National Highway Sector Schemes for Quality Management in Highway Works

Transcription

1 National Highway Sector Schemes for Quality Management in Highway Works Scheme 9A Sector Scheme Document for The Design, and/or Manufacture and / or Assembly and/or Provision of Permanent Road Traffic Signs Published by the National Highway Sector Scheme Advisory Committee for National Highway Sector Scheme 9A NHSS 9A UKAS 7 Page 1 of

2 Document Control Issue Statement Issue Number Comments Issue 1 to UKAS January 2006 Issue 2 July 2006 Page 6, Interpretation of current BS EN ISO 9001, Item 1 Scope. Page 13, Design and Development, Item 7.3 Issue 3 Nov 2006 Page 19, Levels of Competency, 4 th paragraph Page 4, Implementation date amended, 1 st and 2 nd paragraph Issue 4 Jan 2010 Issue 5 July 2010 Issue 6 Sept 2010 Issue Page 25, Additional Certification Bodies SSD amended to NHSSD; BS EN ISO 9001:2000 amended to BS EN ISO 9001; British Signs and Graphics Association and /or BSGA amended to PAA\VQSET throughout Selection of Certification Body 3 rd para deleted Implementation - 1 st para 3 rd sentence Other deleted amended to After April 2007 ; 2 nd para 12 amended to 36 Introduction - penultimate para NHSSD 8 added and NHSSD 9B title amended Scope - 1 st para the manufacture or permanent and/or temporary road traffic signs amended to read this NHSSD ; BS EN title and explanatory note amended; BS EN and BS EN title and explanatory note amended; BS 8408 explanatory note amended; BS 8442 explanatory note amended; Title Temporary Traffic Signs added Normative Reference - BS 873.2, BS 4392, BS 8408, BS 8404 and BS EN amended to BS EN 12899:2001 Terms and Definitions - BSGA deleted; BSGA N/SVQ deleted; Components additional wording added; National Highway Sector Scheme the words after 9A deleted; Notification Body EN amended to BS EN 12899:2007 parts 1, 4 and 5; Operative - manufacture of Permanent and/or Temporary Road Signs deleted replaced with thisnhssd ; Organization - manufacture of Permanent and/or Temporary Road Signs deleted replaced with this NHSSD ; PAA\VQSET added; PAA\VQSET N/SVQs added; Permanent Road Traffic Sign - BS873.2 deleted BS EN amended to BS EN 12899:2007 parts 1, 4 and 5; Staff para 2 and or surveys deleted QMS Requirements - item 4.2.3, 4.2.4, 7.5.1, amended to Appendix A - 1 st para amended from The Quality Plan shall include the following as appropriate to Under this NHSSD Quality Plans are only required for Highway Agency Motorways and All Purpose Trunk Roads contracts ; items 8 and 9 deleted Items 10,11 and 12 renumbered 8, 9 and 10 Appendix B - item 8 BS deleted following items renumbered; item 11 (now 10) BS EN Fixed Vertical Road Traffic Signs, Part 1: Fixed Signs amended to BS EN 12899: 2007 Fixed, Vertical Road Traffic Signs. Part 1, 4 and 5; item 13 (now 12) BS EN ISO 9001:2000 amended to BS EN ISO; item 13 (now 12) BS EN ISO 9001:2000 amended to BS EN ISO Appendix C - item ii of Introduction and Background delete or manufacture of Permanent and Temporary Road Traffic Signs with required by this NHSSD ; item iii of Introduction and Background amended to 6.2.2; para 6 of Introduction and Background training deleted and Working inserted; Levels of Competency para 1 training deleted and Working inserted Appendix D, E, deleted Appendix G deleted and replaced with new Appendix G and G1 Appendix L, M added Training Group amended to read Working Group pages 6,9,16 & 17 Page 7 Interpretation of BS EN ISO 9001 Scope amended Title of document changed from National Highways Sector Scheme for the Manufacture of Permanent and/or Temporary Road Traffic Signs to National Highway Sector Scheme for the Design, Assembly and/or Provision of Permanent and Temporary Road Traffic Signs Advisory Committee p5 - BSGA deleted; CSS amended to ADEPT Page 9 - delete MPTRTS Manufacture of Permanent and/or Temporary Road Traffic Signs replaced with DAPPTRTS Design and/or assembly and/or Provision of Permanent and/or Temporary Road Traffic Signs. All similar references in document changed Page 7 - Scope deleted and replaced with new Scope definitions references transferred to Appendix B Appendices J - J1 and J2 updated New appendix J3 added Appendix O - added Appendix M - delete HA from final para and replace with relevant highway authority Scope amended to include This National Highway Sector Scheme does not include signs that use electronic or electrical display formats or automatic traffic operated signs or similar technology. It relates only to road traffic signs assembled with visible permanently displayed non-electronic or non-electrical messages. Changes throughout the document to update the document and to align with the Construction Products Regulations NHSS 9A UKAS 7 Page 2 of

