Rapid has announced that it has achieved two major international certification standards: ISO 45001 and ISO 14001, certified by the global certification body BM Trada.
These two new accreditations reflects the company’s commitment to Quality, with an integrated management system that now includes these two standards as well as ISO 9001:2015, which Rapid achieved in 2018, and the Customer Service Excellence standard.
ISO 45001 is an international standard that specifies requirements for an Occupational Health and Safety Management System, enabling organisations to reduce risk and proactively improve safety performance in preventing accidents, injury and ill-health for employees within their working environment.
ISO 14001 provides organisations with an Environmental Management System that enhances the environmental sustainability of business processes, products and services and meets the needs of customers and stakeholders.
To achieve each new accreditation Rapid implemented an extensive review of its processes and activities and introduced changes which will have benefits throughout the organisation and for customers and stakeholders. For example, in its assessment for ISO 45001 the company's Technical Department introduced a programme of checks and inspections for safety critical systems and processes. To support its product testing and inspection activities it also launched a testing laboratory and created the position of lab technician to consistently monitor product quality.
For ISO 14001 the company is engaged in a project to reduce the number of boxes it uses, as well as exploring alternative recyclable materials to use as packaging filler and to reduce the usage of non-recyclable plastics such as standard tapes.
Managing Director James Bates said: “To have achieved just one of these standards would be a significant milestone for Rapid. To have gained both ISO 45001 and ISO 14001 in the same year demonstrates the potential we have within the business, and the strength of our commitment to Quality Management”.
“These are very important standards as they demonstrate to our staff, customers and suppliers of our commitment to continuous improvement and that we take health and safety and environmental standards incredibly seriously. We are grateful to BM Trada for guiding us through the certification process and to all our employees for their huge commitment to the changes that we have implemented”.
