The International Certification Network IQNet recently received the accreditation for Social
Accountability 8000 (SA8000). In its role as partner organization and founding member, DQS is therefore authorized to offer certification services for this increasingly important standard to its customers.
SA8000 is based on the principles of international workplace norms contained within the ILO (International Labour Organisation) conventions, UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The fundamental focus of SA8000 is to improve working conditions around the world. This intent has pioneered the way forward for organisations to improve and demonstrate their corporate social responsibility (CSR) with regards to basic human rights in the workplace.
The standard defines the following subjects as major requirements:
Child labour
Forced labour
Health and Safety
Freedom of association and rights to collective bargaining
Discrimination
Disciplinary practices
Working hours
Remuneration
Management Systems
To comply with those requirements and ensure continual improvement, organisations need to introduce and maintain a management system. It is easily possible to include the requirements of SA8000 into existing management systems like ISO 9001, ISO 14001 or OHSAS 18001.
Additional information about SA8000 is available on the IQNet Website or by contacting Matthias Pärsch, Manager Support DQS International, Phone +49 69 95427-129.
