Ransomes Jacobsen Ltd, the Ipswich-based turf maintenance equipment manufacturer, has achieved combined accreditation for ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and BS OHSAS 18001 from the leading accreditation body Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance (LRQA). They are one of the first companies in the UK to receive a single certificate for all three accreditations at one time and the first in the turf care sector.
Certificate of renewal audits are undertaken every three years and it was agreed with LRQA that by bringing the BS OHSAS 18001:2007 audit forward 18 months and delaying the ISO 9001 by three months, all three standards could be aligned.
Andrew Baxter, Ransomes Jacobsen’s environmental health & safety facilitator, explains what it means for the company, “The three standards relate to Quality (9001), Environmental Management (14001) and Occupational Health & Safety (18001) and by combining all three within a single audit period it will ensure that we have a process of continual improvement across all areas of our business.
“It’s a live system and one of the main advantages is that it keeps everyone in the organisation really focussed on these crucial elements. These three standards are the basis of our fully integrated management system.
“Some companies might feel that maintaining these standards puts a burden on the organisation, but we can prove significant savings in many areas. In 2007 we reduced our energy consumption by 1.5 million kW and that was a further reduction on the 1 million kW we saved in the previous year.
“By introducing a new paint pre-treatment process we not only saved energy, but also reduced our water usage by 1,000 litres every hour. We’ve put a new, energy efficient roof on our warehouse, which will reap further energy saving benefits next year and with regard to H&S we have introduced scissor lifts and other manual handling aids to help move equipment and machinery.”
Ransomes Jacobsen www.ransomesjacobsen.com