health and Safety File of Contractors Explained

Health and Safety files are a contentious issue. This is in reference to the Safety files that are expected to be compiled, maintained and available by the contractor/sub-contractor. The average contractor views the Health and Safety file as a one to five page document (which cannot be further from the truth).

The Construction Health and Safety file is one of the biggest problem areas.

The problem in general is that the emerging contractor who usually knows very little about occupational health and safety knows even less about what a Health and Safety file is and what it must contain.