Developing and supporting a culture of compliance is vital when it comes to the manufacture of construction products. It ensures customers can trust that all products, advice and support are fully compliant with relevant industry standards. To ensure best practice in this area, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has introduced a new compliance management system (CMS) standard - ISO 37301:2021.
In this article, we will look in more detail at the standard, including:
- What is ISO 37301;
- How organisations achieve compliance with ISO 37301;
What is ISO 37301?
ISO 37301 is an international standard which provides the guidelines and requirements for establishing, developing and continually improving a compliance management system (CMS). The standard replaces ISO 19600:2014, expanding on its requirements.
The guidance is designed to be adaptable for companies of different sizes and contexts and covers a number of key principles considered essential for a CMS including:
- integrity;
- good governance;
- proportionality;
- transparency;
- accountability; and
- sustainability.
In addition to ensuring compliance with legal requirements, the standard is also designed to help organisations meet and exceed the requirements of a range of voluntary standards covering various areas. For this reason, it is designed to be easily implemented within Integrated Management Systems certified to other relevant standards, including ISO 9001:2015 (quality), ISO 14001:2015 (environment) and ISO 45001:2018 (energy). It can also contribute towards certain UN Sustainable Development Goals.
How can you achieve compliance with ISO 37301?
ISO 37301 is a Type A management systems standard. This means certification can be reached by undergoing a conformity assessment through an independent third party. The assessment process is separated into six core areas:
- leadership;
- planning;
- support
- operation;
- performance evaluation; and
- improvement.
There are several requirements which organisations must meet for each of these areas and, as with all ISO certification, they must undergo an ongoing three-year audit process. This provides assurance that standards are maintained over time and that businesses are properly committing to the goal of continual improvement and establishing and maintaining a positive culture of compliance across their organisation.
