AN EFFORT TO INTEGRATE THREE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS STANDARDS

AN EFFORT TO INTEGRATE THREE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS STANDARDS
‘QuEnHeSa’ model – A private reference document

QW (UK) – March 2011 issue discussed the debate around joined up systems – Let’s get integrated? In the editorial (QW, UK, March 2011) Helen Stokes says, “If you ask a lay person what integrated management means, they are likely either to shrug their shoulders or to guess that it means ‘joined up’ management where all aspects of the business are considered holistically by the management team. Within quality, it could be argued that a majority of professionals would identify the practice of achieving triple certification to the management systems standards, ISO 9001 for quality, ISO 14001 for environment and OHSAS 18001 for occupational health and safety, as integrated management. Some would argue that other management systems standards, for business community, energy management or information security, might also form part of a certified integrated management system. Others still would argue that there is a clear distinction between the terms ‘integrated management’ and ‘integrated management systems’ and certification need not be final objective for all organizations.

Galina Robertsone (Quality Coordinator, Volvo Trucks, Latvia) rightly opined in her article ‘Integration is the future,’ and says, “Today’s era of globalization, coupled with the constantly increasing demands of customers and changes in environmental legislation, all point to the need to combine the requirements of what are currently separate management systems for quality, environment, health and safety, risk and so on, into a single integrated system instead. She also says, “There are a number of different approaches to the integration of separate management systems, which can be certified to ISO 9001 for quality management, ISO 14001 for environment management and other standards such as OHSAS 18001 for occupational health and safety, and ISO 27001 for information security management. ISO has worked to make such standards more compatible, so that it is now easier to devise an integrated system to comply with several of these standards, but at the same time there is still scope for discussion on how to apply integration. There is no ISO standard for integrated systems, although several countries such as the UL (PAS 99), Spain, France, Belgium and Denmark have developed their own national guidelines.” (QW, UK, March 2011).

It is true that there is no ISO standard for integrated management systems. However, ISO is revising its auditing guidelines ISO 19011 standard for integrated auditing, which clearly indicate the future of integrating management systems standards.

In India, one academician and one management system professional jointly started their effort to develop a model to integrate three management systems standards into a single document as ‘QuEnHeSa’ model for integrated management systems integrating quality, environmental and occupational health and safety management systems as a private reference document.


The purpose of QuEnHeSa Model is to provide a model to follow in setting up and operating integrated management systems (integrating quality, environment, occupational health and safety management systems). This model incorporates the features on which developers of QuEnHeSa model have reached a consensus. It is not the intention of this model to imply uniformity in the structure of the integrated management systems as per QuEnHeSa model or uniformity of documentation.

The QuEnHeSa model can be used by organizations, as a private reference guide, to implement integrated (quality, environmental, occupational health and safety) management systems and to assess the organization’s ability to meet customer, statutory and regulatory requirements applicable to the product, and the organization’s own requirements and also compliance to the requirements of this QuEnHeSa model. During the development of this QuEnHeSa model, following twelve principles have been considered:
• Customer focus,
• Leadership,
• Involvement of people,
• Process approach,
• System approach to management,
• Continual improvement,
• Factual approach to decision making,
• Mutually beneficial supplier relationship,
• Environmental performance,
• Prevention of pollution,
• Health and safety performance,
• Prevention of accidents

The QuEnHeSa model promotes the adoption of process approach while developing, implementing and improving the effectiveness of the integrated management systems based on this QuEnHeSa model. An organization has to determine and manage numerous linked activities. The process approach of QuEnHeSa model promotes the “Plan-Do-Check-Act” methodology. Sustainable performance in implementing QuEnHeSa model is achieved through commitment, planning, implementation, monitoring, measurement and continual improvement. The QuEnHeSa model requirements are organized into eight elements (in clauses 4 to 11). Organizations implementing QuEnHeSa model must demonstrate their commitment for continual improvement of the performance and effectiveness of the integrated management Systems.

The following standards have been taken into consideration during the development of the QuEnHeSa model:

- ISO 14001
- OHSAS 18001
- ISO 9001

The QuEnHeSa model is compatible with OHSAS 18001:2007, ISO 14001:2004 EMS, and ISO 9001:2008 QMS Standards. Organizations wishing to implement integrated management systems will find this QuEnHeSa model document as useful document.

QuEnHeSa model development journey started in June 2010, when Dr. Divya Singhal and Keshav Ram Singhal started their efforts to develop a model to integrate quality, environmental and occupational health and safety management systems. The developers issued the first draft of the model in September 2010. The copy of the first draft of the model was sent to hundreds of professionals for their comments and suggestions. Many of the professionals appreciated the efforts of the developers through their email and many forwarded their suggestions. The developers issued the second draft and final draft in November 2010 and January 2011 respectively.

Final Draft Informative version of QuEnHeSa model is available free. Persons / organizations interested to get a copy should contact by email to krsinghal@rediffmail.com. Full text of the Final Draft is available on a support contribution of US$ 25 (from organization / person outside India), Rs. 500 (from organization / person within India). Please note that the ‘QuEnHeSa’ model (Final Draft) is private reference document and not intended to be published as a public document.