How Busy Bins Became a Triple-Threat with ISO Certifications in Quality, Environment, and Safety

Proud Announcement 

Wherever you go - I,S,O! 

I-SO happy to see you here today for a special blog of ours. (We will stop with the ISO jokes now) 

If you have never heard of the ISO Accreditations & what these certifications bring, then don't worry.

Not many people have heard of it outside of the business world, but, you may have seen the company you work for mention it, wearing these certifications like a badge of honour, and rightly so!

If you have ever worked towards an ISO certification, you will understand the amount of hard work and dedication that goes into gaining these & we certainly do now. 

It is a very proud moment for us at Busy Bins to announce that we are now ISO certified in standards IS0 9001 (Quality Management), ISO 14001 (Environmental Management), and ISO 45001(Health and Safety Management)

What are ISO Accreditations

ISO stands for International Organisation for Standardisation. Which is a lot of big words but all it is, is an independent, non-governmental organisation that helps to develop international standards. These are one of the leading certification bodies when it comes to management system standards. 

These standards cover a wide range of industries, products, services, and systems, and they are designed to ensure quality management, safety & efficiency for all businesses and industries. 

By being ISO certified & making sure that you meet ISO standard, you are showing to your customers, employees & investors that you care about your products and services and customer satisfaction. 

There are a number of different ISO for various industries. Each ISO number is related to a different ISO management system. You can find the numbers and what they mean below: 

ISO 9001 Certification - Quality Management Systems: Focuses on ensuring that organisations meet customer and regulatory requirements and continually improve their processes.

ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems: Aims to help organisations minimise their environmental impact by establishing an effective environmental management system.

ISO 27001 Information Security Management Systems: Addresses information security risks and helps organizations establish and maintain a robust information security management system.

ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems: Focuses on ensuring a safe and healthy work environment by providing a framework for managing occupational health and safety risks.

There are plenty more ISO certificates and ISO training out there such as: 

ISO 31000 - Risk Management: Provides principles and guidelines for effective risk management in organisations.

ISO 10002 - Quality Management - Customer Satisfaction: Provides guidelines for handling customer complaints within an organisation.

Benefits of ISO Accreditations 

You may be wondering what the benefits of these certificates could really be?

Sure, it may look good on a piece of paper or on your website, but what does it actually bring into your business? 

Well, there are a number of benefits of getting your ISO accreditations...these are:

• Enhanced Credibility & Trust: ISO accreditations allow your customers, stakeholders, and the public to see that you are a company that is committed to meeting international standards. This can add credibility and trustworthiness to your organisation.
• Quality Assurance: You can rest assured knowing that you are following the highest business practices, processes and procedures. An ISO helps you enhance your overall quality performance in your businesses or organizations. This not only gives you recognition but creates more efficient workplaces and ensures the quality standards of your work. 
• Global Recognition: ISO is a internationally recognised standard, once you achieve ISO, businesses worldwide will understand that you are a transparent & legitimate company as you meet the global standards. 
• Legal: The ISO accredited certification body helps you stay in compliance with laws and regulations. This is particularly important in industries with strict regulatory requirements.
• Customer Satisfaction: Your customers will feel more trusted to you as a business if you get certified. By consistently meeting customer requirements and delivering quality products or services, you can build strong customer relationships & your customer base will know that you follow the best practices & ethical practices. 
• Employee Engagement and Morale: You will need your employees involvement and continued efforts to get to ISO standards. This raises a culture of improvement and not standing still. This can contribute to higher employee engagement, morale & management standard. 
• New Business Opportunities: ISO accreditation's may be a requirement for entry into certain countries or markets. Achieving these standards can open up opportunities for you to explore new markets and business opportunities.

What We Had to Do to Achieve Them 

Firstly, it took us 8 years of hard work, blood, sweat, stink and tears to get to this stage to get iso certified.

So, the first step we would have to say is perseverance! 

It is a long journey to becoming ISO certified. 

If you are every wondering how to become the ISO standard and how to achieve this, then wonder no more. 

The journey may slightly differ for your own business, but here are the steps we completed which will hopefully help you achieve your ISO certification. 

1. Identify ISO Standard: Research and decide which recognised ISO standard(s) would be most relevant to your business. From there you can research and apply. Is it going to be ISO 9001 certified (Quality Management), ISO 14001 certified (Environmental Management etc...
2. Analysis: Look at the current processes that you already have in place and then compare them to the ISO standard that you are applying for to identify areas of improvement.
3. Develop a plan: Time to create a plan. Put together a detailed plan outlining your steps and the timeline to complete it. 
4. Documentation: Put together a folder or cabinet full of all the relevant documents that you need. This helps you control and maintain all your documents. 
5. Training & Awareness: If needed, provide training courses to your employees so that they fully understand what is needed for the certification process. 
6. Internal Audit: Conduct an internal audit following the guidelines for the ISO standard that you are trying to achieve. This helps you spot any non - conformity that comes from the audit and makes you aware of what it takes to be compliant. 
7. Improvements: The improvements needed that have arisen from your internal ISO's audit. Set yourself objectives and targets, as the goal is to improve and reach full potential.
8. Review: 
9. ISO Audits: An auditor will get in contact with you to let you know the specific date that they are coming to assess you. This will be done in 2 stages.
10. Stage 1 Assessment: Documents Review - The Auditor will analyse all your documentation that you have put together to help you with achieving ISO certification. This will be done off site. They need to check all the specific requirements are in order to certify that they can move onto the next assessment stage. 
11. Stage 2 Conformity Assessment: Congrats. your documents are looking good, now is time for your on-site interrogation. The auditor will visit your site, so make sure that they are able to access everything and that all your processes are in order. This usually lasts a full day.
12. Decision: Stop biting your nails. It is decision time. The certification body will make a decision based on the audit findings and issues the ISO certificate. If your organisation is compliant, well done, you are now certified to ISO standard. 
13. Certificate: You are now certified to ISO standard. Inform your customers and other interested parties

Cue the confetti!

Getting and keeping an ISO certification takes a lot of hard work, sticking to it, and making sure your company is always getting better. 

You need to keep checking and improving your management system to keep up with the changes in business and ISO rules. 

Is the ISO Accreditation Worth It 

Getting and keeping an ISO accreditation isn't the CHEAPEST but a lot of businesses think the benefits in the long run are worth it. It's not just a piece of paper saying you're good at following rules - it's an investment in your business's good reputation, trustworthiness, and ability to last.

Think of it like your business getting a gold star for meeting customer needs and government rules. The specific advantages can be different depending on your industry, the ISO standard you're going for, and how much your organisation is really into making it happen.

So, is it worth it?

For a bunch of businesses, going for ISO accreditation is a smart move to stand out and do well in the world market. It's like putting your business on the map as a reliable and quality-focused player.

Your customers, stakeholders, and even the planet might just give you a round of applause for it!