3 CONTENTS Page No. Composition of Sector Scheme Advisory Committee, Exclusion of Liability, Copyright, Selection of Certification Body & Implementation 4 Introduction 6 Interpretation of BS EN ISO 9001: Scope 9 2. Normative Reference 10 3 Terms And Definitions Quality Management System Requirements 12 Appendix A - Requirements For Quality Plans 19 Appendix B Reference Documents 20 Appendix C - Training And Assessment Of Competence 21 Appendix D - Not Used Appendix E 22 Appendix F - List of Certification Bodies 23 Appendix G - The Role of the Certifications Body and Auditor Qualifications Appendix G1 - Guidance to Certification Body Assessors and Internal Auditors Appendix H - Organization Acceptance & Guidelines for New Entrants Appendix J1 Feedback to Scheme Committee 34 Appendix J2 - Feedback to Certification Bodies and/or Notified Bodies 35 Appendix J3 - Feedback to Client Bodies on Policing of NHSS Registration 36 Appendix K - The Interpretation of Certificates Issued by Certification Bodies 37 Appendix L - Guidance 40 Appendix M Guidance for Organizations (not used) Appendix N - Guidance on the Relationship between NHSS 9A and other NHSS s Appendix O Schedule of Suppliers NHSS 9A UKAS 7 Page 3 of

4 COMPOSITION OF THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY SECTOR SCHEME ADVISORY COMMITTEE, EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY AND SELECTION OF CERIFICATION BODY COMPOSITION OF THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY SECTOR SCHEME ADVISORY COMMITTEE ARTSM - The Association for Road Traffic Safety and Management BM TRADA British Standards Institution Department for Transport HEA - Highway Electrical Association Highways England Lloyd s Register Quality Assurance Ltd PAA\VQSET National Quality Assurance Ltd SGS United Kingdom Ltd Corresponding members ADEPT Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning & Transport LASMA - Local Authority Sign Manufacturers Association UKAS Wels Government DRD (NI) Transport Scotland Transport for London NHSS 9A UKAS 7 Page 4 of

5 Exclusion of Liability The Sector Scheme Advisory Committee for NHSS 9A: 1. have and accept no liability whatsoever for any failure of any system or systems assessed under this Sector Scheme Document or for the quality, fitness for purpose, or safety of any product or service which is the subject of such assessment; 2. do not provide any representation or warranty as to any aspect of any such system, product or service, and, 3. hereby expressly exclude all and any liability or responsibility (however alleged to arise) for or in connection with the provision of any service or product or any use of any product, all and any such liability or responsibility attaching exclusively to the producer (or user as the case maybe) thereof. Copyright Permission is granted to reproduce and distribute this document subject to the restriction that the complete document must be copied without alteration, addition or deletion. This is subject to material not being used in a derogatory manner or in a misleading context. The source of the material must be acknowledged as SSAC for NHSS 9A copyright and the title of the document must be included when being reproduced as part of another publication or service. Selection Of Certification Body / Notified Body It is important to note that due to the specific requirements for assessor competence required by this Sector Scheme a technical expert may be appointed by the Sector Scheme Advisory Committee to assist UKAS in the assessment of Certification Bodies as described in Appendix G. Prospective companies seeking registration under this scheme shall ensure that they engage a Certification Body specifically accredited to assess against the requirements of this NHSSD further guidance being given in Appendix G1. Specifiers, consultants, engineers and others that require confirmation of compliance with the Contract Specification in respect of the supply of products/materials should confirm the current status of the quality management system certificate issuer and that specific reference is made to this Sector Scheme on the Certificate of Registration (see Appendix K). With the implementation of the Construction Product Regulations, Notified Bodies replace Certifying Bodies in respect of factory production control activities required in accordance with the relevant harmonised standards, in particular BS EN Where CE Marking is a requirement, this can only be applied following successful evaluation of the factory production control by a Notified Body. (Notified Bodies are appointed by the relevant authority in a Member State of the European Union and notified to the European Commission. In the UK the relevant authority for notification under the Construction Product Directive (CPD) and the Construction Products Regulations (CPR) which came into force on 1 July 2013, is the Department for Communities and Local Government, (DCLG)). Public Bodies are required under the Public Contracts Regulations 2006 implementing Directive 2004/18/EC to specify relevant European Standards as they become available; harmonised European Standards include requirements for factory production control (fpc) leading to CE Marking for the product(s) in relevant European Standards. NHSS 9A UKAS 7 Page 5 of

