We explain what the ISO quality control standards are and what they are for. Also, its history and which are the most important.
What are ISO standards?
ISO standards are a set of regulations and provisions of universal application, which aim to guarantee minimum conditions of quality, delivery times and levels of service in different types of Business and organizations.
These standards, the most recent version of which is the ISO 9000 family, are a set of standards for QA and of quality management. They were developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO for its acronym in English: International Standardization Organization).
These standards are applicable to different types of organizations, and they are granted a set of certifications if they meet the levels of demand established in said standards.There are certification entities that define compliance or not with ISO standards, carry out audits to provide the corresponding certificate or make requirements prior to its granting.
ISO standards were born together with ISO in 1947, from previous attempts at standardization such as the ISA and the UNSCC. Since then 19,500 ISO standards have been created to cover virtually every aspect of manufacturing and technology, through a process constant review and updates leading up to today.
What are ISO standards for?
Organizations that comply with the provisions of ISO standards will have a certification that endorses them against their customers, granted by the entities that administer the normalization or standardization of the processes Worldwide.
Having the ISO certificate is synonymous of a minimum operational excellence for international standards in the area to which the organization is dedicated. On the other hand, ISO standards seek to create a minimum framework of requirement and organizational endorsement through the creation of an ISO method that is internationally valid.
What are the most important ISO standards?
Each ISO standard has to do with specific aspects and specific topics. The most widely used ISO standards in the world are:
- ISO 9000. Dedicated to the standardization of production and through the application of a controlled method, ISO guarantees the quality of what is produced, also allowing the same criteria to be used in different countries to evaluate said quality.
- ISO 14000. It is aimed at environmental management and caring for the environment, that is, to achieve a production with the lowest ecological impact possible.
- ISO 18000. It is focused on the regulation of occupational safety aspects and safety systems Health for different areas of work, thus reducing accidents and putting the integrity of employee.
- ISO 22000. It is a safety standard in the production of food, which guarantees its adequate preservation and its non-biological or chemical contamination. Following their standards, the consumer you would have to receive the food you eat correctly.
- ISO 31000. It is intended for the Risk management of organizations from a general perspective: it is impossible to detail how to handle each risk concrete, since this depends to a large extent on the particular organization, but it is possible to design global strategies for the management of occupational risks.
- ISO 28000. It is focused on the chain of distribution of the products already elaborated and standardizes the procedures for this, minimizing the risks of the transport chain.
- ISO 26000. This standard provides the minimum essential social responsibility standards for any form of business or productive organization.