It’s an ideal time to get certified

A survey by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) shows how management systems help tackle global challenges. Ian Osmond, business development manager at Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance (LRQA), explains.

Against the backdrop of all of the major ISO standards currently under revision, the latest ISO Survey of Certifications indicates that achieving certification to ISO management system standards is still very much a priority.

With both ISO 9001 (quality) and ISO 14001 (environmental) at Draft International Standard (DIS) stage, providers of consultancy, assessment, certification and training services are gearing up for potentially the single largest increase in activity in the history of the management systems industry.

Interested parties, including organisations, quality/environmental/health and safety managers and consultants, as well as certification bodies, are all trying to interpret the changes as they happen.

ISO’s survey shows that a grand total of 1 541 983 certificates had been issued worldwide by December 2013, representing a four percent increase year-on-year. This annual survey, now entering its third decade, continues to provide a pragmatic picture of certifications to ISO’s management system standards across the globe.

On trend from previous years, the latest edition demonstrates reliable performance for all seven ISO management system standards covered in the survey, including: quality/automotive quality, environmental, energy, information security, food and medical devices.

Through LRQA’s membership of the Independent International Organisation for Certification (IIOC), the organisation participates in all
of the major committees helping to shape the future of the world’s leading ISO standards – including ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 (the new ISO standard for occupational health and safety, set to replace OHSAS 18001). This allows the LRQA to design its services to make the transition to the new standards as seamless as possible for the many thousands of clients served worldwide.