All companies have to monitor & adapt to changing customer, market & regulatory requirements. Below are some of the most common that will apply to all enterprises. In many cases voluntary standards underpin regulations & are used to demonstrate compliance.
businesskeys™ helps businesses identify requirements applicable to them & then build in compliance & assurance into their management systems – giving peace of mind, risk management, avoidance of fines/prosecution, demonstration of assurance to customers - & a systematic way of keeping on top of things.
Tax – Company & personal tax & National Insurance, VAT
Health & safety – planning, workspace, fire, disabled access, transport, waste & packaging, environment, work place health & safety, risk assessment, insurance, incident reporting
Intellectual property – trade marks, copyright, design, software copyright
(N.B. There is a basic business decision to be taken with regard to product marketing – do you try to keep your IP to yourself, or do you share it? On the one hand there is licence revenue, on the other potentially much larger markets).
Trading regulations & data protection – description of goods, terms & conditions of sale, distance selling, payment, data protection
Employment – employment contracts, employee’s rights, dispute resolution
Specialised business sectors – Food, entertainment & leisure, health & care services, transport & many other sectors are regulated & need registration, licences, etc.
Products – Standards can help you comply with EU directives covering a wide range of products, including:
• appliances burning gaseous fuels
• construction products
• electrical & electronic equipment – electromagnetic compatibility
• equipment & protective systems in potentially explosive atmospheres (e.g. using a flash camera in a petrol station or flour mill)
• gas appliances
• household products – noise emissions
• lifts
• low voltage equipment
• machinery & mechanical equipment
• medical devices
• non-automatic weighing machines
• outdoor construction & gardening equipment – noise emissions
• personal protective equipment (gloves, helmets, etc.)
• pressure equipment such as industrial pipework & pressurised storage containers
• radio & telecommunications terminal equipment
• recreational craft
• toys
Business processes & practices
There are a number of families of standards that are used in the UK & internationally which represent ‘the state of the art’ (legally too) in business & organisational practice. They include:
• Quality management (e.g. ISO 9001)
• Environmental management (e.g. ISO 14000 series)
• Health & safety management (e.g. OHSAS 18000)
• Information management
• Design management
• Project management
Notes:
1. In order to prove compliance ‘conformity assessment’ or certification is sometimes required. Meeting an auditor’s requirements brings its own problems
2. Interpretation of how to implement regulations can vary from country to country – important to know when exporting to other EU countries
The above only provides an indication of areas to consider. Please contact us if you would like further help.
