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Product category: Professional Associations, Institutions, Institutes, Standards bodies
News Release from: National Weights and Measures Laboratory
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial Team on 09 April 2003

Lord Sainsbury Recognises NWML's Quality
Standard

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NWML, (The National Weights and Measures Laboratory) an executive agency of the DTI, is one of two DTI agencies to achieve ISO 9001:2000 certification; the other being the Patent Office.

NWML, (The National Weights and Measures Laboratory) an executive agency of the DTI, is one of two DTI agencies to achieve ISO 9001:2000 certification; both NWML and the Patent Office (who have also achieved certification), operate within DTI's Innovation Group NWML is one of only three executive agencies in the UK to achieve certification

The scope of ISO 9001:2000 certification for NWML includes the provision of regulatory, consultancy and project management services, management of calibration and testing laboratories, training and associated support services.

This achievement represents the initial stages of a programme of continuing assessment and re-assessment of NWML activities.

A strategic review of the certification will be conducted that will focus on the strengths and weaknesses of NWML's management system.

Lord Sainsbury, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Science and Innovation and David Hughes, Director General, DTI Innovation Group visited NWML for the presentation of the certificate by Mr Nick Moy, MD of BSI (British Standards Institution) Management Systems and toured the newly refurbished NWML site in Teddington.

NWML has an important role in ensuring that measurement in the UK is accurate, fair and legal.

It sets policy on measuring instruments (e.g fuel pumps, water meters, road tanker meter measuring systems, supermarket weigh scales and spirit measures) for use in trade, has responsibility for the implementation of European Directives and provides the focus for legal metrology in the UK.

Lord Sainsbury comments: "I am delighted, therefore, that it has achieved its ISO 9001:2000 certification." Dr Jeff Llewellyn, CE of NWML comments: "We are delighted to have achieved the accreditation in such a short time.

The certificate recognises the progress we have made over the last year in listening to our staff and customers and implementing best practice in our internal procedures.

The audit, like most audits was a grueling but positive affair.

Two auditors probed deeply over two days to understand and assess us.

BSI commented that we were surprisingly diverse and multifaceted for such a small organisation.

In the end, we achieved certification with no non-compliances.

A major achievement." Nick Moy, managing director of BSI Management Systems comments: "The NWML certificate indicates that government is taking the issue of updating its quality management standards seriously.

The NWML is now better positioned to continually improve its operations and is more agile to change with customer needs.

We hope the rest of British industry follows suit." Niall Boyle, NWML's Marketing Director comments: "The achievement of certification is a very significant event for NWML.

It will enable NWML to appear on registers of approved suppliers and put us in a much better position to win contracts from governments, EU-Aid funded programmes and private enterprise." Prior to the achievement of ISO 9001:2000, NWML already had a well-established quality system in place and UKAS* accreditation for its laboratories.

The achievement of ISO 9001:2000 has enabled the existing quality system to be streamlined and increased the profile of quality throughout the NWML laboratories.

NWML has strong expertise in assessment and auditing.

The Laboratory provides an accredited Quality Certification service for the assessment and certification of management systems.

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