Nobody likes picking up a fine. It’s bad enough when you are aware of the legal requirement. A speeding ticket while on holiday in France recently brought this home very clearly. Especially as I was only doing 5 kph over the limit! Damn those speed cameras – Vive les Gilets jaunes!!
Now, imagine you thought you were complying with the relevant law only to find you weren’t. You get a significant fine and discover that the only requirement for compliance was to register online. And, guess what, the registration is free!!!!
It has become apparent recently that many businesses we speak to don’t have a clear understanding of how the law applies to their organisation. Unfortunately, the Law is not optional, although driving around the country might lead you to think otherwise! Add to this the fact that ignorance is no defence and you get the idea this can be a real issue.
You have responsibility for a business, so now you need to comply with all sorts of laws.
The ISO Approach and the Law
The suite of ISO standards that follow the Annex SL approach (ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, ISO 27001:2013 and ISO 45001:2018) all make some reference to compliance with Statutory and Regulatory requirements. Two of the standards, ISO 14001:2015 (Environmental standard) and ISO 45001:2018 (Health and Safety standard) actually require an understanding of Compliance Obligations and also an Evaluation of Compliance.
Which Standard should you choose though? A potentially obvious decision would be to embrace the requirements of all of them and create a process to gather legal information and evaluate compliance. Rather than just having a Quality Management System (QMS), or an Information Security Management System (ISMS), your system develops into a Business Management System (BMS). The fact you aren’t certified to all the standards is irrelevant. As a responsible business owner/manager you need to develop a strategy to ensure the sustainability of the organisation.
The team at P+P has a wealth of experience in all ISO standards. We can assist you in creating business frameworks to suit your needs. In addition, we have a range of associates who can be called upon to ensure all aspects of business governance are managed.
Why not give us a call on 01284 330400 to arrange a free initial consultation to find out how your business can keep up with all those complex rules and regulations.
We work with small to medium size businesses across the East Anglia Region. We cover Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire.
Norwich, Norfolk; Ipswich, Suffolk; Cambridge; Colchester and Chelmsford, Essex