6 Implementation National Highway Sector Schemes are listed in Appendix A of the SHW. National Highway Sector Schemes do not replace the Construction Products Regulations applied in accordance with the Member States national rules where applicable, but may deal with other aspects of the supply chain process which will be of relevance to clients. It should be noted that organizations certified to this NHSSD are considered to comply with the relevant quality management system requirements of Highways England. (i) (ii) Implementation of issue UKAS 7 This issue of the NHSSD is to be implemented immediately from the date of publication on the UKAS website for assessments in accordance with BS EN ISO 9001:2008 Assessments against the previous issue will continue to be valid until the following assessment carried out by the accredited Certification Body Issue UKAS 7 should be used for assessments within 6 months of the publication of this revision on the UKAS website. This period allows for the Organization to review their management system and make any necessary changes. Thereafter all assessments shall be made against this revision. Organizations registering for the first time shall be required to conform to the requirements of the latest revision. Note 1: Following publication of the document the organization should implement the changes in time for their surveillance visit or assessment visit by the Certification Body Note 2: The Certification Body should assess the organization against the latest edition of the scheme within 14 months of its publication Note 3: Where the surveillance / assessment visit of an organization occurs within two months of the publication of a revision, such assessment may be undertaken against the previous edition subject to compliance with Note 2 above Note 4: The NHSS document is date specific; however the Organization shall have procedures in place to ensure that the latest version is always available. Organizations should be aware that utilisation of internet search engines may result in out of date references being identified/called up. Introduction 1) This Sector Scheme Document relates to the quality management system requirements for the design and/or manufacture and / or assembly and/or provision of permanent road traffic signs. It sets out to identify a common interpretation of BS EN ISO 9001 for Organizations and Certification Bodies engaged in the sector and the minimum qualifications that an assessor/auditor requires. The document shall be read in conjunction with BS EN ISO ) This Sector Scheme is one of the series of National Highway Sector Schemes (NHSS s), which have been developed as bespoke integrated management schemes within an ISO 9001 framework to interpret BS EN ISO 9001 as it applies to a particular highway related activity/industry within the United Kingdom. 3) Separate Sector Scheme Advisory Committees (SSACs) for each activity within the sector provide advice to UKAS and expert representation is drawn from all sides of industry. Each SSACs has interpreted BS EN ISO 9001 in relation to the requirements of their particular activity and has come to a consensus on the minimum levels of workmanship, services, products, testing, and the training and competency of personnel, as appropriate, required to meet specification requirements as well as identified requirements in respect of environmental and health & safety and other aspects. The NHSS 9A UKAS 7 Page 6 of

7 details are contained in the individual Sector Scheme Documents (NHSSDs). Following the publication of a revised BS EN ISO 9001, the committees will review their documents to ensure alignment with the revised BS EN ISO 9001 to ensure that the NHSSD do not conflict with the national standard prior to withdrawal of the previous edition of the standard. 4) The individual NHSS technical advisory committees are overseen by the National Highways Sector Scheme Liaison Committee (NHSSLC). This Committee provides a forum for discussion on the effectiveness of the Sector Schemes and co-ordinates developments so that they can be uniformly taken forward by each of the NHSS technical advisory committees. It is also the venue where dialogue with UKAS and the Certification Bodies on the application of the Sector Schemes takes place. 5) NHSSD together with BS EN ISO 9001 are designed to: Provide an industry benchmark Ensure that all processes are planned Provide a basis for continuous improvement Focus on quality as an objective Reduce costs for Client and Organization Provide and maintain a properly trained and competent workforce Involve all sides of industry in scheme ownership within a partnership framework Provide the basis for the technical knowledge and experience that Certification Body auditors will use in the sector concerned Promote confidence in quality management systems through provision of a robust transparent system 6) The Sector Scheme Advisory Committee has established a working group as a sub-group to the committee. This sub-group assists in the development and maintenance of national training and competency assessment requirements for this Sector Scheme as necessary for the industry. It has the responsibility for the development and production of Appendix C and makes recommendations in respect of paragraph The working group reports to the main committee. 7) In using this Sector Scheme users shall use best practice such as specifying any other relevant NHSSD as appropriate to the nature of the work being undertaken 8) It should also be noted that this NHSS is mandatory, other than for products falling within the scope of the Construction Products Regulations, for Highways England contracts and suppliers within the supply chain shall demonstrate compliance with the requirements of BS EN ISO 9001 and this NHSSD as part of their continual improvement within their BS EN ISO 9001 registration. It is anticipated that other highway authorities that use the Specification for Highway Works as the basic document for procuring highway works will also require compliance with BS EN ISO 9001 and this NHSSD. Other owners of transportation infrastructure for example Network Rail may also require their suppliers to comply with this Sector Scheme, as may other authorities. 9) The NHSSD is a live document with the NHSS 9A Advisory Committee communicating at least once per year to develop it as appropriate. Those using the document shall always ensure that they have the current version of the document. The NHSSD may be obtained by visiting the UKAS website ( from where the document can be freely downloaded. This NHSS document is date specific, however, the Organization shall have procedures in place to ensure that the latest version is always available. Organizations should be aware that utilisation of internet search engines may result in out of date references being identified/called up. 10) Lantra hosts the register of Organizations on their website ( This is a self registration list and it is a requirement of this scheme that Organizations register their details on this website and keep them up to date; Certification/Notified Bodies will check that the Organization is registered on the website together with all relevant information, including a pdf copy of the certification of registration that the Certification/Notified Body issues and any other specific documentation to be uploaded specified by this NHSSD, prior to annual and surveillance visits. 11) Scheme Contact and Feedback NHSS 9A UKAS 7 Page 7 of

