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ISO certification in South Africa follows the same basic route for every standard: choose the standard that fits your organisation, build a management system that meets its requirements, train the people who run and audit it, and prepare for the certification audit. This guide covers ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 17025 and the ISO training your team will need. For related training on managing risk and governance, see BOTI’s strategy, risk, governance and compliance courses.
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International standards are a practical tool for some of an organisation’s most pressing challenges: consistent quality, safe workplaces, environmental impact and the confidence of customers. Many organisations know that ISO certification can benefit their business, but fewer know how the process works or where to start. This article explains how to become ISO certified in South Africa, what the main standards require, and where training fits in.
What is ISO?
ISO is the International Organization for Standardization, a worldwide federation of national standards bodies. It is an independent, non-governmental organisation made up of standards bodies from more than 160 countries, and it develops standards to ensure the quality, safety and efficiency of products, services and systems.
In a global marketplace, checks and balances need to be in place. Without them it would be difficult to keep quality consistent across industries and countries. International standards help to keep a level playing field, and ISO is the organisation that publishes them.
What is ISO certification?
ISO certification confirms that a management system, manufacturing process, service or documentation procedure meets all the requirements of a particular standard. ISO standards exist in many areas, from quality, energy management and social responsibility to medical devices. They are in place to ensure consistency. Each standard has its own requirements and criteria and is identified by a number, such as ISO 9001 or ISO 14001.
In South Africa, ISO certification gives organisations a framework and tools for improving quality, meeting clients’ requirements consistently and improving processes. Certification is not a once-off exercise: the management system has to keep improving after the certificate is issued.
Common ISO standards in South Africa
Every organisation has its own needs and objectives at different stages of its life, so it is not always obvious which standard is the right fit. Some standards are industry-specific, but many of the most popular are generic and can be implemented in an organisation in any sector. Widely used ISO standards include:
- ISO 9001: quality management
- ISO 14001: environmental management, used to increase resource efficiency, reduce waste and drive down costs
- ISO 45001: occupational health and safety, used to reduce workplace hazards and protect the safety, health and welfare of the people in your workplace
- ISO 17025: general requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories
- ISO 27001: information security
- ISO 27002: guidelines for information security management practices
- ISO 27005: information security risk management
- ISO 27032: cyber security
- ISO 27035: information security incident management
- ISO 20000: IT service management
- ISO 13485: quality management systems for medical devices
- ISO 22000: food safety management systems
- ISO 50001: energy management systems
- ISO 18788: security operations management systems
- ISO 20121: event sustainability management systems
- ISO 37101: management systems for sustainable development in communities
- ISO 21001: management systems for educational organisations
- ISO 26000: social responsibility
- ISO 20400: guidelines for sustainable procurement
Some of these, such as ISO 27002 and ISO 20400, give guidelines rather than requirements, so check what a standard is for before you plan to certify against it. If your organisation is not yet certified to any ISO standard, the three covered in detail below, ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 17025, are a sensible place to start.
How to become ISO certified in South Africa: the steps
The route to ISO certification in South Africa is much the same whichever standard you choose.
- Choose the standard. Start from what you need to achieve or what your customers ask for: ISO 9001 for quality, ISO 14001 for environmental management, ISO 45001 for occupational health and safety, or ISO 17025 if you run a testing or calibration laboratory.
- Build the management system. Set up a management system that meets the standard’s requirements. ISO 9001 and ISO 17025, for example, both call for control of management system documents, records control, internal audits, corrective action, handling of risks and opportunities, management reviews and continual improvement.
- Train the people who run it. Staff need to understand the standard, and someone in the organisation must be able to audit the system internally, find gaps and follow up corrective action before the certification audit.
- Check that it works. Run internal audits and a management review, record what you find and deal with any non-conforming work.
- Prepare for the certification audit. An external auditor assesses the management system against the standard. Laboratories follow a similar route to ISO 17025 accreditation, where a laboratory accreditation body assesses their competence.
- Keep improving. Certification is not once-off. The system has to keep working and improving for as long as you hold the certificate.
A note on the words: organisations are certified against management system standards such as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, while laboratories are accredited against ISO 17025, which looks at technical competence as well as the management system.
ISO 9001 certification in South Africa
What does ISO 9001 mean?
ISO 9001 is the most popular standard in the ISO 9000 family. It defines the requirements for a quality management system (QMS): a process approach to documenting the procedures, responsibilities and quality objectives of an organisation so that it produces quality products and services and keeps improving. The standard is customer-focused, and it emphasises continual improvement and the involvement of top management throughout the organisation.
For South African organisations, ISO 9001 certification is a way to work to international quality standards and to show customers and partners that they do.
