ISO registration:
frequently asked questions
Registration - often called 'certification' - is the diploma, the badge of honor. It declares to your scrap consumers, scrap suppliers, and peers in the scrap recycling industry that your firm is at the top of the game. Not only among scrap firms, but among all manufacturers worldwide. Here are the most frequently asked questions about registration, with answers.
- What is "registration"?
- What is "certification"?
- Why is ISO registration / certification better than any other kind of registration?
- Will ISO registration enable us to charge higher prices for our scrap?
- How long does it take to get registered / certified?
- What are the steps in the registration process?
- What if we fail the audit?
- How much does registration cost to get, and to keep?
- Once we're registered, what then?
What is 'registration'?
To be "registered" (or certified - the terms are virtually interchangeable) means that your management system (quality, environmental, and/or health/safety) meets all the requirements of the International Standard(s)as the result of an independent audit by an accredited audit firm.
These firms are often referred to as "registration bodies." Some 75 of these operate in the U. S. today, many of them qualified to audit scrap recycling firms. Some registrars are better than others. The best registrars are fully accredited, independent, deeply experienced, with impeccable international credentials. (Caveat emptor)
Registration auditors audit your management system to confirm that it complies with the rules of the relevant Standard (quality, environmental, and/or health/safety). Audits can take days, depending on the size of your firm, and are quite detailed. Registration is conferred when your system is found to be compliant with all requirements of the Standard(s). If there are major compliance laps, you’re given time to remedy them; when the fixes have been verified, then registration is conferred.
The only way to "fail" is to refuse to correct a deficiency.
Registration is usually for three years. During that time the registration body re-audits selected parts of your system to satisfy themselves that the system continues to be compliant. Most companies opt for semi-annual re-audits.
Registration costs can vary widely. It is a market-driven business. The best approach is to obtain quotes and proposals from a half dozen firms and negotiate from there. As part of our consulting service, Kantner & Company provides you with a "short list" of qualified registration bodies, with whom we have had experience, and we guide you through the selection process.
Click here for a list of registered scrap recycling firms.
What is "certification"?
For all practical purposes, the same thing as registration.
Why is ISO registration / certification better than any other kind of registration?
Three reasons: 1. Credibility. 2. Credibility. 3. Credibility.
ISO registration is instantly recognized and accepted by scrap consumers, scrap generators, regulatory entities, and others. ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001 are internationally recognized and accepted Standards, in use worldwide (9001 since 1987), not only by leading scrap recyclers but also by scrap generators, scrap consumers, vendors to the scrap recycling industry, and leading firms in every industry imaginable.
If you are the best, and and deserve the best -- why settle for less?
Will ISO registration enable us to charge higher prices for our scrap?
No.
How long does it take to get registered / certified?
This depends on many factors such as: number of locations, type(s) of facilities (i.e. processing yards, feeder yards, administrative facilities), number of processes (i.e. shredding, baling, shearing, iron/steel, metals, specialty metals, etc.).
The quickest it’s been done is 6-8 months. For an experienced no-obligation estimate, email Rob Kantner or call 989-289-6005.
What are the steps in the registration process?
- The auditor reviews some of your system documents (usually off-site).
- The auditor visits your site(s) and observes operations, interviews employees, and checks records, to confirm that your system is in place and fully compliant with the relevant Standard(s).
- The auditor documents his/her findings, gives you informal findings after each audit day, and -- before leaving -- tells you whether or not you're recommended for registration.
What if we fail the audit?
There is no such thing as "failing" an audit. If the auditor finds "major" noncompliances to the relevant Standard, registration may be deferred for a time until they are fixed. In the hundreds of audits in which Kantner & Company has participated since 1993, this has only happened once.
How much does registration cost to get, and to keep?
For an experienced no-obligation estimate, email Rob Kantner or call 989-289-6005.
Once we're registered, what then?
The registration auditor returns on a regular basis (usually every six months or so) to re-audit parts of your system. These are called "surveillance audits". As long as you do well in these -- and there is no reason why you should not --your registration continues.
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