The scope of the scheme currently covers suppliers of surgical equipment and instruments, such as scissors, footwear, clothing, to name but a few. Although the scope of the scheme is limited, NHS SC are looking to expand compliance to other areas within the supply chain portfolio.

There are four levels of LSAS Maturity which are; Level 1* (Foundation), Level 2 (Implementation), Level 3 (Established) and Level 4 (Progressive)

*Suppliers must be audited to Level 1 as a minimum before NHS Trusts can purchase supplies through NHS SC.

In order to be approved to conduct these audits a certification body needs to be accredited by Social Accountability Accreditation Services (SAAS) against the requirements of SA 8000, Social Accountability Systems. QIC are one of only a very small number of certification bodies authorised to carry out audits against the NHS Direct Labour Standards Assurance System, commonly known as LSAS.

The approach taken by competent QIC lead auditors is one of working with clients in order to achieve objectives. This approach is quite different from other accredited management system schemes where the lead auditor is not allowed to be involved in the design of the corrective action.

For organisations who already hold an accredited certificate for another management system standard and where the requirements of LSAS have been integrated within the other management system(s) then it may be possible to make a discount on fee levels.

Should you wish to receive any additional information on the LSAS scheme or have a visit from one of our competent lead auditors please contact us by phone on 0845 548 9001 or by email at enquiry@gcl-intl.com

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The construction industry is important to most Economies, take the UK with over 60 million adults of working age nearly 4% work in an industry that is dependent on the construction industry remaining strong. For instance, banking, because of mortgages, technology such as the Internet or telecoms, all require that the industry continue to grow.

If a country is not building the economy will and cannot move forward, even countries with vast wealth generated for minerals such as oil or gold require construction workers to continue exploration or their economies would simple shut down and stop growing.

In order to respond the market needs, GLOBALGROUP has recently developed and launched a new service for grading of Construction Companies in terms of a Construction Management Excellence Scheme.

Under this Construction Management Excellence Scheme, there is a self assessment checklist which allow companies to evaluate themselves and be prepared for final QIC evaluation. The grading would be 5 Star, 4 Star, 3 Star and 2 Star. QIC has started to promote this new scheme around the globe and is ready to carry out this task effectively.

Are there any Pre-Requisite Requirements?

There are some pre-requisite requirements for this scheme. The construction company should hold the following certification: ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001. For certain countries a social accountability approval may also be required. The approvals do not need to be held with QIC.

What are the Benefits of the Scheme?

This service will help construction project owners/clients to find trustable construction companies in different levels.

This service will help the graded construction companies to have more clients and improve their business easily.

Who can apply?

This service is applicable for a wide range of construction companies including:

Civil Engineering, Mechanical, Installation, Electrical and all construction companies involved in Building Construction and Heavy Construction.

What are the Next Steps?

For any construction company interested in this scheme should, in the first instance send an email to enquiry@gcl-intl.com and use “Construction Management Excellence Scheme” in the Subject Line.

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Within this blog I am only dealing with LSAS Level 1 Foundation requirements as these are the starting point and a requirement for suppliers within scope of supply to achieve at least LSAS Level 1 within 12 months of the contract award date.

In general LSAS Level 1, the Foundation level is about having a basic framework in place which deals with Labour Standards issues within the supply chain.

LSAS Level 1, Section 1, Policy – That the company have a policy in place which is documented, approved by “top” management and is appropriate to the size and scale of the company. Has a commitment for addressing compliance with legal and other standards. Defines a set of minimum labour standards and makes a commitment to continual improvement. Some of these requirements are similar to what you would find within other management system standards such as ISO 9001, however, instead of being aimed at product/service it is aimed at the workers within the supply chain. As with many management system standard the key is commitment so in order to demonstrate this commitment it would be normal for the policy to be endorsed by top management.

LSAS Level 1, Section 2, Management Representative – Again, the requirements of this section are very similar to those within ISO 9001 for example, whereby top management should appoint a representative who has responsibility and authority to establish, implement and maintain an effective labour standard assurance management system and report the results in terms of performance back to top management. A way of complying with this section would be to have an organisation chart identifying the management representative as well as a job description defining stating the responsibilities and authority level. This is just one suggestion there are other ways of meeting this requirement.

LSAS Level 1, Section 3, Labour Standards Status Review – This section requires the company to have conducted a risk assessment in relation to labour standards. The risk assessment should be reviewed to ensure it has addressed all labour standards risks within the scope of supply.