8 Any observations or complaints relating to the operation of this document and the scheme should be addressed using the procedures given In Appendices J1, J2 or J3 as appropriate. Appendix J1 is to be used for observations and general queries concerning the document and general feedback. Appendix J2 relates to the assessment process carried out by Certification Bodies. Appendix J3 relates to policing of the scheme. Note: J1 forms will be sent on receipt by UKAS to the relevant scheme secretary or chairperson for consideration. In many instances, J1 forms can be responded to without the need for them to be considered by an NHSS committee, those requiring a more detailed response will be dealt with at the next meeting of the committee as part of the review of the document. If the J1 form contains information that is critical, then exceptionally action can be taken prior to the meeting by the chairperson for instance by arranging an extraordinary meeting of the NHSS advisory committee. The secretary will normally advise the originator of receipt of the J1 document and when the next meeting is expected to be held. Completed J2 forms should be sent directly to the relevant Certification Body. Completed J3 forms should be sent to the relevant Highway Authority, Police Authority or HSE as appropriate and indicated on the form a) Contact The Secretary Sector Scheme Advisory Committee for the Design, and/or Mnaufacture and / or Assembly and/or Provision of Permanent Road Traffic Signs c/o UKAS High Street Feltham Middlesex TW13 4UN info@ukas.com Tel (b) Feedback Any feedback relating to this NHSSD should be provided in accordance with the procedures detailed in Appendices J1 to J3. NHSS 9A UKAS 7 Page 8 of

9 Interpretation of BS EN ISO 9001: Scope This Sector Scheme document together with BS EN ISO 9001 describes the quality management system requirements to be established for Organizations undertaking the design and/or manufacture and / or assembly and/or the provision of permanent road traffic signs conforming to the requirements of: BS EN (latest edition) Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions (latest edition_ The relevant working drawings for traffic signs used in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and the Traffic Signs Manual guidance. The document interprets the requirements of British Standard BS EN ISO 9001:2008 and should be read in conjunction with that standard. The intention of this document is not to amend or duplicate the requirements of the Construction Products Regulations. Permanent road traffic signs exclude variable message signs, temporary road traffic signs and flexible roll-up signs. The detailed scope of the manufacturing Registration is given on the relevant Certification of Registration which shall show compliance with BS EN ISO 9001:2008 and this Sector Scheme (see Appendix K). The applicability of clauses within this NHSSD to the Design, and/or Manufacture and / or Assembly and/or Provision of Permanent Road Traffic Signs, taking into account the Construction Products Regulations, are set out below (see also Appendix G1): Item Applicable Clauses within NHSS9A Section 4 Design and / or manufacture and / or assembly of permanent road traffic signs manufactured to BS EN and /or to EN1090 and CE marked to show compliance with the required declaration of performance in accordance with all the requirements of Annex ZA of the relevant Standard Provision of Permanent Road Traffic Signs 6 (including sub-clauses) All relevant clauses NHSS 9A UKAS 7 Page 9 of

10 2. Normative Reference The following normative documents contain provisions which constitute provisions of BS EN ISO 9001:2008: BS EN ISO 9000: 2005 Quality Management Systems Fundamentals and Vocabulary BS EN ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management Systems Requirements BS EN ISO 9004: 2009 Quality Management Systems Managing for the sustained success of an organization. A quality management approach 3. Terms, Definitions and Abbreviations 3.1 For the purpose of this Sector Scheme Document the following definitions shall apply. Certification of Registration A certificate issued by a UKAS accredited Certification Body certifying that the holder operates a Quality Management System complying with BS EN ISO 9001: 2008 and this NHSSD. The Certificate will state the category(ies) of work that the holder is competent to supply. Note The Certificate of Registration must identify the NHSS by number as well as by category Client Contract Contract Specification Customer Designer The body for which the work is being carried out, e.g. the Highway Authority or its nominated representative. The agreement between the parties governing the provision of the works to which this NHSSD relates. A specification contained in a Contract, which sets out the requirements of the Client. Examples include: i) The Manual of Contract Documents for Highway Works: Volume 1 Specification for Highway Works. ii) iii) Any Contract Specific Appendices Contract Drawings. The body and its nominated representative engaging the Organization for the purpose of the work described in this Document. The person / body responsible for converting requirements into design output in the form of for example drawings, specifications, plans, instructions. Organisation Permanent Road Traffic Sign The body responsible for carrying out the work or the activities as set out in the Scope of this NHSSD. A traffic sign intended to be fixed to a structure or support for more than six months complying with BS EN 12899:2007 parts 1, 4 and 5 shall Used to indicate a requirement strictly to be followed in order to NHSS 9A UKAS 7 Page 10 of

11 conform to ISO9001 and this NHSSD and from which no deviation is permitted. (See ISO Directives Part 3: 1997, Annex E) (reference Guidance on the terminology used in ISO 9001 : 2008 and ISO 9004 : 2000). should supply The term should is used in this document to indicate recognised means of meeting the requirements of the standard (ISO 9001). An Organization can meet these in an equivalent way provided this can be demonstrated to a Conformity Assessment Body (CAB) (Certification). Make available parts or services in accordance with the requirements of the contract Working Group A subgroup of the National Highway Sector Scheme Committee drawn from the stakeholders and responsible for formulating proposals to the committee for N/SVQs assessment and amendments to this NHSSD. (Formerly known as Training Group) 3.2 For the purpose of this Sector Scheme Document the following abbreviations shall apply: DfT The Department of Transport NHSS National Highway Sector Scheme SSAC Sector Scheme Advisory Committee NHSSD National Highway Sector Scheme Document United Kingdom Accreditation Service or any recognised European Union National UKAS Accreditation Body or any equivalent International Accreditation Forum (IAF) Multi- Lateral Agreement (MLA) signatory with a scope which includes this sector scheme. CB Certification Body NB Notified Body approved by their Member State and notified to CEN and other Member States N/SVQ National/Scottish Vocational Qualification for Signmaking Level 2 and Level 3 Note: The terms and definitions given in ISO 9000 remain applicable. NHSS 9A UKAS 7 Page 11 of

