Leading employers awarded Certification by NSAI
Galway based companies Bon Secours Hospital, Coffey Water Ltd and Bord na Mona Feedstock Division were among 35 Irish companies who recently received certification to world class standards from the National Standards Authority of Ireland.
At the certification event in Santry, Barretstown , Iarnród Eireann and Glanbia were just some of those achieving the standards ‘badge’ in areas such as Medical Devices Quality Management, Environmental Management, Energy Management, Food Management, Occupational Health and Safety, and Excellence Through People – fast becoming one of the most popular of NSAI’s certification schemes.
“Standards are crucial in today’s fast-paced, competitive environment, where businesses are expected to continuously update and improve their products and services in line with market needs and customer demand,” said Minister for Business and Employment Ged Nash.
“Standards give companies a competitive edge in national and international markets and can ensure Irish companies can be at the forefront of new opportunities as global markets return to stability. The commitment to standards made by businesses like these here this morning has the potential to contribute, not just to their own business and industry, but to the wider economy and the Government’s overall plan for job creation,” he added.
Maurice Buckley, Chief Executive of NSAI, recognised the importance of investing in standards.
“These 35 companies – working in a variety of professions across the transport, construction, energy, food and drink, IT, engineering, manufacturing, healthcare, security, and charity sectors – have invested in standards because they can see the return on investment. It’s very positive to see a number of these companies receiving certification to a second or third standard,” he said.
“Certification to standards helps businesses to be innovative, allowing SMEs to compete with much larger companies, attract new customers, and access global markets both at home and abroad. In addition to this, standards in a business create greater staff satisfaction, pride in the organisation, and staff retention,” added Mr Buckley.
Other companies present at the event included Zehnacker Healthcare Ireland who were certified to the Quality Management standard (ISO 9001), and Medical Devices Quality Management Systems (ISO 13485).
This standard assists companies in the highly regulated medical devices sector to sell their products on the European market and demonstrates to customers, and to the regulators, a professional approach as well as quality and excellence.