LSAS Level 1, Section 4, Legal & Other Requirements – The company should implemented a procedure which identifies information on relevant employment and human rights legislation in regard to its direct operations. All staff should have access to this information and understand how it applies in relation to their roles and responsibilities. For companies with more than one location the use of an intranet would be an effective way of communication as well as a centralised control on updates.

LSAS Level 1, Section 5, Objectives, Targets & Programmes – The company should establish, implement and maintain “documented” objectives and targets related to the assurance of labour standards. The objectives should be achievable and have targets for implementation.

LSAS Level 1, Section 6, Roles & Responsibilities – The roles, responsibilities and authorities should be documented and communicated in order to facilitate effective management of labour standards within the company’s direct operations and through its supply chain.

LSAS Level 1, Section 7, Competence, Training & Awareness – This section requires the company to ensure that training, experience and personnel criteria for those working within labour standards have been defined. Also that training and development plans have been created, where applicable. It is worth while noting the order in which the words appear in this section heading. Competence first, then Training and lastly Awareness.

LSAS Level 1, Section 8, Communications – There should be an effective system in place to communicate labour standards findings and issues to top management. Each company should chose a system that fits within the resources and technology that is available to them.

LSAS Level 1, Section 10, Operational Control – The company should identify the critical control points and risks associated to labour standards within its “direct” operations.

LSAS Level 1, Section 11, Supply Chain Management – There are a number of requirements within this section even for Level 1. There should be a “documented procedure” in place to address the management of supply chain labour standards risks and issues. The supply chain should be mapped and it should be clear the level it has been mapped to. Whether the policy of labour standards has been communicated to directly contracted suppliers and contractors.

LSAS Level 1, Section 12, Emergency Response – The company should have a basic plans in place to mitigate against adverse impacts in the event that significant labour standards risks manifest themselves. This would be in the form of a documented procedure for handling any significant risks or critical issues that may come to light.

LSAS Level 1, Section 15, Management Review – The company top management should review the organisation’s labour standards assurance system and performance, at planned intervals, to ensure continuing suitability, adequacy and effectiveness. This is almost the same as the requirements for management review within ISO 9001 with the exception of the words, “labour assurance.” A company who already has a quality management system, environmental management system and/or health and safety management system could quite easily integrate the requirements of the labour standards into other management reviews.

For LSAS Level 1, there are no requirements for Documentation & Records (Section 9), Performance Monitoring & Measurement (Section 13) and Corrective Action (Section 14).

For any company that thinking of starting or has started and would like some information or assistance on the interpretation of the requirements of LSAS Level 1, or any level then you can send an email directly to us at enquiry@gcl-intl.com or create a posting through our Facebook Site www.gcl-intl.com/facebook or Twitter www.gcl-intl.com/twitter

Other Sources of information:
http://www.supplychain.nhs.uk/suppliers/code-of-conduct/

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Final inspection under the Lift Regulations Schedule 6 is a procedure whereby the installer of the lift who places it on the market has to satisfy the requirements of the Directive. The installer of the lift has to affix a CE mark on each lift and draw up an EC declaration which confirms conformity with the Lift Regulations Schedule 6 and that all essential health and safety requirements have been met.

The inspection under the Lift Regulations Schedule 6 is a one-off inspection unlike for Schedules 12 and 13 whereby monitoring is carried out under a system of surveillance. The Lift Regulations Schedule 6 requires that the following test/inspections are carried out:

1) Examination of the documentation to check that the lift conforms with the representative model lift.

2) Operation of the lift both empty and at maximum load to ensure correct installation and operation of the safety devices (end stops, locking devices, etc.).

3) Operation of the lift at both maximum load and empty to ensure the correct functioning of the safety devices in the event of loss of power.

4) A static test with a load equal to 1.25 times the nominal load.

A lift installer who would like to apply for approval under the Lift Regulations Schedule 6 should in the first instance make an application to QIC. The next stage would be the for the following documents to be reviewed:

1) The drawing of the complete lift (GA).

2) The circuit control diagrams.

3) A copy of the lift operation manual.

Upon successful completion of all tests and a check that all documentation is in place QIC shall issue a final inspection certificate detailing the test carried out which shall then allow the installer of the lift to affix the CE mark and use QIC’s notified body number adjacent to the CE mark.