12 4 to 8 Quality management system requirements Introduction This document shall be read in conjunction with the ISO 9001 : 2008 requirements augmented by the following supplementary requirements. Clause / paragraph numbers in sections 4 to 8 below refer to the relevant paragraph numbers in BS EN ISO Where the term is used in this NHSSD this means that it is not considered necessary to provide an interpretation for that clause. The interpretations given below are to assist in the clarification of the ISO 9000 text for the relevant activity, no inference should be made that ISO 9001 requirements are diluted or deleted because of this interpretation. 4 Quality management system 4.1 General requirements The Organization shall operate a quality management system to BS EN ISO 9001:2008 and this NHSSD. The Organization s QMS shall be certified by a Certification Body specifically accredited by UKAS to assess against the requirements of this Sector Scheme Document (see Appendix F). The Organization shall record their registration to this sector scheme on the Schedule of Suppliers website immediately following confirmation of their accreditation to the sector scheme from the certification body and thereafter check its suitability annually. (See Appendix O for information) 4.2 Documentation requirements General Quality Plans shall be produced where required by the contract. When specified in the contract documents or requested, the Organization shall submit a Quality Plan or alternative document as defined in the Contract Specification for acceptance or approval by the Client, as appropriate, prior to commencement of work (See Appendix A). The relevant Quality Plan and standard operating procedures shall be communicated to all relevant employees Quality manual 4.2. Control of documents (i) As part of the Organization s procedures for document control, the following documents are typically required to be controlled: Contract specific documents e.g. drawings, schedules Records of design, modifications and amendments (ii) The Organization shall have procedures in place to ensure that the latest versions of relevant Standards and Documents are available and implemented where applicable (See Appendix B) NHSS 9A UKAS 7 Page 12 of

13 4.2.4 Control of records Records, including records of design, modifications and amendments to product design shall be retained for a minimum period of seven years from the date of manufacture. 5 Management Responsibility 5.1 Management commitment The Organization s policy document shall include support for this NHSSD. 5.2 Customer focus. 5.3 Quality policy The organisation s quality policy statement shall include a statement of commitment to this NHSSD. 5.4 Planning Quality objectives Quality management system planning 5.5 Responsibility, authority and communication Responsibility and authority Management representative Internal communication 5.6 Management review General The Organization shall review the quality management system at least once a year to ensure its continuing suitability and effectiveness to conform to this NHSSD Review input Review output NHSS 9A UKAS 7 Page 13 of

14 6 Resource management 6.1 Provision of resources. 6.2 Human resources General The training and assessment of competency of employees required by this scheme is aimed primarily at technical competence for the design and / or assembly and / or provision of permanent road traffic signs. It is intended to enable employees to carry out work in a safe manner however it remains the responsibility of the Organization to determine and implement safe systems of work Competence, awareness and training (i) Training Requirements and Assessment of Competence The Organization shall meet the following requirements 1. Quality System Familiarisation shall include a. Induction b. Organization s operating procedures and safe systems of work 2. Training for Competence This shall be done in accordance with Appendix C (ii) Record of Practical Experience and Continuous Professional Development In order to ensure rigour in this process, the National Highway Sector Scheme requires that each company shall provide evidence during audit to this scheme that operatives are competent. The Organization shall maintain a record of training and practical experience and assessment of competence of its relevant employees. The Organization shall have a recorded programme for the continuing professional development of its relevant employees. This shall include refresher training in relevant areas which shall be undertaken at regular intervals, as a minimum at least once every five years. 6.3 Infrastructure The Organization shall determine, provide and maintain sufficient supporting services necessary to deliver the product 6.4 Work environment. NHSS 9A UKAS 7 Page 14 of

15 7 Product realization 7.1 Planning of product realization (i) When specified in the Contract Documentation, the Organization shall produce and submit a Contract specific Quality Plan for approval and return by the Customer / Client prior to commencement of the work. (ii) The Quality plan may be a largely standard document as indicated in Appendix A of this schedule supplemented by contract specific information. (iii) The Quality Plan shall not be considered in isolation. An integrated approach should be taken which links the Quality Plan, Environmental Plan, Sustainability Plan, the Health and Safety Plan, Risk Management together. Management of the service as a whole is reliant on quality and hence the contract and the quality element cannot be separated, as one cannot function without the other. NOTE 1:- The Quality Plan describes the management strategy that sets clear and sustainable performance objectives, delegates responsibility and establishes lines of communication. The objective being to manage the various management schemes within an overall management scheme within an organization. NOTE 2: Client duties under the CDM Regulations require the provision of known information and cooperation and coordination with the principal designer and principal/main contractor. (iv) The Organization shall, in order to reduce the need for waste disposal, minimise the generation and environmental impacts of wastes arising during the contracted works and shall maximise opportunities for the re-use and recovery of wastes. The Organization shall document its arrangements for the identification, segregation, handling, storage and disposal of the different types of wastes arising from the contracted works. 7.2 Customer-related processes Determination of Requirements Related to the Product Review of requirements relating to the product (i) Matters of a significant nature which arise during the determination and review of requirements shall be considered during the management review and incorporated as necessary into the quality management system Customer communication (i) The Organization shall have a process in place to record their registration to this sector scheme on the Schedule of Suppliers website upon receipt of the certificate issued by their Certification Body to confirm their accreditation and thereafter check its suitability and validity annually. (ii) The Customer needs to be informed about the products, that is, they require detailed information as appropriate regarding materials, components, manufacturing details etc. for the purposes of: (a) maintenance/health and safety requirements (e.g. Declarations of Performance - where these apply to a product - and as-built records). NHSS 9A UKAS 7 Page 15 of