Benefits of ISO 9001
Implementing ISO 9001 helps an organisation adopt continual improvement practices and gives it the techniques to improve its working processes. Processes become aligned and understood across the organisation, which can raise productivity and lower costs. An ISO 9001 quality management system helps an organisation to:
- offer consistent, quality products and services
- identify and address organisational risks through risk-based thinking
- achieve customer satisfaction
- reduce costs and increase effectiveness
- streamline operations and improve performance
- increase the efficiency of supply chain management
- gain a competitive advantage, since many clients require ISO 9001 certification before they do business with a supplier
- build continual improvement into everyday work
How do I get ISO 9001 certified?
Follow the steps above with ISO 9001 as the standard. Document your procedures, responsibilities and quality objectives, put the quality management system into practice, and train the people who work in it. Then audit the system internally, hold a management review, correct what the audits find, and book the certification audit.
Internal audits need people who know the standard and how to audit against it. BOTI’s two-day ISO 9001:2015 / ISO 45001 Awareness & Internal Auditor course is aimed at this stage: understanding the standards and auditing the system internally.
ISO 17025 accreditation for laboratories
What does ISO 17025 mean?
ISO/IEC 17025 is the international standard for testing and calibration laboratories. It sets out the requirements that laboratories use to show that they operate a quality management system and that they are technically competent to do the work they do. For calibration and testing laboratories around the world, it is the key standard.
Laboratory accreditation bodies use ISO 17025 to assess the factors that affect a laboratory’s ability to produce precise, accurate test and calibration data, including:
- traceability of measurements and calibrations to national standards
- technical competence of staff
- maintenance of test equipment
- quality assurance of test and calibration data
- validity and appropriateness of test methods
- appropriate handling and transportation of test items
- quality of the testing environment and sampling
The most recent edition is ISO/IEC 17025:2017. Its requirements cover two broad areas: management requirements, which concern how well the laboratory’s quality management system performs, and technical requirements, which focus on the competence of staff, test methods, equipment, and the test and calibration results.
Management requirements
On the management side, a laboratory needs to show how it handles:
- its organisation: legal status, facilities, the responsibilities of key staff and how confidential information is handled
- a management system appropriate to the scope of its work, with a quality policy
- document control: approving, issuing and changing documents
- reviewing requests, tenders and contracts
- subcontracting, and buying services and supplies that may affect the quality of tests and calibrations
- service to the client, including protecting clients’ confidentiality
- complaints
- non-conforming testing and calibration work
- improvement, corrective action, and risks and opportunities
- control of records
- internal audits
- management reviews
Technical requirements
On the technical side, the laboratory needs to show how it handles:
- personnel: making sure all laboratory staff are properly skilled and qualified
- accommodation and environmental conditions, monitored and recorded so that testing and calibration are done correctly
- test and calibration methods and method validation, including sampling, transport, storage, uncertainty and control of data
- equipment that is available, suitable and properly maintained
- measurement traceability
- sampling
- handling of test and calibration items
- assuring the validity of test and calibration results
- reporting results clearly and objectively
Why is ISO 17025 accreditation important?
Accreditation against ISO 17025 shows that a laboratory operates competently and can generate valid results. Many customers prefer to receive services from accredited laboratories, so accreditation can give a laboratory access to more testing and calibration contracts. It can also help a laboratory to:
- improve its reputation
- create new business connections
- gain a competitive advantage
- increase its effectiveness and improve work processes
- offer more reliable and efficient testing and results
- build customer confidence
For customers, ISO 17025 accreditation reduces risk. It shows that the laboratory is technically competent and has a sound quality system in place, and it helps avoid expensive retesting, because the work has been done by a laboratory that has been assessed by a third party.
Who needs ISO 17025?
ISO 17025 accreditation is voluntary, not mandatory. It is, however, proof of competence that is recognised internationally, and any laboratory that wants formal and international recognition of its testing or calibration competence needs it. The standard is also useful for anyone who wants to understand the basic concepts of laboratory management systems.
How does a laboratory get ISO 17025 accreditation?
The route mirrors ISO certification. The laboratory puts the management and technical requirements in place, trains its staff, runs internal audits and management reviews, deals with non-conforming work and corrective action, and then applies for assessment by a laboratory accreditation body. BOTI’s ISO training covers ISO 9001 and ISO 45001; it does not cover ISO 17025.
What is the difference between ISO 17025 and ISO 9001?
The main difference is scope. ISO 9001 applies to all types of organisations in all industries, whereas ISO 17025 applies only to testing and calibration laboratories. ISO 17025 includes a minimum set of quality management requirements similar to those in ISO 9001:
- improvement
- management reviews
- control of management system documents
- documentation of the management system
- corrective actions
- handling risks and opportunities
- records control
- internal audits
On top of these, ISO 17025 adds the technical requirements on staff competence, methods, equipment, measurement traceability and the validity of results.