For any queries or questions about the Lift Regulations Schedule 6 should be directed in the first instance by email to enquiry@gcl-intl.com

In order to apply for a Lift Regulations Schedule 6 inspection please click on this link https://www.gcl.uk/services/inspections-and-factory-audits/lifts-directive-95-16-ec/

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There is no contractual requirement at present to go beyond LSAS Level 2, however, should a company decide to progress to level 3 or level 4 then this would be a demonstration that they have a robust system for managing labour standards in line with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions.

The additional requirements and questions to think about, on top of the LSAS Level 1 requirements are as follows:

LSAS Level 2 –  Clause 1 (Policy) – Communication of the labour standards policy both internally and externally, in effect is it publicly available? Reviews against business objective and records to support this. Acknowledgment of receipt from suppliers. The policy to be a formal part of the documentation control system in terms of review, approval and updates.

LSAS Level 2 –  Clause 2 (Management Representative) – Training and experience the management representative has for this role. Minutes and other evidence of activity to demonstrate involvement and whether or not this is a dedicated role. Is does not have to be dedicated, especially for small companies the management representative would normally wear another “hat.”

LSAS Level 2 –  Clause 3 (Labour Standards Status Review) – Have desktop reviews taken place on supplier performance? How has the frequency of reviews been determined, for example has it been from the risk assessment that would have been formulated at Level 1? Have the audits been conducted by qualified and experienced auditors?

LSAS Level 2 – Clause 4 (Legal & Other Requirements) – Who has access to the information on legislation relating to Labour Standards, Contractors, Subcontractors and Suppliers?

LSAS Level 2 – Clause 5 (Objectives, Targets & Programmes) – Is there a plan of action in place and has it been  communicated internally and to all interested parties? Has the plan been discussed with the “facilities?”

LSAS Level 2 – Clause 6 (Roles & Responsibilities) – Is there a defined organisation structure relative to Labour Standards as well as defined roles and responsibilities?

LSAS Level 2, Clause 7 (Competence, Training & Awareness) – Has competence been assessed for personnel and training and development needs identified who are directly employed or working on behalf of the organisation in areas where there is contact with Labour Standards issues? Is evidence available to support the assessments?

LSAS Level 2, Clause 8 (Communications) – A procedure is required for this level which addressed internal communications and external communications with interested parties that deals with receipt, response and actions involved to deal with Labour Standards issues.

LSAS Level 2, Clause 9 (Documentation & Records) – There are no requirements within this clause for Level 1. For Level 2 the requirement is to have documents and records to demonstrate conformity with all clauses.

LSAS Level 2, Clause 10 (Operational Control) – The difference between Level 1 and Level 2 for this clause is that procedures are now required for operational control. What will be looked at here is whether the findings of the risk assessment as required at Level 1, under Clause 3 (Labour Standards Review) has been used.

LSAS Level 2, Clause 11 (Supply Chain Management) – This clause for Level 2 has the most additional requirements from those required for Level 1. Evidence that the policy has been communicated “beyond” directly contracted suppliers in the supply chain? Does the supply chain map as required for Level 1 identified Labour Standards risks “beyond” contracted supply, e.g. sub-suppliers, homeworkers, etc? In addition to communication of the policy how does the organisation know id the policy has been understood and the expectations that go with it? Does the organisation’s procedure address what should take place in instances where Labour Standards abuses have been identified within the supply chain?

LSAS Level 2, Clause 12 (Emergency Response) – The Organisation should have documented mitigation action plans in place that relate to significant Labour Standards risks as identified through the risk assessment as required by Level 1, Clause 3 (Labour Standards Review) or by other means. There should be evidence of review to ensure that the mitigation plans are robust, based upon findings and changing circumstances.

LSAS Level 2, Clause 13 (Performance Monitoring & Measurement) – There are no requirements within this clause for Level 1. For Level 2, has the company identified and defined data and performance indicators to monitor and measure performance against its stated objectives and targets, compliance with relevant legislation and any other requirements. Is there a process of internal audits to check conformance with planned arrangements that address critical control points and significant supply chain risks. Although as stated above there was no requirement for this clause at Level 1, this should have been partly addressed by Clause 3 (Labour Standards Review) and the risk assessment.

LSAS Level 2, Clause 14 (Corrective Action – There are no requirements within this clause for Level 1. For Level 2 a procedure is required and needs to address the identification, recording of non-conformities and potential non-conformities. That corrective actions as well as time scales for implementation are agreed and effectively implemented. That corrective and preventive actions are taken and reviewed and that root cause analysis has been undertaken. The requirements of Level 2 for this clause are almost the same as those defined within ISO 9001:2008.