16 (b) For their own monitoring of the effectiveness/performance of the product. The Quality Plan shall identify what and when relevant information is passed on to the customer or their agent. (iii) A programme of delivery shall be agreed with the customer on request 7.3 Design and development Design and development planning Permanent road traffic signs shall be designed and assembled in accordance with BS EN 12899, the TSRGD and the Traffic Signs Manual and relevant working drawings. Reference shall be made to the requirements of GD02 in determining the appropriateness of qualifications and experience for design Design and development inputs Design and development outputs Design and development review Design and development verification Structural design (i) This may involve the use of a suitable computer programme, the structural calculations of which shall have been independently verified (ii) Verification of Design by Testing The test shall use forces calculated in accordance with the relevant European harmonised standards, the UK national rules (see the CPR) and any contract requirements. (iii) Verification of Design by Calculation The design shall use forces calculated in accordance with the relevant European harmonised standards, the UK national rules and any contract requirements Sign face design The design of the sign face shall be verified by a competent person (competent by reference to GD02) Design and development validation Control of design and development changes 7.4 Purchasing Purchasing process Purchasing information NHSS 9A UKAS 7 Page 16 of

17 7.4.3 Verification of purchased product For mechanical fasteners, the requirement for organizations to ensure that purchased product meets specified purchase requirements may be satisfied by Organizations obtaining mechanical fasteners from a supplier that is registered to NHSS Production and Service Provision Control of Production and Service Provision Validation of processes for production and service provision Works orders shall be retained for at least seven years Identification and traceability There must be an auditable process of document retention which can be clearly identified and traced Customer property Preservation of product 7.6 Control of monitoring and measuring equipment The Organization s system shall include documented procedures to demonstrate the manner and frequency of the calibration of the measuring and test equipment. (See Appendix E) 8 Measurement, analysis and improvement 8.1 General. 8.2 Monitoring and measurement Customer satisfaction Internal audits Internal audits shall be carried out at sufficient frequency and by a suitable technically competent person/s to ensure a robust assessment of the compliance of the product. The quality plan shall state the frequency of internal audits Monitoring and measurement of processes Monitoring and measurement of product 8.3 Control of nonconforming product. 8.4 Analysis of data. 8.5 Improvement Continual improvement The corrective and preventative action processes shall include analysis of incidents. NHSS 9A UKAS 7 Page 17 of

18 8.5.2 Corrective action Preventive action NHSS 9A UKAS 7 Page 18 of

19 Appendix A: Requirements for Quality Plans The Quality Plan shall include the following as appropriate. 1. Customer details, name and address and contact details. 2. Definition of the product or service being provided. 3. The structure of the Organization relevant to the contract, including the name of the senior manager responsible, and personnel managing the work. This shall include contact details. 4. Personnel carrying out the work and reference to their relevant qualifications and experience. 5. Programme of work / programme of delivery. 6. Contract Specification requirements. 7. Processes for receipt and examination of compliance certificates/information for purchased products. 8. Design verification level and processes. 9. Product identification and traceability. 10. Contract specific requirements for storage or transportation. 11. Inspection programme. 12. Records deposition NHSS 9A UKAS 7 Page 19 of

20 Appendix B: Reference Documents Reference Documents relevant to this Sector Scheme which should be identified as appropriate or not by the Organization. The listing is not comprehensive; other documents may be required to fulfil the requirements of the Contract. Organizations shall ensure that they have a working knowledge and access to all the documents including amendments and revisions as appropriate. The list of standards and documents below may be date specific; however, the Organization shall have procedures in place to ensure that the relevant and latest version and any amendments are available. Organizations should be aware that utilisation of internet search engines may result in out of date references being identified/called up. 1. Manual of Contract Documents for Highway Works: Volumes 0-3(TSO Traffic Signs Manual 3. The Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 4. The Traffic Signs Regulations (Northern Ireland) Department for Transport Working Drawings for Traffic Sign Design and Manufacture 6. Welsh Government Working Drawings 7. Safety of Street Works and Road Works: A Code of Practice (TSO) 8. BS EN 12899: 2007 Fixed, Vertical Road Traffic Signs. 9. BS EN Passive safety of support structures for road equipment Requirements and test methods 10. BS EN ISO 9001:2005 Quality Management Systems Fundamentals and Vocabulary 11. BS EN ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management Systems Requirements 12. BS EN ISO 9004:2009 Quality Management Systems Managing for the sustained success of an organisation. A quality management approach. 13. Local Transport Note: 1/94 Design and Use of Directional Informatory Signs 14. The Department for Transport Circular 02/2003. The Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions Note 1: The Organization shall use the current reference documents and British Standards unless stated otherwise in the Contract Specification Note 2: Highways England may issue Interim Advice Notes (IANs) as a prelude to inclusion in the MCHW (Vol 1 and 2), the DMRB and/or Chapter 8 of the Traffic Signs Manual. Organizations must have auditable processes in place to identify when these documents are issued and their implementation date(s). An index of Interim Advice Notes (IANs) is available on the internet NHSS 9A UKAS 7 Page 20 of

