The construction industry is one of the busiest and most complex industries in Malaysia.
The construction industry consists of architects, engineers, interior designers, planners, quantity surveyor, contractors, construction material manufacturers and many more. No matter where you are in the food chain, ISO Certification is an important tool to increase business opportunities, improve company process effectiveness and efficiency. On the regulatory side, ISO certification also assists in complying certain government rules and regulations by Contractor Industry Development Board (CIDB), Department of Safety & Health (DOSH), and Department of Environment (DOE).
In Malaysia, construction is one of the few industries that requires ISO certification as a prerequisite for tender/ entry. Without having ISO Certification many construction companies will be left with the smaller construction projects to work on.
ISO Certifications Ideal for the Construction Industry
The most beneficial and fundamental ISO Certifications for the construction Industry are:
- ISO 9001:2015 Certification for Quality Management System
- ISO 14001: 2015 Certification for Environmental Management System
- ISO 45001: 2018 Occupational Health and Safety Management Standard
ISO 9001 in the Construction Industry
ISO 9001 Quality Management System focuses on providing a quality product/service to meet the customer expectation. In many cases, ISO 9001 is the minimum standard most construction companies will require, quite often you will be restricted to certain projects if you do not have ISO 9001 in place for your business. Companies can pitch to more government projects and large scale private projects. CIDB also requires the G7 Grade contractor to have at least implement ISO 9001 in the organization.
The Quality Management System framework can be used to assess the suppliers. Also, it improves the overall supply chain performance. ISO 9001 also helps in managing the risk effectively. Especially in case the construction contracts, often the budgets go up due to lack of planning.
Some other benefits of ISO 9001 for construction organisations:
- A pre-requisite for participation in tenders of large multi-national & government projects
- Implementation of industry best practices
- Improved contractor management and control
- Greater brand awareness and recognition
- Gain higher client and stakeholder confidence
ISO 14001 in the Construction Industry
ISO 14001 Environment Management System can help the construction industry to manage environmental impacts caused by the construction activities. Having ISO 14001 demonstrates that you are not only environmentally conscious but also legally compliant. ISO 14001 requires companies to comply with local authority’s legal requirements which prevent penalty and fine from the local authority like the Department of Environmental (DOE).
Some other benefits of ISO 14001 for construction organisations:
- Reduced risk of legal breaches
- Greater brand awareness and recognition
- Build stakeholder and customer trust
- New business opportunities from large companies
- Reduce waste
ISO 45001 in the Construction Industry
The construction industry is one of the highest accident contributors in Malaysia. Having a health & safety management system is important to the industry. If an accident happens in the construction site, not only it will jeapordise the company’s reputation, it will delay the project progress and leads to penalty by main contractor.
ISO 45001 is the international standard for occupational health and safety management. The standard reduces workplace risks to improve employee safety.
Many construction main contractors will select sub-contractors based on their health & safety performance and management system, being able to showcasing your compliance to ISO 45001 will gain confidence and new business. On the regulatory side, ISO 45001 helps companies to comply with the occupational safety and health laws and regulations.
Some other benefits of ISO 45001 for construction organisations:
- Reduced cost of insurance premiums
- Reduced accidents and incidents
- Establish controls to ensure legal compliance
- Increase health and safety awareness
Conclusion
ISO Certification for a construction business is an extensive undertaking which requires commitments, efforts and budget. Yet, it is undoubtedly among the most important and rewarding things any construction business can do to ensure quality products, environmental, health & safety compliance etc.
Wish to know more about ISO 9001, ISO 14001 or ISO 45001 for your construction business? Book our limited FREE Consultation right now!