LSAS Level 2, Clause 15 (Management Review) – This is one of the most important activities of any management system and often it is the weakest. For Level 1 there was only a requirement for policies, etc to be formally approved. For this Level there needs to be evidence that top management have reviewed the organisation’s labour standards assurance system at planned intervals to ensure its continuing suitability, adequacy and effectiveness. Records of such reviews would need to be available for the auditor(s).

The original time to achieve LSAS Level 1 was extended, however, the time scale of 18 months from the launch of the framework agreement remain unchanged, therefore, some organisations may not have that long to achieve LSAS Level 2. To assist with this QIC shall be running a series of training courses and workshops throughout 2014. The dates will be published through the web site, www.gcl-intl.com in due course. Anyone interested in attending a training course or workshop on LSAS Level 2 should in the first instance send an email to enquiry@gcl-intl.com

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Under UKAS accreditation globalgroup are required to communicate with current clients and interested parties information about the official transition policy and procedures. This has been achieved by direct broadcast emails to clients, updates at routine visits and re-assessments and through social media channels such as this Blog, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

In terms of costs, should any client transition to ISO 9001:2015 through their normal surveillance cycle then there will be no additional costs, other than for a minimal cost for a new certificate.

As an Accredited Certification Body globalgroup are not permitted to offer consultancy services where we have accreditation for a management system standard. However, we are permitted to run public training courses and as such a new e-learning platform has been launched which currently has courses for Risk Management and ISO 9001:2015. Currently, these courses have been designed at an Advanced Level, other courses shall follow shortly  for intermediate and foundation level. By the end of the second quarter of 2016 there will be other courses such as GMP and HACCP available within the platform as well. QIC shall also be offering public training courses which are classroom based for ISO 9001:2015.

For any additional questions or queries please email enquiry@gcl-intl.com

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The Modern Slavery Act 2015 aims to “prevent” all forms of labour exploitation and increase transparency of labour practices throughout supply chains. Current figures show that almost 19 million victims are exploited by private individuals or enterprises and approximately 14.2 million are victims of forced labour exploitation in economic activities. It is estimated that forced labour generates some US$150 billion in illegal profits per year. The areas most affected are:

• Domestic Workers
• Agricultural Workers
• Construction Workers
• Workers within Manufacturing
• Workers within the Entertainment Industry

Migrant workers and indigenous people are particularly vulnerable to forced labour. According to the International Labour Organisation ILO), almost 36 million people worldwide or 0.5% of the world’s population live in modern slavery. According to NHS, slavery and human trafficking remains high on the agenda for government and businesses a year after the Modern Slavery Act was introduced.

The Modern Slavery Act 2015 applies to any type of  organisation or industry in the UK whose annualised sales turnover is at the level of £36,000,000 and above.

QIC can assist organisations in meeting the requirements of the Modern Slavery Act as we have developed an on-line platform which can be used by organisations who have been captured by the Modern Slavery Act due to the annualised sales turnover in monitoring suppliers through review of reports and the follow-up of any issues raised during audits. For the audits themselves we have developed our own Code of Conduct (CoC) which is based on the fundamentals of Human Rights and synchronises with the on-line platform to ensure that reports and any issues raised during audits are reported in a controlled and efficient manner.

The on-line platform can also be used in conjunction with Organisations own Codes of Conduct as well as the one designed by QIC.

The most important aspect about the QIC on-line platform unlike other schemes is that is it free of charge to use by any organisation that has signed up with QIC for conducting supply chain audits. There are also no “Membership” fees.

The benefits of engaging QIC to assist with compliance to the Modern Slavery Act 2015 are:

• QIC has over 500 competent auditors within the field of auditing of Social Accountability Management Systems.
• Application and Web Based Reporting to ensure consistency and efficiency.
• All globalgroup auditors assigned will have attended and passed a Social Accountability (SAI) accredited 5 Day Basic and 3 Day Advanced Training Course as well as an advanced course on Risk management, structured on ISO 31000.
• All globalgroup auditors are witnessed in the field initially and on an on-going basis.

For more details about how QIC can assist organisations in meeting the requirements of the Modern Slavery Act please call our Edinburgh office on 0131 535 1071 and ask for Alan Cherry or send an email to us.

