Applying ISO 9001 in Ventilation Projects: Enhancing Quality and Compliance

Applying ISO 9001 in Ventilation Projects: Enhancing Quality and Compliance

By Ruth MacEachern

Product Manager

Having discussed the merits and importance of quality management systems when planning and executing a ventilation installation project in our previous article, we will now take a more detailed look at one of the most acknowledged and respected international ISO Standards in the area of quality management; namely the ISO 9001 standard certification issued by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

A brief history of the International Organization for Standardization

The International Organization for Standardization is counted as one of the world’s longest-running non-governmental international organisations, having supported and facilitated trade and cooperation between individuals and companies since as far back as 1946. It was in this year that 65 delegates from 5 different countries gathered in London to discuss the future of international standardisation. The organisation was officially formed the following year and published its first standard, “ISO/R 1:1951 Standard reference temperature for industrial length measurements”, which was subsequently amended and renamed in 2022.

Throughout its history, the organisation has consistently remained ahead of the times, for example, forming its first technical committees in the environmental field, Air Quality and Water Quality, back in 1971.

To date, the organisation boasts 839 technical committees and sub-committees, has a total of 171 members representing ISO in their respective countries, and has published more than 25,000 ISO Standards covering almost all aspects of technology, management, and manufacturing. Some of the most noteworthy ISO Standards include:

• ISO 14001, which aims to provide tools to help companies identify and control their environmental impact
• ISO 26000 – launched in 2010, this standard focuses on providing guidelines in the area of social responsibility
• ISO 5001 – the energy management standard launched in 2011
• ISO/PAS 45005 – a standard published during the Covid-19 pandemic, providing advice on how to keep safe and healthy in the workplace

The ISO 9000 family of standards

However, we will now turn our focus to the ISO 9000 family of ISO Standards, consisting primarily of ISO 9001 accompanied by a supporting set of standards. First published in 1987, with a view to extending the reach of existing quality management systems to an international audience, ISO 9001 is now the globally recognised standard for quality management and the most-used quality management system, with more than one million certificates issued to organisations in 189 countries.

ISO 9001 defines 7 principles of quality management, which are: Customer Focus, Leadership, Engagement of People, Process Approach, Improvement, Evidence-Based Decision Making, and Relationship Management.

The certificate serves as confirmation of the successful implementation and operation of quality management systems within a company, providing companies with a set of tools and guidelines to ensure that customers consistently receive a high quality of product and service. The standard was amended in 2015, with a number of additions and improvements, including:

• Updated structure for improved harmonisation with other standards and management systems
• Process-based approach to documenting and reviewing the structure, responsibilities, and procedures as well as extensive use of the PDCA – Plan-Do-Check-Act methodology
• Emphasis on risk-based thinking
• Increased involvement of upper level management in the function of the quality management system
• Increased responsibility for the quality management system within the organisation
• Increased importance attributed to performance data monitoring

In the organisation’s efforts to remain current and ahead of the curve, another new and amended version is expected to be published by the end of 2025.

How can ISO 9001 be applied to ventilation projects?

ISO offers a range of standards based on ISO 9001, adapting the standard specifically to certain products and sectors such as medical devices, the railway sector, petroleum, petrochemical, and natural gas-related products and services, and computer software. While there are as yet no ISO 9000 family ISO Standards that apply specifically to ventilation projects, this is a sector in which quality requirements are particularly high and regulatory requirements are becoming increasingly more demanding. Combined with the fact that mechanical ventilation installations can represent a costly component of any new build construction project, it is clear that this is an area in which quality management is of vital importance with a view to ensuring both compliance and customer satisfaction.

ISO 9001 actually requires that companies actively monitor and record customer satisfaction, meaning that the ISO 9001 seal of approval really serves as an indicator that customers will be well looked after.

The process-oriented approach promoted by the standard encourages all divisions within a business to work together when planning and executing solutions, with company leadership in particular performing a key role. This is of vital importance in the case of a whole-building ventilation system, where a fault or leak at any point in the chain can result in the need for comprehensive work to correct the fault. Therefore, a reduction in errors represents one of the key benefits of an effective, ISO 9001-compliant quality management system when applied within the context of ventilation.

The emphasis on continuous improvement and evidence-based decision making, along with Clause 9.1.3’s focus on the analysis and evaluation of data, are also particularly relevant to ventilation installation projects. Part F of the UK Building Regulations requires the measurement and monitoring of air flow rates within a building, as well as indoor air quality. As such, the effective recording and analysis of data has never been more important when it comes to effectively planning, dimensioning, and realising a ventilation installation project.

To sum up…

In response to the question as to who should use ISO 9001, ISO assert that the standard is for “Any organisation that wants to improve its quality management system, meet customer and applicable statutory and regulatory requirements, and enhance customer satisfaction”. In light of ever more stringent regulatory requirements, ambitious climate objectives, and high expectations among consumers who are keen to protect both the environment and their bank balances, ISO 9001 certification is a highly valuable, if not essential means by which to demonstrate the quality of a ventilation product or service, and to generate customer trust and loyalty.