For years, ISO 9001 was the only management system standard available for certification. With the introduction of ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001, it became possible to integrate environmental as well as occupational health and safety issues with existing quality systems. Other standards such as BS 7799, SA 8000, and sector-specific standards may also be integrated.

There are indications that an integrated quality and environment standard might be developed, but for now accreditation is done according to each standard.

What are my options?
Below you will find a brief description of the available standards which you can combine. If you would like more information on any of the standards and corresponding management systems, use the links in the left navigational bar.

ISO 9001:2000 is the international Quality Management System standard. The generic standard is applicable to any manufacturing or services process. Targeting internal processes, an ISO 9001:2000 certificate means that your customers can trust that you have implemented the necessary internal processes to meet your obligations to them.

ISO 14001:1996 is the international Environmental Management System standard. It is generic and applicable to any type of organisation in any industry sector that is committed to minimising its operations' impact on the environment. An ISO 14001:1996 certificate proves to customers that you are actively working to minimise the environmental impacts of your companys processes, products, and services.

OHSAS 18001 is the international Occupational Health and Safety Management System standard. The standard is applicable to companies of any size, but is especially relevant to companies with a large work force, manual and heavy work tasks, and/or high risk work environments. Targeting the health and safety of employees proves that you are actively working to ensure that your operations are safe both for your employees and the surrounding environment.

BS 7799 is the Information Security Management System standard. It provides businesses with a common framework for development, implementation, and effective measurement of their information security management practices. Targeting your information security issues, a BS 7799 certificate proves to customers, employees, and owners that you have taken a comprehensive approach to protecting your company information against unauthorised access and changes.

SA 8000 is the Social Accountability System standard. It is applicable to companies of any size that wish to address the social and ethical aspects of their business. A Social Accountability System proves to customers that you have taken steps to protect workers rights and ensure ethical production of all goods made by your company.

Industry Sector Schemes
There are a number of industry sector schemes that address management systems specific to a market sector. More information on these standards can be found under "market sectors" on the top level menu.

Where do I go from here?
For third party certification, you need to implement an effective management system complying with the requirements of a standard. The first step is to get on the road to certification.