26 February 2019

Quartzelec, a leading independent engineering service provider, in January 2019 was awarded the prestigious ISO 45001:2018 Health & Safety Management System certification for key locations and businesses related to its Rotating Machine Services business.

Quartzelec’s Rugby and Swansea units, plus the coil operations business – Quartzcoil – are the initial units to receive this ISO 45001 certification, with more undergoing assessment later in the year.

“Health & safety compliance is a real priority at all levels within Quartzelec,” stated Rugby HQ‑based Ashley Knight, Quartzelec’s Group Health, Safety & Environment Manager. “We’re extremely proud of building on our existing robust safety record by attaining this prestigious certification.”   

ISO 45001:2018 is the new International H&S standard, released in March 2018 by ISO, which provides a framework to assist companies improve employee safety, reduce workplace risks and create better, safer working conditions.

Ashley Knight continued:  “We have worked closely with Lloyd’s Register, our certification body, to fully document and comply with the standard and meet all legal requirements.  In addition to ensuring all our systems were appropriately documented, the team went out to various customer sites to validate and ensure that everything was being properly and fully implemented. We’ve also listened to the growing customer requirements to comply with this standard; so our business pre‑qualification and delivery processes will be significantly easier.”

Achieving ISO 45001 certification highlights the emphasis that Quartzelec places on maintaining a safe working environment and its commitment to continual improvement in H&S, both in its own workplaces and at the various customer facilities where it also operates. Since Quartzelec was awarded ISO 9001 quality management certification in 1992 and ISO 14001 environmental management system certification in 2013, it has successfully achieved and maintained the relevant standards developed by ISO for its quality, environmental and now its health and safety management systems.

Moving forward, Quartzelec is looking to extend ISO 45001 certification for additional UK facilities in Aberdeen, Grimsby and Sheffield later this year plus will be undertaking a requirements’ review for its electrical contracting business, to better understand customer site requirements, and will be looking to implement certification from 2020 onwards to fulfil requirements. Quartzelec will also be looking at the requirements to meet the standard at its various international sites.

About ISO 45001: 2018

ISO 45001: 2018 sets out to provide a robust and effective set of processes for improving work safety in global supply chains and is also the world’s first International Standard for occupational health & safety.  In addition to defining standards and reviewing documented procedures, as is the case for many ISO standards, ISO 45001 has an additional dimension as legal requirements like compliance to the numerous pieces of H&S legislation brought in since the Health and Safety at Work 1974 Act also need to be factored in. Designed to help organisations of all sizes and industries, ISO state that the new International Standard, launched in March 2018, is expected to reduce workplace injuries and illnesses around the world.

Pam Phillips, Lead Assessor at Lloyd's Register, concluded: “ISO 45001 can help organisations drive improvements and focus even further in occupational health and safety. By implementing a certified H&S management system, Quartzelec proved they operate to the required standards and are committed to the safety and health of their workforce. Quartzelec has been working with Lloyd’s Register since 1992 and we appreciate their efforts for continual improvement and meeting the international standards for quality, environmental and now health and safety.”

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