The Technical Standard for Food Packaging Manufacturers, developed jointly by the British Retail Consortium and the Institute of Packaging (IoP), sets out certain hygiene and quality requirements for packaging manufacturers supplying the food industry.

The benefits of implementing BRC Global Standard - Packaging

There are a number of benefits arising from the implementation of the BRC Global Standard – Packaging:

§  It could reduce the number of audits by your customers and allow technologists to concentrate on other areas, such as product development, or specific quality issues.

§  It provides a single standard and protocol, allowing evaluation to be carried out by certification bodies who are accredited against the European standard EN45011 (ISO/IEC Guide 65).

§  A single verification, commissioned by the suppler in line with an agreed evaluation frequency, will allow suppliers to report upon their status to those customers recognizing the standard.

Why seek certification to BRC Global Standard - Packaging

The benefits to a company can be identified by the following points:

§  Within the evaluation protocol, there is a requirement for ongoing surveillance and confirmation of follow up of corrective actions on non-conformity.

§  The standard addresses part of the requirements of the suppliers, packers and retailers.

§  As certification bodies are accredited against a European standard, there can be recognition of accredited certification bodies in countries where products are sourced.

How do you start to implement BRC Global Standard – Packaging? What is involved?

The steps to be taken to achieve certification to BRC/IoP are:

§  Obtain a copy of the standard.

§  Put processes in place to conform to the requirements of the standard.

§  Carry out a self-assessment.

§  Document the processes.

§  Prepare for the evaluation and appoint an accredited certification body to carry it out.

§  Undergo the site evaluation.

§  If applicable, carry out a corrective action program for any non-conformances that may have been raised during the evaluation.

Why choose CQC for your audit?

CQC has an enviable record for customer satisfaction for its certification services. A friendly approach and a dislike of bureaucracy have led to unprecedented growth through referrals from contented clients. CQC only employs auditors that have empathy with this approach. They are also carefully allocated by their experience in the industry they are auditing. This results in a practical, meaningful evaluation, carried out in an air of mutual understanding. CQC firmly believes that the evaluation should benefit the organization that requests it, not be an intellectual exercise to ‘please’ the auditor.

CQC goal is to provide independent services that make a difference in people’s lives. Our experts help you operate in more efficient and sustainable ways by streamlining processes, improving quality and productivity, reducing risk, verifying compliance and increasing speed to market. Our core service activities cover all industry sectors and touch the products and services that consumers rely on every day. Here are our goals we want achieve in different fields:

Agriculture and Food

As agricultural goods progress from field to fork they require attention, tracking and integrity. We offer an end-to-end supply chain range of services that reduce risk, ensure quality and improve productivity. We help ensure the integrity of the food chain by managing crops, enhancing seed development, conducting soil testing and harvesting, moving products through the supply chain and managing trade inspection at export and import.

Automotive

We help every player in the automotive industry improve performance and reduce risk. Our services focus on the design, construction and operation of motor vehicle inspection solutions. manufacturers and financing and insurance companies, as well as consumers, rely on our independent, accurate and secure solutions to limit damages and increase automotive safety.

Chemical

As chemical use in consumer products continues to grow, health hazards, particularly for children’s products, are a constant industry focus. We help to alleviate your concerns by offering a range of laboratory services to test the safety of your goods and help control chemical use according to the tolerance levels in place for your industry.

Construction

Behind every engineering feat there is an idea, a design and a construction project. When a project is conceived, we can help make the plans a reality by ensuring processes run efficiently, construction sites are safe and reliable materials are used.

Consumer Goods and Retail

From textiles to appliances, furniture, food and electronics, our complete range of services facilitates the quality, compliance, and safety of consumer products across supply chains. We ensure that no important detail has been overlooked in the journey of your product from concept to market.

Energy

Our energy services focus on two key elements: meeting the demands in the industry for renewable energy and technologies that enable the capture and transfer of energy from sources such as wind, solar and tides; and the modernization of conventional power plants and new constructions that adhere to strict regulations. Our expertise in the sector will guide you through every aspect, ensuring that regulations are met, safety is considered at every stage and environmental impact is limited.