21 Appendix C: Training and Assessment of Competence 1 Introduction This appendix is concerned with training to provide under-pinning knowledge, together with the assessment of competence, which is, amongst other things, the application of that knowledge. The Organization shall have a system in place to identify training needs and provision these through a training plan. Training records shall be maintained for employees and shall be made available for inspection when required. Training personnel employed shall be appropriately experienced and qualified. Training shall be carried out in accordance with the organization s requirements and where specified this NHSSD Employees shall be assessed by the Organization for competence through recorded observation of their application of training and knowledge in the workplace. (i) Organizations shall register to National Highway Sector Scheme 9A (see appendix F) and (ii) (iii) Operatives within organizations directly involved with the design and / or manufacture and / or assembly and / or provision required by this NHSSD shall be competent (and this can be achieved by completing a recognised N/SVQ or equivalent) Staff within such organizations who may not be directly involved in manufacture and / or assembly and / or provision, but who design Permanent Road Traffic Signs shall be competent (and this can be achieved by completing a recognised N/SVQ as defined in this document and / or in accordance with GD02 as appropriate) All operatives directly involved in the design and / or manufacture and / or assembly and / or provision of Permanent Road Traffic Signs, both experienced and newcomers to the industry are required to be competent (and this can be achieved by undertaking a recognised N/SVQ Level 2 or 3 as appropriate see below). N/SVQs referred to above are: ASFI Level 2 NVQ Diploma in Signmaking (QCF) - 600/4546/2 ASFI Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Signmaking (QCF) - 600/8028/0 PAA\VQ-SET Level 2 NVQ Diploma in Signmaking (QCF) - 600/0080/6 PAA\VQ-SET Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Signmaking (QCF) - 600/0081/8 SVQ 2 in Signmaking at SCQF Level 5 GK1H 22 SVQ 3 in Signmaking at SCQF Level 6 GK1J 23 Certificates issued under the BSGA 1998 structure N/SVQs, which show certification to Level 2 or Level 3 meet the requirements of NHSS 9A 5 Health and Safety Organizations are reminded of their legal obligations, under the Health & safety at Work Act 1974, to provide training in health and safety for all of their employees. The training and assessment requirements for employees under this Sector Scheme are primarily intended to demonstrate technical competence for the design and / or manufacture and / or assembly and / or provision of traffic signs. The aim is to provide sufficient awareness to enable work to be carried out in a safe manner. However, it remains the responsibility of the Organization to determine and implement safe working procedures. NHSS 9A UKAS 7 Page 21 of

22 Appendix E: Example Register for the Control of Monitoring and Measuring Equipment Item of Equipment Purchase Specification Calibration Control Calibration Frequency NHSS 9A UKAS 7 Page 22 of

23 Appendix F: List of Certification Bodies Information on certification bodies accredited against this scheme can be found on the UKAS website The following process should be followed to identify the relevant certification bodies accredited to this scheme. From the UKAS home page place the cursor onto the search facility in top right hand corner of the page Type in sector scheme No 9A (including the inverted commas) (see note 1 below) Select certification bodies button (located immediately below the search facility) Left click Search this then lists the certification bodies that are accredited to NHSS 9A and their details can be found by clicking on the appropriate links. Note 1. This process may not identify Certification Bodies that do not have sector scheme No 9A in their scope, but which may have only NHSS 9A or sector scheme 9A. To complete the full list of CBs it will be necessary to repeat the process but type in nhss 9A at bullet point 3 and again using sector scheme 9A Note 2: Advice on the current accreditation status of certification bodies to assess against this document should be sought from UKAS (Tel ) NHSS 9A UKAS 7 Page 23 of

