What Are ISO Standards?

When it comes to health and safety, you might see the word ISO pop up a lot and you might find yourself wondering what it means. ISO, stands for International Standards Organisation. Most businesses and industries will come across ISO standards and the type they are and what they mean will vary from business to business and industry to industry. However, ISO standards do exist for a reason and you need to be ensuring that if ISO standards are applicable, that you’re living up to them.

Defining ISO

As previously mentioned, ISO is a shortened down version of the International Standards Organisation. The ISO is an independent body that covers a wide number of fields across all different sectors and industries. Their experts work by pooling information together and improving knowledge across the board to help improve specific industries. The ISO works to create safe information and advice for how to carry out specific tasks and processes. The purpose of this is to ensure people are following the best and safest practices relating to a task or process they need to carry out.

ISO standards are in place to help put in place an industry and internationally recognised set of practices relating to different industries and practices. By having ISO standards in place, it means all businesses and industries should be carrying out certain tasks in a certain way, with the overall aim to improve consistency, enhance safety and reduce incidents. ISO standards are beneficial to both the person carrying out the task, and the end user as well.

Common ISO Standards

When it comes to ISO standards, there are a wide range of topics covered. However, at Safetynet Scotland, we regularly come across three main types regularly and these are ISO9001, ISO45001 and ISO14001. Below we’ll cover what each of these ISO standards covered and related to, which are:

• ISO 9001 - ISO 9001 is an internationally recognised standard for your quality management systems. Certification to this standard demonstrates your commitment and compliance to industry respected practices and allows your clients and potential clients to see your commitment to quality products and procedures.
• ISO 45001 - ISO 45001 is the international health & safety management system specification.It is designed to help companies control occupational health & safety risks and demonstrate they have systems in place for the effective management of occupational safety.
• ISO 14001 - ISO 14001 is an Environmental Management tool which concentrates on a system that controls the impact a process has on the environment. It has been developed to help an organisation to reduce the effects of environmental contamination; it will also measure consumption of the world's finite resources. To gain ISO 14001 certification a company must demonstrate a commitment to reducing its waste footprint. It is evidence based documentation which will demonstrate a steady improvement within the Environmental management of any company.

Why Do We Need ISO Standards?

ISO standards are in place to ensure everyone is carrying out tasks in the same manner, this helps to ensure consistent safety standards and it also ensures the end user, whether it’s another worker or consumer, is getting an item that is delivered to a specific set of internationally recognised standards. ISO standards also mean you know what you are doing, everyone else in the industry is doing the same task in the same way. The main purpose of ISO is to show a level of quality and safety, and it helps you to build a brand people can trust.

Concerned About ISO Standards - Get In Touch!

ISO Standards can seem quite difficult to get your head around and you might find ensuring compliance difficult and that’s where we come in. We can assess your current practices and process to see if any fall under ISO jurisdiction and once we have an understanding of this, we can ensure you are following their guidance correctly. Get in touch with us today for more information.