ISO 14001 certification
What does ISO 14001 mean?
ISO 14001 is the international standard that specifies the requirements for an effective environmental management system (EMS). It belongs to the ISO 14000 family of standards, much as ISO 9001 belongs to the ISO 9000 family. Rather than setting environmental performance requirements, it gives organisations a framework to follow, based on the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) model of continual improvement. It is a voluntary standard, adopted by organisations that want to improve their processes.
When did ISO 14001 start?
ISO created the ISO 14000 family of standards, which includes ISO 14001, in 1996. ISO 14001 was first revised in 2004 and again in 2015, when ISO 14001:2015 was published in September. Standards are reviewed from time to time, so confirm which edition applies before you start.
Who needs ISO 14001?
ISO 14001 can be used by any organisation that wishes to set up, improve or maintain an environmental management system that conforms to its environmental policy and requirements. It is relevant to all organisations, regardless of size, location, sector or industry.
The requirements of the standard can be built into any environmental management system. How far they go depends on several factors, including the organisation’s industry, environmental policy, products and services, and location.
Benefits of ISO 14001
Organisations that use ISO 14001 find that it helps them to:
- improve resource efficiency
- reduce waste
- drive down costs
- have assurance that environmental impact is being measured
- gain a competitive advantage in supply chain design
- increase new business opportunities
- meet legal obligations
- increase stakeholder and customer trust
- improve overall environmental impact
- manage environmental obligations consistently
How do I get ISO 14001 certified?
Follow the same steps with ISO 14001 as the standard, using the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle. Plan the environmental management system around your environmental policy and obligations, put it into practice, check it through monitoring and internal audits, and act on what you find. Train the people involved, then prepare for the certification audit.
ISO training in South Africa with BOTI
Every ISO management system depends on people who understand the standard and can check that the system works in practice. BOTI (Business Optimization Training Institute) runs the two-day ISO 9001:2015 / ISO 45001 Awareness & Internal Auditor course for teams that work with ISO 9001 quality management systems and ISO 45001 occupational health and safety systems. It is aimed at staff who need to understand these standards and audit their organisation’s system internally.
The course runs in-house at your premises, at BOTI’s venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg, or online. This course is not accredited. It is delivered as a professional skills programme, and delegates receive a BOTI certificate of attendance.
BOTI is a training provider. It does not issue ISO certificates or carry out certification audits; it trains the people who run and audit the system inside your organisation.
Because ISO 45001 deals with workplace health and safety, teams working towards it may also look at the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Course and BOTI’s other health, safety and wellness courses. For the risk-based thinking that ISO 9001 asks for, see Conquering Risk Management: Risk Assessment and Contingency Planning.
Conclusion
To become ISO certified in South Africa, choose the standard that fits your goals, build a management system that meets its requirements, train the people who run and audit it, and prepare for the certification audit. For ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 17025 alike, the certificate or accreditation is the start of continual improvement, not the end of it.
To discuss ISO training for your team, contact us, call 011 882 8853 or send us an email at [email protected].
Frequently asked questions
How do I become ISO certified in South Africa?
First choose the standard that fits your goal, for example ISO 9001 for quality, ISO 14001 for environmental management or ISO 17025 for testing and calibration laboratories. Then build a management system that meets its requirements, including document control, records, internal audits, corrective action and management reviews. Train the people who will run and audit it, and prepare for the certification audit. Certification is not once-off: the system must keep improving.
What is ISO 9001 certification?
ISO 9001 sets out the requirements for a quality management system: how an organisation documents its procedures and responsibilities so that it consistently delivers quality products and services and keeps improving. It is customer-focused, uses risk-based thinking and applies to all types of organisations in all industries. Certification shows that your quality management system meets those requirements.
What is the difference between ISO 9001 and ISO 17025?
ISO 9001 applies to any type of organisation in any industry and covers quality management. ISO 17025 applies only to testing and calibration laboratories: it includes quality management requirements similar to ISO 9001, such as document control, internal audits, corrective action and management reviews, and adds technical requirements on staff competence, test methods, equipment, measurement traceability and the validity of results. Laboratories are accredited against ISO 17025.
Is ISO certification compulsory in South Africa?
The standards in this guide are voluntary. ISO 14001 is a voluntary standard that organisations adopt to improve their environmental processes, and ISO 17025 accreditation is voluntary too, although laboratories that want formal recognition of their testing competence need it. In practice, customers often decide the question: many prefer certified suppliers and accredited laboratories, so certification can be a condition of winning work.
Every ISO management system needs people who understand the standard and can audit it internally before the certification audit. BOTI’s two-day ISO 9001:2015 / ISO 45001 Awareness & Internal Auditor course runs in-house at your premises, at our venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg, or online. It is not accredited; delegates receive a BOTI certificate of attendance. Call 011 882 8853.