Finance

We offer independent advice on a range of areas relating to project finance services to help organizations ensure that they have the right advice on lending, risk management, trade, audit certification and verification, and finance training to support their project finance decisions to focus on sustainability, social and environmental risk assessment and management.

Industrial Manufacturing

Our team of engineers supports the integrity, safety and reliability of your activities, equipment and operations with creative technical solutions. We advise on growth strategy execution and market best practice for industrial manufacturing and trade, conducting testing and conformity assessments to ensure that processes and projects meet all quality and performance requirements and minimize the environmental impact of industry.

Life Sciences

Our Life Science Services provide analytical, bio analytical and clinical trial testing capabilities, along with process management, that enable pharmaceuticals to swiftly reach those that need them with minimal cost and maximum safety. We partner with the pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device and healthcare-related industries to provide a wide range of essential services.

Logistics

We help you find innovative solutions to help develop and grow your business by finding ways to make your processes work better, easier, faster or more profitably. Our experts examine the operation of the interconnected processes that play a vital role in your product’s production. By using various tools and technologies we can help to streamline operations and improve operating efficiencies supported by specialist logistical advice.

Mining

Our expertise in mining places us at the forefront of the industry. Whether you need technical advice on steel manufacturing processes, a strategic partnership in coal and coke trading or guidance on risk reduction, maximizing profits or improving efficiencies in precious or base metal mining or extraction, we are readily available with a service.

Oil and Gas

Our robust technology, knowledge-based approach and dedication to quality and safety allow us to provide innovative solutions to every part of the oil and gas industry. Our services throughout both the upstream and downstream sectors enrich each stage of the value chain and impact on everything from transport fuel and heating products to plastics, fertilizers and pharmaceuticals.

Public Sector

Our portfolio of innovative services for governments, institutions and partner organizations across the public and private sectors covers a variety of verification and technology based solutions. We assess compliance with regulatory requirements, enhance government revenue, facilitate trade, support efficiency and promote good governance along with sustainable development.

Environment

To help you enhance your environmental reputation, manage risk and increase business efficiency, our team of experts offers guidance in everything from complying with environmental regulations to assessing environmental performance. We support you with state-of-the-art laboratory analyses, knowledgeable consultants, and a comprehensive range of specialized environmental and climate change services.

Health and Safety

We make your working environment as safe as possible by carefully performing risk assessments and executing preventative measures. Through a range of international standards, we ensure that organizations have effective occupational health and safety systems in place to protect employees, generate customer confidence and enhance your business reputation.

Risk Management

Sound risk management procedures are essential to assess and mitigate the risks associated with your industry. Our specialist risk management teams and laboratories operate worldwide, covering a wide range of industries. We identify and quantify specific risks and make decisions about how to manage and mitigate them in the future.

Sustainability

We help organizations ensure that they and their partners have efficient and manageable processes and systems in place which comply with stakeholder requirements related to quality, health and safety, environmental management, corporate social responsibility and other areas of sustainable development.

Trade

Managing the risks associated with trade and financing trade is a complex process that needs practical, objective planning. Our network of experts look at all aspects of trade activity to assess the associated risks, offering impartial, objective advice and assistance to help you to mitigate risks and minimize liability for successful trade transactions.

Training Courses and Seminars

To strengthen your workforce and increase your productivity, we ensure that your people have the very latest knowledge through high-quality professional training. Our bespoke training programs cover a wide range of topics related to areas such as quality, performance, health and safety and accredited training for auditor development.

BAFE Fire SP101 Extinguisher Maintenance Sector Scheme

Adopted Scheme Incorporating ST104

BAFE SP101 is a quality sector scheme covering Contract Maintenance of Portable Fire Extinguishers and Registered Fire Extinguisher Service Technicians Scheme.

