Our commitment to quality through accreditation
We are delighted to announce successful audit outcomes for both our ISO certifications and RISQS (Rail Industry Supplier Qualification Scheme) accreditations for 2023. Highlights this year include zero non-conformance for all three ISO standards, and positive feedback from the RISQS auditor.
ISO certified management systems
So, audit season at Crystal Health seems to come around very quickly these days! External auditors were on site both in August and September this year. First up were the ISO audits, and we were looking to recertify our ISO 9001 (Quality), 27001 (Information Security), and 14001 (Environment) management systems. Internal audits play a big part in the evidence for demonstrating compliance to the ISO standards, and these were all up to date and performed to our annual schedule. In addition, document control is also key, and as the company grows, we are finding that more sophisticated systems are required to keep track of document review and version control.
Also, keeping pace with the latest and ever-changing information security standards can be a challenge too. However, our current controls and procedures comply, and if anything, exceed the requirements due to the data sensitive sector we operate in. As a result, we achieved unconditional passes across all three ISO standards with zero non-conformance.
The auditor gave praise for our document control processes, and internal training records.
RISQS accreditation
The RISQS audit swiftly followed in September, and while there are always nerves when an external auditor comes to site, we felt well prepared after our successful ISO recertification. A potential concern for this audit was the introduction of point of care urine drug screening as an approved Network Rail drug testing method. Introduced in April 2023, the rail standards for this method of drug testing had changed several times. This included changes to the drug panel and the associated cut-off levels.
Despite our apprehension, we comply with all current standards and approved devices, and achieved an audit pass for both the alcohol and drugs, and PTS medical assessment modules.
Positive audit feedback included our demonstration in the management system control of monitoring and measuring subcontractors and internal processes.
Continued growth and striving for excellence
We are proud of our achievements but cannot rest on our laurels. Maintaining our commitment to quality and providing our customers with an excellent service is our number one priority. However, fast changing technology, more regulation and increased customer expectations include challenges that we must continue to meet.
We feel that striving for excellence does not have to be about investing in the latest technology. For us, it’s about getting the basics right, complying with our own high standards, and ensuring we deliver the best customer service possible. This includes making it easy for our customers to get in touch, particularly by phone, which seems to be an increasingly rare thing these days!
Finally, to meet the demands of our growing business, we believe that investment in our team is critical. As a result, we continue to develop, incentivise, and reward our people. While we will always look for ways to improve retention rates, giving staff a real stake in the business seems to be working, and the loyalty and dedication from our long-serving people demonstrates this.
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Head Office
Crystal Health Group
The Old Chapel
Manchester
M30 0NG