Quality Insights Volume 3: Focusing on the “New Normal”, ISO 45001, Timber and Paper

Consumers increasingly want only timber and paper products from sustainable woodland. How are the certification schemes the industry uses to ensure only certified products reach the consumer being misused and how is the industry responding?

Countries around the world are responding differently to the economic and social disruption brought about by COVID-19. As some countries alter their employment regulations, how can businesses ensure they do not accidentally benefit from changes that could result in brand damage?

COVID-19 has been financially detrimental to many businesses around the world. As markets begin to reopen, how can businesses ensure the safety of their stakeholders, mitigate against the risk of future disruptions, and reinforce trust in their operations?

By now we have all discovered the harsh reality that no one, or industry, is immune to the effects that COVID-19 has had on the world. Perhaps no industry has faced these daunting challenges quite like the ones currently being realized in the travel industry, specifically in the global aviation community. The aviation industry finished 2019 with one of the strongest performance years on record. Profits were soaring at airlines, business aircraft movements were at levels not seen since before the Great Recession and the industry was worried about the impending pilot shortage along with how quickly Boeing would be able to get the Max back in the air, due to increasing passenger demand. Then came COVID-19, a virus that was rapidly spreading across the world and the only known way to slow its spread was to limit travel. With the flip of a switch on March 16th, passenger numbers in North America dropped as much as 95%, airlines were closing, there was no longer a pilot shortage and the airlines were comfortable with Boeing taking their time on the Max project as passenger demand evaporated overnight. A stark contrast from exactly 1 year ago.

The COVID-19 pandemic has refocused attention on the importance of implementing and maintaining good health and safety processes. How can ISO 45001 help organizations to realize an effective occupational health and safety (OH&S) management system, and the impact COVID-19 has had on its implementation.

As global manufacturing begins to adapt to the ‘next normal’, how can supply chain management systems be utilized more effectively to respond to the changing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Peter Linders, chair of ISO/TC 210, stated at the time of the release of ISO 14971:2019, that it was the manufacturer’s responsibility to reduce the risks associated with medical devices. How can a systematic approach help manufacturers reduce risk during production?