24 Appendix G: The Role of the Certification Body and Auditor Qualifications 1. Role of Certification Bodies 1.1. The independent assessment of conformity of Organizations to the requirements of BS EN ISO9001 and the additional requirements required by this NHSSD rely upon the assessment expertise, competence and capability of accredited certification bodies The Certification Body role is to ensure, through assessment, that Organizations have management systems in place which address the enhanced BS EN ISO9001 requirements detailed in this NHSSD Certification Bodies shall ensure they are all represented by at least one nominated individual Lead Certification Body (or deputy) who will represent all Certification Bodies at Sector Scheme Advisory Committee meetings. This does not preclude other Certification Bodies from attending, as appropriate Certification Bodies shall be represented at the National Highway Sector Scheme Liaison Committee. 2. Certification Body Accreditation 2.1. To ensure consistency and to demonstrate independent capability Certification Bodies are required to be accredited against the requirements of ISO 17021:2011 by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) or an equivalent International Accreditation Forum (IAF) member for assessment and registration of BS EN ISO9001 quality management systems interpreted in accordance with this NHSS. 3. Assessor and Assessment Team Competence. 3.1 The Certification Body must be able to demonstrate to UKAS that it possesses and can maintain the necessary assessor experience and technical understanding of the manufacture and verification of traffic signs covered in the scope of this Sector Scheme. These assessment areas shall include, but not be limited to the following: i) knowledge, understanding and application of this NHSSD (See Appendix G1). ii) knowledge of design and / or manufacture and / or assembly and / or provision in the road traffic signs industry, including an awareness of the methods and techniques sufficient to understand the processes employed and the controls necessary to ensure delivery of conforming product. (Conveyance of this knowledge to auditing teams will be determined by the Certification Body and will be audited by UKAS). iii) maintenance of demonstrable technical highway engineering background, capable of reading and understanding specifications and drawings, including knowledge of the Specification for Highway Works and design standards requirements for traffic signs. iv) ability to demonstrate that they have on-going suitable health and safety training which shall include appreciation of the risks involved in the design and / or manufacture and / or assembly and / or provision of traffic signs as appropriate The Certification Body must also ensure that assessors have sufficient knowledge of health & safety requirements related to this NHSSD NHSS 9A UKAS 7 Page 24 of

25 3.3. Guidance to Certification Bodies on assessor competence related to this Sector Scheme is given in the Certification Body guidance document National Highway Sector Scheme Accreditation, Registration and Assessment Guidance for Certification Bodies NHSS 0 Part 4 (to be published) 3.4 The Certification Body is responsible for ensuring that the assessment teams possess demonstrable expertise in the assessment areas detailed above as they relate to the scope of client activities under assessment. 3.5 Minimum assessor qualifications and competence for assessment of this NHSS, which may reside in a single individual or in an assessment team, are as follows: i) International Register of Certificated Auditors (IRCA) Registered ISO9001:2008 Lead Auditor qualification or Certification Body equivalent and demonstrable expertise in leading assessment teams. ii) BS EN ISO9001:2008 assessment experience iii) knowledge, understanding and application of this NHSSD. iv) awareness of design and / or manufacture and / or assembly and / or provision in the road traffic sign industry, including awareness of the methods and techniques sufficient to understand the processes employed and the controls necessary to ensure delivery of conforming product. (Conveyance of this knowledge to auditing teams will be determined by the Certification Body and will be audited by UKAS). v) demonstrable technical highway engineering background, capable of reading and understanding specifications and drawings, including knowledge of the Specification for Highway Works and design standards requirements for traffic signs. vi) ability to demonstrate that they have on-going suitable health and safety training which includes appreciation of the risks involved in the manufacture of traffic signs 4. Conduct of Assessments Certification Bodies shall ensure that an adequate proportion of the initial and continuing assessment duration is devoted to assessing operational activities at locations where the manufacture and verification of traffic signs covered by the scope of this Sector Scheme are being undertaken from Certification Bodies shall make every endeavour to ensure that during a three year certification cycle there is evidence of assessment of all execution activities covered by the Organization s scope of registration. Certification bodies shall undertake surveillance visits at intervals of not greater than one year. 5. Format and Content of Registration Certificates Certificates of registration issued by Certification Bodies, which include within the scope of registration reference to compliance with this Sector Scheme, shall be in a format and contain the content detailed in Appendix K of this NHSSD The National Highway Sector Scheme Logo shall be included in any Certificate of Registration which has this Sector Scheme detailed in the Scope of Registration. The logo shall only be used and applied in the manner detailed in any conditions of use published in NHSS 0 6. National Highway Sector Schemes Schedule of Suppliers. NHSS 9A UKAS 7 Page 25 of

26 6.1. Certification Bodies shall monitor the National Highway Sector Schemes Schedule of Suppliers posted at to ensure equivalence between their clients registered to this Sector Scheme and the listed Organizations. 6.2.Certification Bodies shall provide to National Highway Sector Schemes Schedule of Suppliers administrator at Lantra Awards details of registered Organizations whose scope of registration against this Sector Scheme has ceased to be applicable within 10 working days of that situation occurring. 6.3.Certification Bodies shall audit the Organization to ensure that the Organization has recorded their NHSS registration on the Lantra Schedule of Suppliers web-based register (See 4.1(i) and of this NHSSD) 7. Reporting on Sector Scheme Performance Each Lead Certification Body shall provide to the Leader of the SSAC a summary report which includes as a minimum: a) observations and comments on the implementation and assessment findings related to the Sector Scheme including any omissions or deficiencies in its scope. b) recommendations for improving/clarifying the NHSSD c) feedback on deficiencies against contract documentation d) a list of Organizations whose scope of registration includes this Sector Scheme for comparison against the Schedule of Suppliers Note: The report shall be available at least a week before each National Highway Sector Scheme Liaison Committee meeting (normally held each May/June and October/November), so that it may be considered during the Liaison meeting. This is to be issued to the Chairman of the National Highway Sector Scheme Liaison Committee and the Chairman of this Sector Scheme Committee. NHSS 9A UKAS 7 Page 26 of