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During 2015 work started on the a standard for Ethical Labour (ELS) was launched by the Building Research Establishment (BRE). BRE is a world leading building science centre enabling the government and clients from the private sector to meet the challenges by means of delivering higher performing, quality, safer, more secure, and more sustainable product homes, buildings and communities. The ELS aims to provide a framework to organisations to ensure that the whole system and all its processes demonstrates conformity in relation to Modern Slavery Act. It also aims to improve their ethical labour sourcing practices in the whole supply chain. As Dr Shamir Ghumra, BRE said it is recognised that there is a need to strengthen some of that work (ELS) and since then the Modern Slavery Act has come out. It’s not just about how to comply with the act but looking at ethical labour issues as a whole.

Modern Slavery and Ethical Labour in Construction Leadership Symposium

On the 10th November 2016, a symposium about the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and its implications to the construction sector will be delivered by BRE at the House of Commons in London. The law brings a challenging impact and presents risk for organisations, and to all people in the sector as well, since everyone is involved in exerting collective effort to ensure that modern slavery, problems on forced labour or human trafficking and labour ethics is eradicated in the supply chain.

As one of the very first few stakeholders that engaged and supported the development of the Ethical Labour Standard, QIC is proud to be the major sponsor of this big event that is partnership with Sustain Worldwide . The symposium at the House of Commons is the sector’s forum to discuss and debate the law’s requirements, implications, challenges, risks, responses and opportunities.

Some of the speakers and key presenters on various topics include Dr Shamir Ghumra of BRE (Ethical Labour Standard: The Verification of Continuous Improvement), David Camp of Stronger Together (The Need to Map Your Labour Supply Chain and Apply Due Diligence), Neil Wilkins of Institute for Human Rights and Business (Migrant Workers and Responsible Recruitment), and Mark Heath of GLA (The Emerging Trends of Labour Exploitation in the UK.
For a better understanding of MSA’s impact to organisations, you can watch the video below. This short animation from BRE website was funded by Responsible Solutions and BRE with the intention of raising awareness to the construction industry knowing that modern slavery has the potential to exist in any project.

We at QIC have been consistent in ensuring that ethical standard is being practised in all of our business transaction and services, hence we did not think twice in sponsoring this major event. As a matter of fact, we have been building our own Code of Conduct audit that will help organisation meet the criteria of the standard even before the MSA was enacted into law in 2015. For more information on our CoC services, you may send us an email at enquiry@gcl-intl.com

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Bribery has been one of the biggest deterrents in the success of any organisation. This destructive and intricate culture within companies contributes to a significant loss in terms of profit and revenues. It also impacts the organisations stability and highly affects the employees’ morale. International institutions have taken measures to combat bribery and corruption through laws and agreements but there should be participation in the organisations’ level to complement these measures and effectively eradicate the problem.

What is Anti-bribery Management System?

According to International Organization for Standardization, the Anti-bribery Management System is designed to instil an anti-bribery culture within an organisation and implement appropriate controls, which will in turn increase the chance of detecting bribery and reduce its incidence in the first place. ISO 37001 gives the requirements and guidance for establishing, implementing, maintaining and improving an anti-bribery management system. The system can be independent of, or integrated into and overall management system.

Where is it applicable?

ISO 37001:2016 can cover government institutions and entities, private sectors, non-profit organisations, state-owned enterprises, small to medium enterprises, non-governmental organisations and businesses from all industry types. The requirements are generic therefore it is applicable to any organisation regardless of type, size of manpower, nature of business, etc.

What are the benefits of ISO 37001?

ISO 37001 will help you improve your controls to combat bribery and corruption within your organisation. By implementing the Anti-bribery Management System, you will be able to identify risk assessment, effectively implement controls on finances and commercial decisions, and instil leadership amongst the personnel and staff. With ISO 37001, the occurrence of bribery and corruption is reduced and stakeholders, suppliers and subcontractors made aware of the good practice.

How can you get ISO 37001:2016 Certification?

ISO 37001 is designed to be integrated into the existing management system, or it can stand on its own depending on the organisation’s preference. It is based on the ISO High Level Structure for management system standards, so it can easily be integrated into other standards such as QMS, EMS or OHSAS.

QIC can help you get certified. We can assess your implementation of measures that will help you reduce or eradicate the risk of bribery wherever it occurs in your processes and system. For more information, you can email us at enquiry@gcl-intl.com and we will be happy to assist you.

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The FSSC Board of Stakeholders has determined that all certified sites shall be audited against version 4.1 starting from January 1, 2018.

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