What is included in “work environment” and what do we need to do to manage it?

You must provide the physical resources needed to fulfill customer requirements. How does your work environment affect product quality? Think about temperature, cleanliness, humidity, layout of equipment, vibration, static, light, noise and any other factors that impact the product or the ability of employees to produce conforming product.

Some work environment issues will overlap with preservation of product. For example, temperature controls or ESD procedures. These can be covered in another procedure, as long as they are taken care of.

Resource Management

The Resource Management requirement encompasses:

Human Resources

Facilities and equipment

The manufacturing or service environment

Your organization needs to be asking whether these resources are sufficient to create quality products or service and customer satisfaction? Auditors will be looking to see if the lack of these resources is at the root cause of nonconformances. You should consider these resources or insufficient resources as a potential cause of nonconformances. As internal audits or your corrective action system identify problems with resources as a root cause, improvements to the resources are necessary. Providing adequate resources is a core element of your QMS.

Human Resources

In addition to employees being trained for a job, the effectiveness of that training must be measured, the criteria for competence determined. The employee must be aware of the relevance and importance of their activities and how they contribute to the achievement of the quality objectives. Can you tell an auditor what the competency requirements are for a specific position? Are you then able to show the auditor that employees in that position have met those requirements and been effectively trained as required?

Facilities and Equipment

Auditors will evaluate the buildings, workspace, equipment, and supporting services to determine if they contribute to nonconformances. Issues would be identified in this area if it is evident that the inadequate provision of resources is at the root cause of QMS nonconformances.

Work Environment

Environmental factors have a direct impact on product or service quality. Factors such as cleanliness, temperature, ergonomics, or lighting can all affect quality or cause nonconformances. Auditors will consider environmental issues, and may determine that inadequate control of the working environment is the root cause of a QMS nonconformance.

ISO 9001:2000 Implementation Resources and Assistance

The The 9000 Store is here to help you create a QMS to meet the requirements of ISO 9001:2000. Project managers don't need to do it alone; our documents outline tried and proven Quality Processes to address the requirements of the standard. Our experts answer your questions by email as you tailor these processes to your organization, creating your own unique Quality Management System. We provide the tools you need to train your employees efficiently and effectively. Visit our store today to see how we can help you make your project a simple success!