At LRQA, we see how accredited certification drives confidence in our clients’ compliance to international standards and schemes. This is especially important in the field of safety as it affects our everyday lives – in terms of food safety, product safety and health and safety in the workplace.
A joint statement from Xiao Jianhua, Chair IAF, and Merih Malmqvist Nilsson, Chair ILAC highlighted the role that accreditation and certification play in driving safety around the world:
“One of the most significant endorsements of the benefits of conformity assessment is with an Italian insurer. By analysing the rates of workplace accidents between organisations who have certification to the OHSAS 18001 Health & Safety management system standard and those without it, the insurer offers significantly lower insurance premiums to those certified to the standard as they see those with the certification as a much lower risk.”
ISO 45001, the new management system standard for occupational health and safety, which was launched in March 2018, will make workplaces safer and healthier – reducing the risks for millions of workers around the world. Accredited certification to ISO 45001 sends a strong signal to employees, customers and other stakeholders that you care about your people and you are a brand that can be trusted.
Speaking recently on the importance of trust, Paul Butcher, Managing Director, Business Assurance and Inspection Services at LRQA, commented:
“Our job at LRQA is to help our clients create trust with their clients which we do by providing assurance and confidence about what’s going on within their supply chain. But actually, it’s also crucial for us at LRQA that our clients trust us, they’re relying on us to give them the assurance that they need for their business, processes and supply chains. Therefore, they need to have confidence that we’ve got the technical expertise, that we will provide the independent view and voice that will understand the risks that they’re facing and help to manage them.”
With all the major ISO standards being revised, LRQA is at the forefront of communicating the changes. We offer a range of ISO 45001 services to support organisations worldwide as they adopt the new standard.
Download the IAF and ILAC brochure to find out more about World Accreditation Day and discover more examples of the impact of accreditation on health and safety.