BAFE merged these two schemes to form a new combined enhanced scheme, the aim being to enable the organizations requiring fire extinguisher maintenance to easily meet the requirements of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order by employment of a third party approved organization and service personnel with proven competency in fire extinguisher service and maintenance.

To enable an organization to become a BAFE approved listed organization it is necessary to meet all the requirements as set out in the scheme document:

SP101 – as with all BAFE schemes a standard has to be the foundation from which the scheme is built and, in the case of the service based schemes, ISO 9001 is this foundation. Fire Extinguishers are manufactured to BS EN 3 whilst siting and servicing is undertaken to Codes of Practice BS 5306 part 8 2000: and BS 5306 Part 3 2003. Full details are available within the scheme document. The purpose of this and the other serviced based schemes is to specifically enhance the requirements of ISO 9001 to unique areas of the fire protection industry and in this instance the maintenance of portable fire extinguishers.

ST 104 – This part of the scheme is somewhat different from the other schemes in that BAFE has placed the emphasis on the individual rather than the organization. It is a scheme pre-requisite that the technician requiring registration should be employed by an organization operating an approved ISO 9001 Quality System and would also meet the requirements of the BAFE SP101 scheme for the Maintenance of Portable Fire Extinguishers. The prime objective of this scheme is to increase the competence of the service technicians working in the field thus providing the end user with an improved and safer service.

The main benefits are:

§  Independent overview of technicians

§  Consistent level of service

§  Increased customer satisfaction

§  Recognized industry benchmark

§  Provides quality organizations with a market differentiator

Applicants joining the scheme are provided with a Registered Technicians Record which contains a guide to obtaining the BAFE registered service technicians qualification, the evidence of assessment, the assessment process, planning and achievement, and individual unit elements to be assessed.

The essential areas of knowledge to be covered by the assessment are:

§  Theory of fire

§  Types of fire risk

§  Maintenance procedures

§  Provision and siting of equipment

§  Health and Safety

§  Applicable British and International Standards

§  Regulatory and legislative requirements

The assessment of this knowledge is field based and is carried out by experienced, qualified, independent assessors who also have commercial and management skills. When the technician has successfully completed the identified areas in the Registered Technicians Record and has a positive recommendation from the BAFE field based assessor, the Registered Technicians Record is verified. This is usually carried out at the service organization’s premises. BAFE have the responsibility to verify the Registered Technicians Record. When the verification is positive the technician is entered on to the register and issued with a BAFE Diploma and Identification Card which are valid for a three year period. During the three year validity of the card, the technicians are subject to ongoing surveillance activity by the field-based assessors, thus ensuring continued compliance with the requirements and confidence for the employing organization.

The net result of companies embracing this scheme should be three fold:

§  Allows clients meeting the requirements of the scheme and the standard to gain ISO9001 registration and also BAFE listing.

§  The continuing assessment activity ensures that the company maintains the system and processes are in place to ensure ongoing compliance to requirements of the scheme. This should also provide opportunities for business process improvement in organizations.

§  Perhaps most importantly, it provides the end user with the confidence that the maintenance work they are paying for is being undertaken in a professional manner.

Information & Quotation

CQC provides a free and no obligation quotation service.

At CQC, we are passionate about technology, people and the environment. The work which our employees do every day has a real impact on the lives of the people around them. Beyond solving issues, our employees worldwide dedicate themselves to making the world a safer place.

That is why we attract the best minds from all disciplines. By joining us, you are joining a network of experts who are committed to creating more safety and added economic value for our clients and the community. They preside on committees that formulate the next practices with regard standards. 

We encourage and take steps to cultivate an open culture that puts our people at the heart of everything we do. As a leading technical service providers, our most important asset is our experienced and qualified workforce. CQC has a unique company structure which enables us to re-invest all our profits back into the company, and put focus on what really matters - staff and workplace development.

CQC’s network of offices will give you the opportunity to work with a diverse and pool of colleagues; or fuel your international development ambitions. We believe in adding value to not just our customers, but also our employees by giving them outstanding opportunities for personal and professional growth.